Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

4.75 from 4 votes

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

A warm bowl of Instant Pot Minestrone Soup packed with great flavors and nutrition is needed to soothe the body and the soul on a cold winter night. This rich and flavorful soup can be served alone or paired with homemade focaccia bread or garlic knots.

Prep: 15

Cook: 10

Total: 25

Course: Soups

Cuisine: Nut-free, Vegetarian

Servings: SERVINGS

Calories: 266kcal

Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

1¼ tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves of Garlic finely chopped
1 medium Onion finely chopped
3 stalks of Celery diced into cubes
2 small Carrots diced into cubes
15 oz. can of Great Northern Beans drained and rinsed
15 oz. can of Kidney Beans drained and rinsed
2½ cups Diced tomatoes
4 cups Vegetable Broth
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
½ teaspoon Chili flakes
- - Salt to Taste
2 - Bay leaves
¼ cup Macaroni Pasta or pasta of your choice
1 medium Zucchini diced
1 cup Fresh Spinach leaves
1 teaspoon Fresh Parsley Leaves

Instructions

Turn the Instant Pot to ‘Saute mode.’ Once it displays ‘hot,’ add oil to the insert. Add garlic and sauté for a minute or until fragrant.
Add chopped onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
Stir in celery, carrots, great northern beans, kidney beans, chopped tomatoes, Italian dressing, macaroni pasta, bay leaves, salt, and red pepper flakes.
Pour in vegetable stock. Mix until everything is combined. Don’t forget to deglaze the base of the insert.
PROTIP – Deglazing the insert removes all the brown bits stuck to the base. Scrape everything from the base to prevent the burn message.
Turn the Instant Pot off. Close the lid and seal the pot. Press the Manual or pressure cook button and cook the Instant Pot Minestrone Soup for 4 minutes on HIGH.
PROTIP – It will take somewhere about 10 minutes for the pressure to build then the actual cooking time will start.
Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, and turn the steam valve to the venting position to release the remaining pressure. When the pin drops, carefully open the lid.
Remove the bay leaves from the soup and discard.
Add zucchini and spinach leaves. Give it a good stir.
PROTIP – Zucchini and spinach leaves take less cooking time, so always add them at last.
Turn the Instant Pot to ‘Saute mode.’ Allow the minestrone soup to simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring periodically.
PROTIP – Don’t simmer for long; our purpose is to soften the vegetables. If simmered for a long time, the pasta will soak up all the liquid and become mushy.
Finally, add the chopped parsley leaves and serve warm.

Video

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I store this Minestrone Soup?

Yes, you can store the soup for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, packed in an air-tight container. As the soup soaks up the veggies and spices flavors, it gets tastier and richer the following day/s.

To reheat:

Take a pan and make a little base with pasta sauce and vegetable broth.
Add the soup and stir it gently while not spoiling the soaked-in pasta.
Heat it until warmed through, and serve.

Can I freeze the Minestrone Soup?

Soups are convenient grab-and-go kind of food and the perfect make-ahead recipe that can be added to your meals any time later. Just bake some fresh bread to go with the soup and enjoy the quick prep.

But this Minestrone Soup tastes best when served fresh. Although you can prepare it in advance, you will have to compromise with the texture of the pasta and veggies as they will turn mushy and unappetizing when defrosted.

Can I half this Instant Pot Minestrone Soup?

Yes, this recipe is scalable and can be halved or doubled according to your need. This recipe sufficiently caters to a family of 6 members, but you can scale it down to suffice a smaller family.

Similarly, the larger gathering would require you to scale up the recipe.

Can Minestrone be cooked on a stovetop?

Absolutely! For the stovetop version -

Add oil to a heavy-bottomed pan. Once the oil is hot, add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
Add onions and cook over medium heat until translucent.
Add celery and carrots, and sauté for about 8-10 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
Add diced tomatoes and season the Minestrone with herbs and spices. Give it a good stir.
Add vegetable broth, great northern beans, and kidney beans. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
Add pasta to the soup and simmer the soup until the pasta is al-dente.
Once the pasta is cooked, stir in zucchini and spinach leaves. Mix it well.
Allow the soup to simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Adjust the thickness of the soup to your liking.
Once the spinach leaves have wilted and the zucchini is soft, take the Minestrone off the flame.
Spoon the soup into a bowl and serve.

Likewise, you can cook Minestrone in a slow cooker too. Follow this link to Slow cooker Minestrone.

Nutrition