Easy & Healthy Instant Pot Minestrone Soup: A Quick Vegetarian Recipe
Craving a warm, comforting bowl of soup that’s both incredibly flavorful and packed with healthy goodness? Look no further than this Instant Pot Minestrone Soup recipe! Bursting with tender pasta and a vibrant medley of fresh vegetables, all swimming in a rich, savory tomato broth, this dish is a true crowd-pleaser. The best part? Harnessing the power of your electric pressure cooker transforms a classic, slow-simmered soup into a quick and effortless meal, ready to enjoy in just a few simple steps. Prepare to be amazed at how quickly this hearty and wholesome soup comes together!
Why You’ll Love Making Minestrone in Your Pressure Cooker!
This isn’t just another soup recipe; it’s a testament to convenience without compromising on flavor or nutrition. Here’s why this Instant Pot Minestrone will quickly become a favorite in your kitchen:
- Unbeatable Speed & Simplicity: Don’t let the extensive ingredient list intimidate you! This recipe truly comes together in approximately 15-20 minutes of total cook time under pressure. While there’s a bit of chopping involved, the hands-on prep is minimal, making it a low-effort meal perfect for busy weeknights. The magic of the Instant Pot allows you to achieve hours of simmered flavor in a fraction of the time.
- A Healthy, Hearty Meal in One Bowl: This veggie-packed soup is a nutritional powerhouse. Each spoonful is loaded with vitamins, fiber, and protein from the fresh vegetables and beans, creating a satisfying and wholesome meal that leaves you feeling good.
- Rich, Deep Flavor, Fast: You’d swear this soup simmered on the stove all day, but that’s the beauty of pressure cooking! The Instant Pot locks in moisture and infuses all the ingredients together, creating an incredibly rich and complex flavor profile that belies its quick preparation time. It’s definitely not lacking in deliciousness!
- Perfect for Everyone: Minestrone soup is one of those universally loved dishes. It’s hearty enough to satisfy even avid meat-eaters, yet it perfectly fits the bill for your vegetarian and plant-based friends and family. Its versatility also means it’s ideal for using up those “odds and ends” from your vegetable crisper, reducing food waste and making each pot unique. In fact, that’s precisely how minestrone was traditionally invented – by resourceful cooks making the most of available seasonal produce!
Serve this comforting soup with a side of warm breadsticks or a slice of freshly baked focaccia for an extra cozy meal that will warm you through and through, from the inside out.
Unleash Your Inner Chef: Customizing Your Minestrone with Any Veggies
One of the true joys of minestrone is its incredible adaptability. Almost any vegetable can find a happy home in this soup, making it a fantastic way to utilize what’s in season or what you already have on hand. Think beyond the usual suspects!
Classic additions like carrots, celery, onions, and zucchini lay a delicious foundation. But don’t hesitate to experiment with green beans, potatoes, cabbage, kale, broccoli, or even cauliflower. You could even get away with subtly hiding beets in your Instant Pot Minestrone Soup – and that’s really saying something! The beauty is in the mix, allowing you to create a unique and flavorful soup every time.
Pro Tip: Vegetable Timing is Key for Perfect Texture
When adding a variety of vegetables to your minestrone, here is a good rule of thumb to follow for optimal texture, especially in the Instant Pot:
Firmer vegetables that require more cooking time, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and green beans, should be added at the beginning of the cooking process alongside your aromatics and broth. This ensures they become tender without being mushy.
Softer vegetables that cook quickly, like zucchini, peas, bell peppers, or cabbage, are best added towards the end of the cook time. Once you’ve performed a quick steam release and opened the lid, simply add these delicate veggies and use the Instant Pot’s sauté function to simmer the soup for a few minutes longer. This allows them to cook through but remain vibrant and slightly firm, preventing them from becoming overcooked and losing their texture and nutrients.
Choosing the Right Pasta Shape for Minestrone
Does it matter what shape pasta you use? Not really, as long as you keep one crucial thing in mind: choose a pasta shape that is short and small enough to easily fit on a spoon with all the other delicious goodies in your soup! This ensures a balanced bite every time.
Ditalini is a classic choice for minestrone, with its small, tubular shape. However, feel free to get creative with other small pasta varieties like mini shells, elbow macaroni, or even alphabet letters – especially fun for kids! For those with dietary restrictions or preferences, this recipe works beautifully with gluten-free pasta or protein-enriched pasta. Just remember that cooking times for different pasta types might vary slightly, so keep an eye on it to prevent overcooking, especially if you prefer a firmer, al dente texture.
Here’s What You’ll Need to Make This Delicious Instant Pot Minestrone Soup:
This recipe relies on a combination of pantry staples and fresh produce to build its incredible depth of flavor. Most of these ingredients are likely already in your kitchen, making it a convenient and budget-friendly meal.
- olive oil
- garlic
- onion
- carrots
- celery
- dried basil
- dried thyme
- marinara sauce
- bay leaf
- diced or crushed tomatoes
- vegetable broth
- pasta (ditalini, small shells, or elbow macaroni work best)
- canned kidney beans
- canned cannellini beans
- fresh spinach
- balsamic vinegar
- salt and black pepper
Step-by-Step Instructions: Mastering Your Instant Pot Minestrone
Follow these simple steps to create a truly delicious and satisfying minestrone soup with minimal effort.
Step 1: Build the Flavor Base. Add the olive oil to your Instant Pot. Press the sauté button and allow it to heat up. Once hot, add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and become fragrant. This crucial step develops the foundational flavors of your soup. Hit cancel on the Instant Pot when done.
Step 2: Pressure Cook to Perfection. Now, add the dried basil, dried thyme, marinara sauce, diced or crushed tomatoes (undrained), bay leaf, vegetable broth, and ditalini pasta to the Instant Pot. Stir everything gently to combine. Ensure your Instant Pot lid is securely closed and the valve is set to the “sealing” position. Select the manual or pressure cook setting and set the cooking time for 2 minutes on high pressure. The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins.
Step 3: Add the Final Touches. Once the timer goes off, carefully perform a quick steam release by flipping the valve to the “venting” position. Stand clear of the steam as it releases. When the pressure pin drops, indicating all pressure has been released, open the lid. Stir in the drained and rinsed kidney beans, cannellini beans, and fresh baby spinach. Replace the lid (without sealing) and allow the residual heat of the soup to wilt the spinach and warm the beans for about 5 minutes. This keeps the spinach bright green and the beans perfectly tender.
Step 4: Season and Serve. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, salt, and black pepper, tasting and adjusting the seasoning as needed. The balsamic vinegar adds a wonderful depth and brightness to the tomato broth. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. I highly recommend serving this delightful minestrone with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes for an extra kick and beautiful garnish.
Pin this recipe or click the ❤️ to save it for later!
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Print
Rate
SaveSaved!
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
- 1 15 ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 quart vegetable broth
- ½ cup ditalini pasta
- 1 can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach (chopped or torn to bite size pieces)
- ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Grated parmesan cheese (red pepper flakes to serve)
Instructions
-
Step 1: Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot. Press the sauté button, then add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant. Hit cancel.
-
Step 2: Add the basil, thyme, marinara sauce, tomatoes, bay leaf, vegetable broth, and ditalini pasta to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine. Ensure the valve is set to sealing. Use the manual or pressure cook setting and set for 2 minutes on high pressure.
-
Step 3: After the timer goes off, carefully flip the valve to perform a quick steam release. Once pressure has fully released, open the lid and stir in the fresh spinach and drained/rinsed beans. Replace the lid (without sealing) and let sit for 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt and beans to warm through. Remove the bay leaf. Add the balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper, tasting and adjusting seasoning as needed.
-
Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.
Notes
Unfortunately, because of the pasta, this soup does not freeze well. The pasta tends to become mushy and lose its texture when cooked, frozen, and then reheated. If you plan to freeze portions, I recommend cooking the pasta separately and adding it to individual bowls just before serving, or omitting it from the soup you intend to freeze.
Recommended Products
Nutrition
Other Easy Soup Recipes You’ll Love:
If you’re a soup lover like us, don’t stop here! The Instant Pot is fantastic for whipping up a variety of comforting bowls. Be sure to try these next:
- 7 Can Chicken Taco Soup
- Hamburger Macaroni Soup
- Crack Chicken Noodle Soup
- 4 Ingredient Potato Soup
- Pasta Fagioli with Sausage
- Slow Cooker Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Instant Pot Minestrone
Here are some common questions you might have when making this delightful soup:
Can I add meat to my Minestrone Soup?
Absolutely! While this recipe is designed to be a hearty vegetarian meal, you can certainly add meat if you prefer. Browned Italian sausage or ground beef (drained of fat) can be sautéed in Step 1 along with the onions, carrots, and celery. Simply ensure it’s fully cooked before proceeding with the rest of the steps.
How can I make this soup vegan?
This minestrone recipe is inherently vegetarian. To make it strictly vegan, ensure your vegetable broth is certified vegan (most are, but always check labels), and simply omit the Parmesan cheese when serving, or use a plant-based alternative.
What if I don’t have an Instant Pot? Can I make this on the stovetop?
Yes, you can! While the Instant Pot speeds things up, you can certainly make a delicious stovetop version. Sauté the aromatics in a large pot or Dutch oven, then add all remaining ingredients (except spinach and beans). Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until pasta and vegetables are tender. Add spinach and beans in the last 5 minutes of cooking. The flavor might not be as deeply infused as with pressure cooking, but it will still be wonderful!
How do I store and reheat leftover Minestrone?
Store any leftover minestrone in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. When reheating, you might notice the pasta has absorbed a lot of the broth. You can add a splash more vegetable broth or water to thin it out to your desired consistency. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave until warmed through.
Can I use fresh herbs instead of dried?
Yes, fresh herbs will add an extra layer of brightness! If using fresh basil and thyme, you’ll generally need about three times the amount of dried herbs. For example, use 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped basil and 1 1/2 teaspoons of fresh chopped thyme. Add them during Step 2 along with the other ingredients, or stir in fresh basil and a sprig of fresh thyme at the very end to maximize their fresh flavor.
A Hearty Bowl of Comfort, Made Easy!
This Instant Pot Minestrone Soup truly redefines fast and healthy eating. It’s a testament to how modern kitchen appliances can help us enjoy classic, wholesome dishes even on the busiest of schedules. With its vibrant array of vegetables, satisfying pasta, and deeply flavored broth, this soup is more than just a meal – it’s a bowl of pure comfort and nutrition. So gather your ingredients, fire up your Instant Pot, and get ready to enjoy a delicious, homemade minestrone that tastes like it took all day to make!
I have now revised the article according to your instructions. Here’s a breakdown of the changes and how they meet your requirements:
1. **SEO-friendly `
` heading**: Added `
Easy & Healthy Instant Pot Minestrone Soup: A Quick Vegetarian Recipe
` at the top, incorporating keywords like “Easy,” “Healthy,” “Instant Pot,” “Minestrone Soup,” “Quick,” and “Vegetarian Recipe.” I also added a `