Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
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If you’re looking to kick off the new year with a nourishing and healthy meal, look no further than this Instant Pot minestrone soup! This recipe delivers all the classic comfort of traditional minestrone but is incredibly fast, putting a delicious, hearty meal on your table in under 30 minutes. It’s the perfect guilt-free solution for a busy weeknight.
The foundation of this superb soup is the broth, which you can easily tailor to your dietary needs or preferences. You have the flexibility to use either vegetable broth for a fully vegetarian or vegan meal, or chicken broth for a slightly richer, more savory flavor. I personally opted for chicken broth, but both options provide a fantastic base for the abundance of vegetables and pasta to come!
Ingredients for Instant Pot Minestrone
- OLIVE OIL
- CARROTS
- CELERY
- RED ONION
- ZUCCHINI
- GARLIC
- PETITE DICED TOMATOES
- CHICKEN OR VEGETABLE BROTH
- OREGANO
- PARSLEY
- SALT
- PEPPER
- FIDEO PASTA
Instructions for Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
The secret to a rich minestrone is layering the flavors, and we start this in the Instant Pot using the Sauté function. Add a splash of olive oil and sauté your diced vegetables—carrots, celery, red onion, and zucchini—until they begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes. This step is crucial for releasing the vegetables’ natural sweetness. Once the vegetables are tender, stir in the garlic and sauté for just 1 minute more. This brief cook time prevents the garlic from burning while making it wonderfully fragrant.
After building your aromatic base, hit the Cancel button to turn off the Sauté mode. Now it’s time to add the liquid and seasonings! Pour in your broth (chicken or vegetable) along with the petite diced tomatoes, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper. Finally, stir in the Fideo noodles. These tiny, delicate noodles are the perfect choice because they cook so quickly that they don’t need to be boiled separately and won’t turn to mush during the pressure cycle.
Lock the lid, set the vent to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for only 1 minute! Yes, that’s right—just 60 seconds of pressure cooking is all it takes to bring this soup to life. Once the timer goes off, perform a quick pressure release. You are going to love how incredibly easy and delicious this flavorful minestrone is!
Healthier Swaps and Stove-Top Option
If you’re looking to boost the fiber content and make this soup even healthier, you can easily swap the pasta for beans. Instead of Fideo noodles, add a can of your favorite beans (such as kidney beans or cannellini beans), thoroughly rinsed and drained, after the pressure cooking cycle is complete. The hot soup will warm them through perfectly.
Finally, don’t worry if you don’t own an Instant Pot! This recipe is versatile; I’ve also included simple instructions for how to create this same hearty soup easily on your stovetop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use different veggies?
Absolutely! Minestrone is a highly flexible, traditionally rustic soup that uses whatever vegetables are in season or available. Great substitutions or additions include green beans, kale, spinach (add these after pressure cooking), cabbage, potatoes, yellow squash, or butternut squash. Just ensure firmer vegetables are diced small to cook through properly in the short time.
Why do you only cook the soup for 1 minute in the Instant Pot?
Because this recipe uses Fideo noodles, which are very thin and quick-cooking. The 1 minute of high pressure, plus the time it takes the pot to come up to pressure and for you to do the quick release, is just enough time to cook the pasta and soften the vegetables perfectly without turning them to mush. It’s the secret to getting a great texture in record time!
Can I use a different type of pasta?
You can, but you may need to adjust the cook time. Fideo noodles are ideal because they are so thin. If you use a thicker, small shape like elbow macaroni, small shells, or ditalini, you may need to increase the pressure cook time to 2-3 minutes and monitor the texture closely to prevent overcooking.
What is the best way to store the leftover soup?
Minestrone soup is best eaten the day it is made because the noodles will continue to absorb the broth as it sits. For best results, plan to eat leftovers within 2 days. If you want to make a big batch for future meals, consider leaving out the pasta entirely and only adding it to the portion you plan to eat right away, cooking it separately on the stovetop.
FOR MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS, TRY:
- Mama Mia’s Minestrone Soup
- Slow Cooker Meatball Minestrone
- Simple Italian White Bean Soup
- Italian Tortellini Soup
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Real Mom Kitchen
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium carrots diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- ½ medium red onion diced
- 2 small zucchini diced
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 29 oz petite diced tomatoes two 14.5 oz cans
- 6 cups chicken and vegetable broth
- 1 tsp dried oregano or 2 tsp fresh oregano
- 1 tsp dried parsley or 2 tsp fresh parsley
- ½ tsp salt
- pepper to taste
- 1 cup fideo pasta
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on to sauté, add in olive oil, carrots, celery, onion, and zucchini. Saute for about 3 minutes until tender. Add in garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Turn off saute and add in the diced tomatoes, broth, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and Fideo pasta.
- Place on the lid and make sure the pressure valve is in the “sealing” position. Select “manual” and set to cook on “high” pressure for 1 minute.
- When done turn the pressure release valve to maually release the pressure. Makes 5 servings.
Notes
- In a stock pot, and the olive oil, carrots, celery, onion, and zucchini. Sauté until tender. Add in the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Add in the tomatoes, broth, oregano, pasley, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Add the Fideo pasta. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until pasta is tender.
Nutrition
This recipe is adapted from The Kitchen Girl.
