• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cooking Carnival logo

  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
go to homepage
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • About
  • Terms Of Use
  • Contact
×

Home » Instant Pot Vegetarian and vegan Recipes » Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Published: October 23, 2020. Modified: October 23, 2020 By Dhwani Mehta. This post may contain affiliate links. This blog generates income via ads.

291shares
Jump to Recipe

Warm-up with this vegetarian Instant Pot Minestrone Soup! This Italian classic soup recipe is comforting hearty, filling, easy to make, and tastes incredible. The beauty of this recipe is, It requires one pot, and it gets done in 30 minutes!

It’s vegan, too, if you skip parmesan cheese! Serve with crusty No-knead bread to sop up that hearty savory broth and sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese for a cozy winter dinner!

This soup recipe simple to make, you can make it on the stove or Instant Pot. Directions are provided for both in recipe cards!

2 bowl bowl full of hearty minestrone soup made in instant pot, crusty bread on the sides.

Who else remembers the delicious endless bowls of soup and the nearby breadsticks from Olive Garden? Damn good, right?

Today’s minestrone recipe is inspired by a little dose of nostalgia. I love Olive Garden and their delicious salad, warm breadsticks, and of course, cozy bowls of minestrone soup.

Not bragging here, but I like my homemade minestrone soup better than Olive Gardens. And making it in Instant pot saves so much time plus tastes scrumptious.

Making soups in the Instant Pot is a staple around here. We love making delicious and easy soups in the pressure cooker like our popular 15 beans soup, spinach soup, and Lasagna soup.

I also love creamy soups, like this Instant-Pot broccoli cheese soup, this Potato leek soup, or this gnocchi soup.

But this Instant-pot minestrone soup is an exception. I have been making this recipe for years, and it’s my family’s absolute favorite.

Table of Contents

  • What is Minestrone Soup?
  • Why I love this soup?
  • Is this soup healthy?
  • What’s the difference between vegetable soup and minestrone soup?
  • Ingredients required
  • How to make Instant Pot Minestrone Soup? Step by step process
  • Notes, Pro-tips, and quick FAQs.
    • Can you make this in advance?
    • How to reheat?
    • Can this recipe be frozen?
    • What to eat with minestrone soup?
  • Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
      • Instant Pot method
      • Stove Top method
  • Video
    • Notes
    • Nutrition

What is Minestrone Soup?

Minestrone is a hearty and delicious Italian vegetable soup made with tomato-y broth, kidney beans, and pasta.

There is no right or wrong way to make minestrone. You can swipe ingredients in the recipe as per your taste and availability!

Why I love this soup?

  • hearty and wholesome
  • easy to make and worth the effort.
  • The recipe calls for seasonal vegetables and affordable pantry ingredients.
  • crowed pleasing
  • packs great for lunch, and tastes even better the next day.
  • freezes and defrosts well, too.
  • it’s so versatile! You can adjust the consistency according to your preference.
  • On top of all, it is much better than the Olive Garden or store-bought varieties!
Bowl of Instant pot minestrone soup, rom top angle

Is this soup healthy?

Soup is always a healthy choice when it’s packed with a ton of vegetables. This instant pot minestrone soup recipe is full of fresh vegetables and legumes. It also contains tons of vitamins, protein, and fiber. Plus, it works if you’re vegan and gluten-free if you use gluten-free pasta.

What’s the difference between vegetable soup and minestrone soup?

Minestrone soup is just a heartier version of a vegetable soup. Instead of only have vegetables, this easy minestrone soup recipe packs extra nutrients from the pasta and kidney beans.

It’s a delicious meal that will keep you full and satisfied.

Ingredients required

Vegetables

Minestrone was traditionally made to use up leftover vegetables, so feel free to use any seasonal vegetables and greens you have on hand. I used celery, carrots, zucchini, onion, and spinach for the soup and it was delicious.

You can use any vegetables of your choice. Swap the spinach for Swiss chard or baby kale If you don’t have or don’t like spinach.

If you want your spinach to be less cooked, fold it in right after the soup is done cooking.

Pasta

For this recipe, we use dry pasta shells that get cooked directly in the Instant Pot to make this an easy one-pot meal. Small/tiny pasta is preferred, our favorite one is small shell pasta. You may use mini farfalle, mini macaroni, orzo, etc.

You can also boil the pasta separately and stir in later or use leftover cooked pasta.

Also, if you plan on freezing this soup, I would leave out the pasta and cook it separately on the stove whenever you’re planning to serve it. That way, the pasta doesn’t end up getting soggy.

For an even healthier option, use whole wheat macaroni pasta.

To keep this low-carb, omit the pasta, you honestly won’t miss it with everything else in this soup.

Beans

I have used canned red kidney beans here. You can use any beans you have on hand – kidney beans, cannellini, northern beans, or the combination of all the beans. Chickpeas will also work.

If using dried beans instead of canned, cook and drain ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Seasoning

For seasoning, I used Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, black pepper powder, and salt.

Since we love spicy, red pepper flakes are an absolute must for us. You can reduce the number of chili flakes or leave it out if you’re making these cheese cookies for kids or for someone who isn’t a fan of spices.

Be very careful while adding salt. Because tomato sauce and beans have salt added in them.

If you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand, you could use a mix of individual Italian herbs as per your preferences.

Cheese

What makes this soup extra special, is using the rind from a wedge of parmesan. I always stash them in my freezer just for soups, if you don’t have one toss some grated cheese into the soup while it’s cooking.

It adds a rich, savory flavor to the soup. You can skip you want to make vegan or don’t have at hand.

Btw, if you are looking for vegetarian parmesan cheese, then Sprouts and Wholefoods does carry them.

Diced tomato and tomato sauce

I always use this combination for that tomato-y flavors. You can use tomato paste for the intense flavors. If you don’t prefer to use canned products, use fresh diced tomatoes.

Vegetable stock

I have used low sodium vegetable stock. If you don’t have in the pantry, you may use water or the combination of better than bouillon and water. Feel free to use any other stock of your choice.

Oil

I have used extra virgin olive oil. You may use any oil of your choice.

Basil leaves and Parmesan cheese

Premeasured ingredients on black tile

How to make Instant Pot Minestrone Soup? Step by step process

Heat oil on ‘saute’ high setting.

Once the oil is hot, add the garlic to the instant pot and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add onion, zucchini, carrots, celery, and spinach. Saute for 30 seconds.

Sauteeing garlic and adding vegetables in instant pot

Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, salt, Black pepper powder, red pepper flakes, Pasta shells, and parmesan rind. Give it a nice stir.

adding all the ingredients in the instant pot to make minestrone soup

Securely lock the Instant pot’s lid and set for 5 minutes under high pressure. Set vent valve on sealing position.

Once cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and ‘quick release’ the release the remaining pressure.

setting the time in instant pot

Remove the parmesan rind. If it’s soft then chop it and add it to the soup.

Add chopped basil leaves and give it a quick stir.

Dish out, sprinkle some parmesan cheese, top it up with basil leaves and serve it hot with your choice of bread and salads.

2 bowl o minestrone soups

Notes, Pro-tips, and quick FAQs.

  • To make keto, low carb minestrone soup, or a whole paleo version of it, simply leave out the pasta, beans, and carrots. And instead, add cauliflower and green beans.
  • Add sugar if you feel soup is sour.

Can you make this in advance?

Soups are one of the best to make ahead meals out there! Yes, this Instant Pot Minestrone soup can be made ahead up to 5 days in advance.

How to reheat?

To warm this soup again, add some water, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat stirring occasionally. Do not simmer for too long as this will overcook the pasta and zucchini and dull the flavor of the basil.

Can this recipe be frozen?

Yes, this Minestrone can be frozen for up to four months. Don’t add pasta if you intend freezing this soup or else the pasta will be mushy on reheating.

  • Once the soup is cool, divide it into containers with a convenient number of servings.
  • Cover it tightly and freeze.
  • Freeze for up to four months.
  • To thaw, transfer the container to the refrigerator and thaw at least 24 hours.
  • Reheat in the microwave or a pan.
  • Also, keep it in mind that this soup will thicken in the freezer or refrigerator as the residual heat of the broth continues to cook the vegetables and they release their starches, so stir in some more stock or water when you reheat leftovers.

What to eat with minestrone soup?

Besides topping your delicious bowl with freshly grated parmesan, I love serving it with:

The Best no-knead bread

Quinoa and roasted squash salad

Cheese pizza cookies

Pumpkin savory bread

taking A ladle full of minestrone soup from the instant pot

I know you’re going to love this minestrone soup recipe. Please let me know if you make it by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below.

I’d love to hear from you and it helps encourage others to try this recipe too!

2 bowl o minestrone soups
Print
5 from 2 votes

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Warm-up with this vegetarian Instant Pot Minestrone Soup! This Italian classic soup recipe is comforting hearty, filling, easy to make, and tastes incredible. The beauty of this recipe is, It requires one pot, and it gets done in 30 minutes!
Course Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
Keyword Instant pot minestrone soup, Minestrone soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 7 people
Calories 141kcal
Author Dhwani

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup onion finely chopped
  • 1 heaping cup spinach chopped
  • 1 cup carrots chopped
  • ⅓ cup celery chopped
  • 1 ½ cup zucchini chopped
  • 1 tsp grated garlic
  • 14 oz. diced tomatoes (canned) do not drain
  • 14 oz. red kidney beans (canned) I didn’t drain, used it directly
  • 14 oz. tomato sauce (canned) 14 Oz
  • 4 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth 1 quart
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • salt to taste
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ¾ cup small shell pasta
  • ¼ cup basil leaves
  • 1- inch parmesan rind optional
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped basil leaves for topping.

Instructions

Instant Pot method

  • Heat oil on ‘saute’ high setting.
  • Once the oil is hot, add the garlic to the instant pot and sauté for 30 seconds.
  • Add onion, zucchini, carrots, celery, and spinach. Saute for 30 seconds.
  • Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, salt, Black pepper powder, red pepper flakes, Pasta shells, and parmesan rind. Give it a nice stir.
  • Securely lock the Instant pot's lid and set for 5 minutes under high pressure. Set the valve on sealing position.
  • Once cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and ‘quick release’ the release the remaining pressure.
  • Remove the parmesan rind. If it’s soft then chop it and add it to the soup.
  • Add chopped basil leaves and give it a quick stir.
  • Dish out, sprinkle some parmesan cheese, top it up with basil leaves and serve it hot with your choice of bread and salads.

Stove Top method

  • Add olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Saute for a few seconds.
  • Now add carrots, celery, zucchini. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and parmesan rind.
  • Stir together and let come to a low boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to medium and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add spinach and dried pasta shells. Let cook until pasta is al-dente.
  • Add chopped basil and stir well. Adjust the consistency by adding more water, if required.
  • Switch off the flame, sprinkle some parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • To make keto, low carb minestrone soup, or a whole paleo version of it, simply leave out the pasta, beans, and carrots. And instead, add cauliflower and green beans.
  • Add sugar if you feel the soup is sour.
  • Please read the blog post above or all the possible ingredients substitution and for quick FAQs. Trust me, you find it very helpful and useful.

Nutrition

Serving: 1person | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1188mg | Potassium: 637mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3928IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Share your feedback with pics @cookingcarnival or tag #cookingcarnival on Instagram or Facebook!

Warm regards,

Dhwani.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Terry says

    January 16, 2021 at 2:10 pm

    5 stars
    I was a little nervous to make this because I didn’t like the minestrone soup I tried at a restaurant… I am SO glad I made this recipe. It has amazing flavor, is very easy and takes little preparation! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I will definitely be making this again!

    Reply
    • Dhwani Mehta says

      January 19, 2021 at 3:20 pm

      So glad to know. Thank you 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

AS SEEN IN:As Seen In

Primary Sidebar

About Me

Hi!! Welcome to CookingCarnival. My Blog is all about easy to make delicious Vegetarian recipes. Read More…

Follow us:

Salad and dressing recipes

Butternut squash spinach salad on a white plate

Butternut Squash Spinach Salad With Pomegranate Vinaigrette

best Roasted Butternut Squash Fall Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette on a gray board

Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

easy Pumpkin Vinaigrette

Pumpkin Vinaigrette

Subscribe Here…

Loading

Drinks and Mocktails

Non-alcoholic sangria in a glass

Non Alcoholic Sangria

Indian mango drink served in glass

Mango Lassi

Golden milk in a big mug, garnished with cinnamon sticks and peppercorn

Golden Milk | Haldi Doodh

Non Alcoholic christmas punch in a 3 glasses and a jug

Non Alcoholic Christmas Punch

Footer

^ back to top

Navigate

  • All Recipes
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • About Us

Copyright © 2020 CookingCarnival. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

We use cookies to personalize this website for you and to analyze the use of our website. You agree to use this by clicking on "Accept" or by continuing your use of this website. Further information about cookies can be found in our Privacy Policy.AcceptPrivacy Policy