Winter winds are gusting as I write this post, looking out at the frozen white landscape. When the weather is frosty, we need to warm up from the inside out, and this Instant Pot minestrone soup is the right way to do it. How long it takes: 45 minutes Equipment you’ll need: Instant Pot Servings: 6 You don’t have to bundle up, scrape your car off, and brave snowy roads driving to Olive Garden to enjoy this classic Italian soup. Make it right in your own cozy kitchen–no need to get out! Better yet, make it a family project and get everyone scrubbing, slicing, and dicing. Memories will be created along with the soup. Each spoonful contains a wealth of nutritious vegetables! You’ll enjoy green beans, carrots, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, onions, and garlic. Add an herbal bouquet of basil, oregano, thyme, and parsley, all simmered together, and made even more hearty with the addition of dark red kidney beans and pasta. It’s ready to eat in less than an hour. And the wonder of it all? You can make this delicious and classic vegetarian soup in your Instant Pot in under an hour! That’s my kind of recipe. You know that here on Rachel Cooks, we try to make your life in the kitchen just a little bit easier and one pot soups are a perfect way to accomplish that. (Leftovers are just a bonus.)
How To Make Instant Pot Minestrone
Sauté the vegetables. I love that you can sauté right in the Instant Pot. One less pan to wash, right? Sauté chopped onions, sliced carrots and celery briefly until they’re getting a bit soft, stirring in the garlic for the last minute or so. Stir in tomato paste and let it coat the vegetables and cook just a bit. This will deepen the flavor of your soup. Pressure cook. Pour in broth and canned diced tomatoes, add diced zucchini or summer squash, and herbs. Put the cover on the Instant Pot, set it for 2 minutes at high pressure. It will take 7-8 minutes to come to pressure. Once it’s cooked for 2 minutes, set the valve to quick release, releasing the pressure. The pressure cooking takes the place of the long, slow simmer that soups usually require. Add remaining ingredients and simmer. Your soup is almost ready! Turn your Instant Pot back to sauté, and add frozen green beans, pasta (I like ditalini), and a can of kidney beans. Simmer for twelve to fifteen minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir in red wine vinegar and brown sugar. Garnish and serve. Ladle the soup into big ceramic bowls, and sprinkle each bowlful with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty homemade bread or breadsticks. I love minestrone soup with this Italian herb and cheese pull-apart bread. Or you can top it with crispy homemade croutons. That’s amore!
How to make this minestrone soup your own
Any combination of vegetables can be used. Wikipedia says that there really isn’t a classic recipe for minestrone soup because it’s the kind of soup that uses whatever you have on hand. So check your refrigerator and freezer and see what needs to be used up. Cauliflower, bell peppers, corn, peas or edamame are good possibilities. Diced potatoes are delicious, too. I’d add them with the onions, carrots and celery. Tip: The tomatoes are essential, don’t skip those. Like lots of greens? Add chopped kale or spinach with the beans. What kind of pasta is best for minestrone? I like to use a small sized pasta like ditalini. Any small pasta, including macaroni, would work. Add a little fun with alphabet pasta. Have a leftover Parmesan cheese rind? Throw that in with the broth for added flavor. Or don’t add any Parmesan to make this soup vegan. Not into vegetarian soups? Add sausage, ground beef or turkey, or cooked chicken. Minestrone soup with Italian sausage? Yum! Bacon or pancetta are good choices, too. Sauté it first, remove from pan, and use the grease to sauté the vegetables. Add the cooked bacon/pancetta right before serving. Garnish with a swirl of homemade pesto that you froze last summer when your basil was going crazy, to really amp the flavor. Don’t have an Instant Pot? Make this recipe on the stovetop in a Dutch oven instead of an Instant Pot. Or, make crockpot minestrone soup instead for a hands off version with quinoa for added protein. Or make homemade vegetable soup!
Storage & Reheating Tips
Refrigerate: Instant Pot minestrone soup is delicious left over. Let it cool a bit, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Freeze: Minestrone soup can be frozen for a couple of months. If you are planning on freezing all of the soup to eat at a later date, I would leave out the pasta which tends to get mushy when frozen. Cook pasta separately and add to the soup when you reheat it. For best results, thaw frozen soup overnight in the fridge before reheating. Reheat: Put the soup into microwave-safe bowls into bowls and heat until warmed through. For larger amounts, put the soup into a pan and simmer gently until steaming. If the soup seems too thick, thin it with a bit of broth or water. in your Instant Pot!
