Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

This healthy Instant Pot Minestrone Soup recipe is a quick and easy pressure cooker variation on our reader favorite Minestrone recipe. This hearty low-calorie soup has authentic slow-simmered Italian flavors but is ready in 35 minutes!

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Why We Love This Instant Pot Minestrone Soup Recipe

Soup season is in full swing, and we could not be happier! Soups are the ultimate comfort food, especially when they are Italian-inspired. We regularly make our Italian Wedding Soup and Pappa al Pomodoro.

So obviously we’ve been making a lot of soup lately. Today’s minestrone is an Instant Pot variation on our reader-favorite minestrone. Loaded with tons of healthy vegetables, creamy beans, and filling pasta – this soup is super hearty, healthy, and is oh-so-delicious! It’s basically a hearty vegetable soup with some extra goodies to make it filling and satisfying to warm you right up on a cold day.

Our favorite part of this instant pot minestrone soup is the authentic slow-simmered Italian flavors but, it’s ready in 40 minutes! That’s the reason we love our Instant Pot; the all-day flavors this appliance can produce in under an hour.

And if you can’t believe that you can achieve so much flavor in such a short amount of time, our Instant Pot Veggie Curry and Vegetarian Burrito Bowls will surely help change your mind!

Key Ingredients for Making Pressure Cooker Minestrone

Pasta

Any small-shaped pasta, such as macaroni or mini shells, will work beautifully in this dish. If you follow a gluten-free diet, feel free to use your favorite gluten-free pasta. For more fiber, use whole wheat pasta.

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil is used to cook the veggies and for drizzling on top of the soup as a finishing garnish.

To saute the veggie, we recommend using quality virgin olive oil. The reason is that the temperature required for a quick saute destroys the qualities that make it extra virgin olive oil.

To finish, use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil as the fruity and grassy flavors will be pronounced and add an extra depth of flavor to this already tasty soup.

Vegetables: Carrots, Celery, Onion, Garlic

• Carrots: Look for carrots that are dry and free from any signs of sprouting. Avoid purchasing carrots that have become soft or have visible rot. Peel and chop the carrots to about the same size as the onion and celery.
• Celery: Look for fresh, crisp, clean, medium-sized celery stalks that are pale green. Cut into small pieces, similar in size to the carrots and onion, so it will cook and be tender in the same amount of time. 
• Onion: We recommend using a diced sweet onion but feel free to use white.
• Garlic: Freshly finely chopped is best but feel free to use pre-chopped if that’s what you have on hand. 

Dry White Wine

Dry white wine brings out the flavors of this delicious soup while also adding another note of acidity. We prefer to use Italian whites such as Orvieto or Pinot Grigio but feel free to use your favorite; just be sure to use a brand that does not have a lot of oak or residual sugar.

Vegetable Broth

Vegetable broth adds a deep savory element to this soup. Our favorite brand is Imagine No Chicken as we find the taste superior to other brands in that it is not bitter or dark. However, feel free to use your favorite store-bought vegetable broth. If you eat poultry you can use chicken broth or feel free to make your own chicken stock.

Red Kidney Beans

Beans add protein and fiber to this dish. Before adding to the soup, be sure to rinse and drain.

Feel free to use your favorite brand of red kidney beans but, if you prefer white beans, swap for cannellini beans which is just white kidney beans.

And no matter if you use red or white, look for no salt added if you are on a reduced-sodium diet.

Diced Tomatoes

Tomatoes help add acidity to the soup. If you cannot locate a can of petite diced tomatoes, feel free to use whole Italian-style plum tomatoes and chop or break them into smaller pieces before adding them into the Instant Pot.

Spinach

We recommend using fresh baby spinach for this recipe. Baby spinach is so tender and less bitter than full-grown spinach it requires less cooking time and adds a luscious texture to the finished dish.

We also recommend using pre-packed baby spinach as it is triple washed, so it only needs a quick rinse and spin before adding to the soup.

However, if you happen to have full-sized spinach, feel free to use it, just be sure to chop it into bite-sized pieces before adding it to the recipe.

Basil

Used to add a fresh, subtly sweet flavor to finish off the dish. We do not recommend using dried basil as it won’t add the same bright notes that fresh basil will. If you do not have fresh, skip adding this herb altogether.

Seasonings: Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasoning

Italian seasoning is a prepackaged dry blend located down the spice aisle of most supermarkets. We find that this premade blend has a nice balance of herbs that really helps wake up the soup. 

Note that we recommend using table salt for this recipe. However, you can use kosher salt, but you will want to double it. See why here.

Step By Step Instructions for This Easy Instant Pot Minestrone Soup Recipe

Step 1: Sauté Vegetables

Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode for 9 minutes. Heat oil in the inner pot. Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and sauté until the vegetables start to brown, about 8 minutes. Add wine and stir. Cook for an additional minute. Note: If you are using an electric pressure cooker without a saute function, you can do this step in a saute pan or soup pot on the stove over medium heat.

Step 2: Add Broth and Pasta

Add broth and pasta to Instant Pot.

Step 3: Cook the Soup

Place lid on the Instant Pot and set the pressure valve to “sealing”. Set for high pressure for 2 minutes. When time goes off, carefully turn the valve to quick release and allow the steam to escape. {Note: if you are new to using an instant pot, the cook time refers to the amount of time the soup will cook once it reaches full pressure. It can take several minutes to come to full pressure before the time will start counting down.}

Step 4: Finish Soup

Remove lid. Set the cook function to sauté for 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans, and spinach. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Turn off the Instant Pot once the soup is simmering and the spinach has wilted.

Serve warm and garnish with basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

FAQ And Expert tips For Cooking Minestrone In An Instant Pot

Variations To Try

• Making soup is a great way to use up whatever seasonal vegetables you have on hand. Add sliced zucchini or 2-inch lengths of green beans to bulk up the veggies when you add the macaroni and broth to the Instant Pot. Or add frozen cut green beans when you put in the spinach, tomatoes, and beans at the end.
• Swap out the kidney beans for another type of bean such as chickpeas or cannellini.
• Use a different type of pasta such as mini shells or ditalini. For more fiber use whole-wheat pasta.
• Up the protein by adding in diced cooked chicken or browned Italian sausage when the canned beans and tomatoes are added.
• Feel free to use Swiss Chard or escarole instead of baby spinach.
• Boost the flavor of the broth by adding a parmesan rind, however; if you’d like the keep this vegan, skip this! We also like to top our bowls with Parmesan cheese. (Nutritional yeast is a great vegan alternative.)
• Skip the dry white wine and use ¼ cup water plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice.

Additional Healthy Soup Recipes To Try

1. Italian Wedding Soup is a nourishing bowl of comfort full of lean meatballs, greens, and hearty acini di pepe pasta.
2. This simple, yet utterly delicious soup, Pappa al Pomodoro, is an Italian Bread Soup that is thickened with bread and seasoned with basil and olive oil. Another Tuscan bread-thickend soup is Ribollita, which is basically leftover Minestra thickened with stale bread.
3. Easy Instant Pot Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Cheddar Cheese is naturally gluten-free and only 245 calories per cup. Don’t have a pressure cooker? No worries, there’s a slow cooker option as well!
4. This easy version of Soupe Au Pistou is made with creamy canned beans and store-bought pesto for a quick and simple dinner that can easily be made vegetarian. Plus, there are directions for how to make in your Instant Pot!
5. This from-scratch Cream of Mushroom Soup is made with fresh mushrooms, sautéed onion and garlic, dry sherry, and fresh herbs. This super easy soup has complex homemade flavors but is ready in only 30 minutes!
6. This Vegetarian Lentil Soup is ultra-hearty, loaded with tender veggies, spices, tomatoes, and kale, and is only 300 calories per serving.
7. This easy Zucchini Soup is a delicious and healthy vegetarian dish. Made with tangy yogurt, grassy dill, and savory basil this easy recipe can be served hot or cold with a crusty piece of fresh bread for a complete meal.
8. This vegetarian, naturally gluten-free Corn Chowder is made with fresh sweet corn on the cob and no roux. Keep it vegetarian or top it with crispy, salty bacon for a more authentic flavor.
9. This Chicken and Wild Rice Soup is creamy, comforting, and oh-so-delicious! This dish is easy to whip up, tasty enough for guests, and is the perfect freezer-friendly meal!

Thanks so much for reading. If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my free weekly email newsletter for healthy recipes delivered right to your inbox. Or follow me on Instagram. If you make these recipes, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It is very appreciated. Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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