Instant pot minestrone soup is the best, most comforting vegan soup I know! It's chockfull of a medley of veggies, beans, and pasta cooked in vegetable broth and ripe tomatoes. The soup is seasoned with Italian herbs and chilli flakes for that extra kick. The result is simply outstanding!
The weather has cooled considerably as I'm writing this post and what better way to welcome the chill in the air than a bowlful of hot, steaming soup? Extra brownie points if it is also a healthy, filling and chunky soup like minestrone with no cheese, cream, flour or even butter. Just a lot of pure soupy goodness minus the guilt.
What's more, my 6-quart Instant Pot Duo makes short work of any kind of soup, and quite frankly I don't make soup any other way. All the recipes for soup that you will find on the blog are made in the instant pot. I love the convenience of pressing the buttons on this appliance and letting it do its thing while I go do something else.
Minestrone Soup Ingredients
Note: Exact quantities of ingredients are mentioned in the recipe card further down in the post. This is just so you can get an overview of the ingredients in one glance.
- Olive oil or avocado oil
- Onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, and baby spinach. I used what I had in my fridge but other veggies would also work like green beans, mushrooms, celery, zucchini, peas etc. The more the better!
- Beans of your choice - I used half a can of a six bean medley but you can add any that you like - navy, pinto, kidney beans, chickpeas and so on.
- Pasta - I used elbow macaroni in this recipe, but no restrictions here either. Go with what you like.
- Tomato paste
- Vegetable broth
- Italian seasoning, crushed black pepper, red chilli flakes, and salt - The chilli flakes are optional. Add them sparingly to give the soup some heat.
What makes this soup work
- Healthy - with loads of veggies, beans and pasta, and no artificial ingredients, it packs quite a punch in the nutrition department. This vegan minestrone soup can easily be made gluten-free too if you swap the regular wheat pasta for a gluten-free one. Pasta made of rice and chickpea are some good options.
- Customizable - add and subtract the ingredients to your heart's content 'cause minestrone is a flexible soup. Choose your own veggies, beans, and pasta and the soup will be uniquely yours!
- Quick and easy - simple steps, five to ten minutes to chop, dice and slice, five minutes on sauté, and four minutes of pressure cooking with quick release. That's all there is to it.
- Tasty - this is a no-brainer! Wouldn't something with so many beautiful ingredients taste awesome? All those onions, tomatoes, and garlic give it a lot of flavor and Italian seasoning makes the soup sing!
- Freezer friendly - the soup can be frozen for later minus the pasta. More on this below.
How to freeze the soup
If you are planning on having leftovers that you want to freeze, just make a note of one thing. Cook the pasta separately and add it to the portion of soup you want to consume that day, not the entire batch. The portion that you want to use later can be frozen in ziploc bags or freezer-safe containers.
The reason why you should not add the pasta to the entire batch is that pasta continues to absorb liquid and becomes very soft and soggy. When you reheat the soup, it will turn to mush. And who likes mushy pasta in soup?
How to make instant pot minestrone soup
- On sauté, add the olive oil, onions and garlic. Cook for a minute or two until they are softened.
- Add diced carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for four to five minutes.
- Add the broth, water, Italian seasoning, black pepper, red chilli flakes (if using), salt, and macaroni. Pour in the broth and water as well and cancel sauté.
- Pressure cook for four minutes and release pressure as soon as the timer beeps because the macaroni will become too soft with a natural release. Open the pot, add the beans and spinach, and stir. No need to chop the spinach as it will wilt quite nicely in the hot soup. Minestrone is ready to be served!
More vegetarian instant pot soups
- Broccoli cheddar soup - a hearty soup with fresh broccoli, carrots and lots of cheddar.
- Mushroom soup - thick and tasty with an Indian twist!
- Tomato and basil soup - fresh, creamy and delicious, and made with just a few basic ingredients.
- Potato soup - the humble russet potato is the main ingredient, but generous dashes of dashes of butter and cream add a lovely texture and richness to it.
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onions diced
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 cups russet potato cubed
- 3 cups carrots sliced
- 1 cup tomato chopped
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1. 5 cups vegetable broth
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper crushed
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli flakes optional
- salt to taste
- 1 cup elbow macaroni
- ½ can six bean medley drained
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
Instructions
- Turn the instant pot to sauté and add the olive oil to the steel insert. Add the onions and garlic and fry for a minute or until softened.
- Add the potatoes, carrots. tomatoes, and tomato paste and sauté for 4-5 minutes, adding splashes of broth or water in between.
- Tip in the broth, water, Italian seasoning, black pepper, red chilli flakes, salt, and macaroni. Cancel sauté and secure the lid. Make sure the steam release handle is on 'sealing' and press the pressure cooking button on high. Set the timer to 4 minutes. When the timer goes, release the steam immediately and open the pot.
- Add the beans and spinach and stir. The spinach will wilt in the residual heat. Serve hot with some crusty bread on the side.
Notes
- If you're planning to cook up a large batch with the intention of storing a portion of the soup in the fridge or freezer, cook the macaroni separately according to package instructions. Add it to the soup when ready to serve.
- Switch up veggies for the ones you like. Mushrooms, celery, zucchini, green beans, peas are all good options.
- I used a can with six types of beans in it, but if a six bean can is not handy, use the beans you have. Pinto beans, chickpeas, red or white kidney beans... all sorts work here.
- If you don't have Italian seasoning, sprinkle some dried oregano, basil or thyme. However, don't omit the herbs altogether since they add a lot of flavor and aroma to the soup.
Mina says
This minestrone recipe was wonderful. I added some chicken legs too. What a great way to use leftover veggies.
Saima says
Thank you, Mina!