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Oddly enough I’m writing this soup recipe at the beginning of summer, but that’s okay! As I always say, it’s always a good time for good food! I’ll have ice cream in the winter and a hot chocolate in the summer, nothing stops me, and I hope that you’re the same!
Whether it’s chilly outside or you just need dinner on the table, I’m sure this minestrone soup in the Instant Pot will hit the spot! It’s loaded with awesome veggies, it’s got body from the beans and pasta, and the best part is that it’ll be ready in no time with minimal cleanup, all thanks to the help of the Instant Pot! If you’ve got some veggies laying around, then totally give this a try! As I discuss in more details in my Make Cooking Fun!! guide - my top 5 tips to get creative and motivated to explore your full potential in the kitchen - working with what you have can lead to some really tasty meals, and you’re not wasting anything! Be sure to check that guide out for free, along with the one-month Live to Cook challenge, and perhaps this soup will be one of your entries!
For all the details of how to make the best minestrone, then check out the video at the bottom of this post to see me make this awesome soup! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already and hit the bell button so you receive the notifications when my video recipes go live! I love to make video recipes to go along with the written ones to give you all the tools you need for the amazing results! Let’s get cooking!
What is Minestrone? What’s the Difference between minestrone and vegetable soup?▼
Minestrone is an iconic Italian soup that is hearty and thick! Minestrone is pronounced “min-eh-strone-ee” or “min-eh-strone-eh.” I pronounce it the first way. Some North Americans pronounce it “min-eh-stone.”
The name “minestrone” comes from the Italian word minestra, which means soup. Minestrone literally translates to “that which is served.” Minestrone is made with beans, tomatoes, root vegetables and leafy vegetables, with the addition of pasta or rice or even both. Some minestrone recipes contain meat. Minestrone soup is typically garnished with Parmesan cheese. There’s no actual “formal” recipe for a minestrone - basically what’s thrown in there is whatever vegetables are in season! They key components are veggies, a tomato base, pasta or rice, and the beans. This means that minestrone is so customizable based on what ingredients you have available to your and your dietary and taste preferences! If you look online, you probably won’t find any two minestrone recipes alike!
To answer the second question, a vegetable soup is exactly that - just a soup with veggies. However, you get much more body with a minestrone soup by the beans and the grains. Minestrone is also thicker than most soup recipes - especially typical vegetable soups - and it has its own unique texture!
Is Instant Pot Minestrone Soup Vegan?▼
Yes, it is! This is a great recipe because it’s accessible for everyone! Traditional minestrone soups are often topped with Parmesan cheese, but I’ve decided not to do that here to keep the recipe vegan. Well, to be honest with you, I topped it with Parmesan afterward and I quite enjoy it, so if you’re not vegan or you’re not cooking for a vegan crowd, then I really recommend you add the Parmesan actually!
How can I Make Instant Pot Minestrone Soup Gluten-Free?▼
The only gluten in this recipe is the pasta. If you need to make it gluten-free, feel free to use a gluten-free or lentil-based pasta or you can substitute the pasta with rice or quinoa.
Is Minestrone Healthy?▼
I don’t know how it’s not! Soups are always a healthy option since they’re voluminous and packed with goodness, and minestrone really checks all the boxes of what constitutes a balanced meal. In fact, I feel minestrone is probably one of the healthiest dishes you could think of! You’ve got a ton of veggies packed into one dish, along with pasta and beans. All the veggies will give you plenty of essential vitamins and minerals - basically whatever veggies are known to be amazing for! The beans will give you fibre and plant-based proteins to help keep you full and satiated. The pasta will add some extra body to the soup, and if you choose whole grain pasta, then you’ve got that added bonus too!
Tips for a Delicious Minestrone Soup
- Keep the veggies large and chunky for a satisfying bite in the soup.
- Sautéing the veggies before stewing in the soup helps turn them extra soft and flavorful.
- Add Parmesan on top for extra flavor and cheesiness if you are not vegan.
- Substitute veggies to use your favourite in season veggies, such as squash, spinach, peppers or other kinds of zucchini.
Ingredients for Minestrone Soup in the Instant
Let’s review the ingredients that are going into this recipe. For all ingredient quantities and recipe instructions, be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card! The recipe card will also allow you to scale the recipe based on how much soup you want to make, so you can make this recipe for a crowd or make a huge batch to freeze so it can last you all winter! All the ingredient quantities will be automatically adjusted for you!
- Olive oil
- Potatoes
- Zucchini
- Celery
- Carrots
- Onions
- Diced tomatoes
- Vegetable broth
- Garlic
- Bay leaf
- Pinto beans
- Cannellini beans
- Small shells pasta
- Kale/Spinach
- Cayenne Pepper
- Dried Parsley
- Dried Oregano
- Basil
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Minestrone in the Instant Pot
Set the Instant Pot to Saute Mode on Normal Heat
Add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, onions, celery and onions. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until they have softened.
Add the zucchini and potatoes and mix well to coat with the oil. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then press Cancel on the Instant Pot
Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaf, pinto beans, cannellini beans, dried pasta, water, dried parsley, dried oregano, cayenne pepper and salt to taste.
Mix well, close the lid of the Instant Pot and turn the valve to sealing mode. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook mode on High for 2 minutes.
Once the timer has gone off, let the pressure release naturally for 8-10 minutes. After, carefully turn the valve to perform a manual quick release.
Stir well and adjust seasoning to taste. If using Kale, add the leaves now and set the Instant Pot to Saute Mode on Low. Simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the Kale has wilted. If using spinach, you only need to simmer for 1 minute.
Garnish with basil and serve warm.
Can I use Dried beans?▼
Sure! I was actually about to do that, but it was getting late and I was hungry for dinner! Canned beans are definitely quicker to use as you can just dump them in with your other ingredients.
However, if you don’t want to get canned beans then you’ll have to cook your dried beans first, and then add the cooked dried beans as directed. You can use any beans you want, and if you’re looking to make your beans in the Instant Pot, then I have a guide for your bean of choice here!
Serving Suggestions for Minestrone
I’m sure that this soup can be served in so many amazing ways! Here are some ideas of dishes you can pair this minestrone soup with!
- A sandwich such asGuacamole and Bruschetta, Italian Meatball Sub or a Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
- Chicken, such as Italian Grilled Chicken
- Salmon, such as Blackened Salmon or Oven-Baked Salmon with Lemon and Herbs
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries or Air Fryer French Fries
- Cheesy Mozzarella Sticks
- Salad, such as a Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
- A Meatball Casserole
Or just some crusty bread will do the trick!
Variations of Minestrone Soup
There are so many variations of Minestrone Soup! As mentioned earlier, typically the vegetables that are included in minestrone are seasonal veggies. Here are some ways you can switch up your minestrone soup:
- Veggies: Try using yellow zucchini, corn, green beans, asparagus, cabbage, butternut squash, or white or yellow onion.
- Leafy greens: Swap the kale for spinach, collard greens, arugula or watercress!
- Potatoes: You could try sweet potato instead of yellow!
- Beans: Use your favourite beans! You could swap or add red kidney beans and/or great northern beans. You could even use a canned bean medley!
- Pasta: Other great pasta shapes for minestrone soup are bowties, wheels, macaroni, or penne!
- Tomatoes: You could also use fresh tomatoes. Boil them, peel them and then chop it. I recommend that you peel your tomatoes because the texture won’t be the same if you keep the tomato peel on.
- Grain: If you don’t want to have pasta at all, you can substitute with rice, couscous, quinoa or bulgur!
Can I Make Instant Pot Vegan Minestrone Ahead of Time?▼
Yes you can! If you plan on meal prepping your minestrone, then I recommend you cook everything without your pasta or grain and then cook the pasta or grain fresh. However, if you just so happened to have leftovers, then no worries! You can of course keep it and it’ll taste delicious, but you won’t be able to keep it for as long.
If you want to freeze your minestrone soup, then also be sure to follow the recipe without the pasta and freeze just the soup with veggies. When you thaw, cook the pasta or grain fresh.
Storing Vegan Minestrone Soup
Store your leftover minestrone soup in an airtight container in the fridge. The soup will stay good in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days with pasta, since the pasta will become soggy. However, if you cook the minestrone with just the veggies, then it will stay good in the fridge for about a week.
You can reheat your soup in a pot over the stove or in a bowl in the microwave. For either method, stir occasionally until the soup is entirely cooked through. If adding your pasta separately, add the cooked pasta when the soup is ready.
If you are freezing your minestrone soup, then it will stay good in the freezer for about six months. Thaw your minestrone soup in the fridge overnight.
Other Delicious Instant Pot Recipes!
Loved this recipe? I’m sure you’ll love these other comforting Instant Pot recipes!
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