Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
This Instant Pot minestrone soup is hearty, rich, and packed with plant-based protein! An easy vegetarian meal that works well for meal prep and is ready in under an hour.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 271kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste see note 1
- 6 cups stock chicken or vegetable
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and finely chopped
- ½ zucchini chopped into bite-sized pieces; roughly 1 cup
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 15- ounce diced tomatoes including juices; see note 2
- 1 cup elbow pasta see note 3
After cooking
- 15- ounce can kidney beans drained and rinsed well
- ½ cup shredded parmesan optional; fresh highly recommended
Instructions
- Sauté- Select the sauté function of the Instant Pot. To the stainless steel insert, add the olive oil and onions. Cook for around 5 minutes, until onions are soft and translucent. Make a space in the middle of the onions and add the garlic; cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Deglaze- add 1-2 cups of stock and scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot using a spatula. Add the rest of the stock, celery, carrots, zucchini, oregano, basil, salt, diced tomatoes and elbow pasta. Stir to combine.
- Cook- Put the lid on the Instant Pot, set the valve to 'sealing', and pressure cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. When the Instant Pot beeps, carefully perform a quick pressure release (note 5).
- Serve- stir in the kidney beans and parmesan cheese. Serve with additional parmesan and bread for dipping.
Video
Notes
- tomato paste adds significant flavor to this soup; you can freeze leftovers in 1 tablespoon portions on wax paper, then transfer to a freezer bag for longer term storage
- for added flavor, consider using fire roasted tomatoes. For added kick, use Rotel.
- we used regular elbow pasta; whole wheat should work fine. We have not tested gluten-free or other alternative pastas. Pasta may be al dente upon initial release of pressure, but softens as it stores.
- When swapping other pasta shapes, a good rule of thumb is to use half the time on the package plus one minute.
- a quick pressure release is essential to prevent the pasta from overcooking.
- after cooking, cool soup completely. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 6 months. We love using plastic freezer jars or 1 quart wide-mouth mason jars
- heat in the microwave or a small pot until steaming hot
Nutrition
Calories: 271kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 1914mg | Potassium: 617mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4227IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 3mg