Minestrone soup is hearty and warm and could not be easier to whip together when you use the Instant Pot. It’s completed from start to finish (including cooking of the pasta) in the electric pressure cooker. You’ll only dirty a cutting board and the Instant Pot insert!
Traditionally, minestrone is filled with carrots, celery, beans, spinach, and pasta in a tomato broth. It’s a great vegetarian soup, but you can also brown some Italian sausage or ground beef if you want to add some more protein and even more flavor.
You can really add any vegetables you have on hand to this soup. It’s the perfect way to use up odds and ends you have in your refrigerator. Feel free to omit or add any vegetables you wish. Peppers, kale, and potatoes are all great options.
No matter how you customize it, serve the soup with crusty bread and a simple salad for a quick, delicious meal.
Ingredients
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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4 carrots, peeled and diced
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4 celery stalks, diced
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1/2 medium onion, diced
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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1/2 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
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1/2 cup prepared pesto
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1 cup crushed tomatoes
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3 cups vegetable broth
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1 cup small shell pasta
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2 bay leaves
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1 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon ground black pepper
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1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans
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1 tablespoon chopped parsley
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1/2 cup spinach, chopped
Steps to Make It
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Gather the olive oil, garlic, onion, and vegetables.
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Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot insert. Set the pot to sauté and heat the oil. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes.
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Gather the rest of the ingredients.
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Add the green cabbage, followed by the pesto, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, pasta, bay leaves, and salt and pepper. Set to the soup or broth setting for 3 minutes. Close the lid and make sure to adjust the gauge towards sealing.
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After the timer goes off, release the steam immediately. Add in the cannellini beans, parsley, and spinach. Set to sauté and heat until the beans and spinach are heated through. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
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Remove the bay leaves and serve it immediately.
Recipe Variations
- Switch to chicken broth rather than vegetable broth, if you prefer.
- If you like a chunkier soup, you can add less broth. If you want it soupier, you can add more!
- You can cook the vegetables for longer on the sauté setting if you want more of a slow-cooked taste. You can also add in a little concentrated tomato paste for extra zing and pop.
- You can add in cheese tortellini instead of pasta. Or choose any other small shaped pasta like rotelle, pastina, or orzo.
- Add ground sausage or ground beef to the sautéed vegetables. You can also substitute chicken or beef broth for the vegetable broth.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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170 | Calories |
7g | Fat |
23g | Carbs |
7g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 10 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 170 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 7g | 8% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 6% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 572mg | 25% |
Total Carbohydrate 23g | 8% |
Dietary Fiber 5g | 19% |
Total Sugars 5g | |
Protein 7g | |
Vitamin C 29mg | 146% |
Calcium 138mg | 11% |
Iron 2mg | 13% |
Potassium 610mg | 13% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
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