Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Recipe by Amy + Jacky | PressureCookRecipes.com
Step-by-Step Guide on how to make Instant Pot Minestrone Soup! Easy to make minestrone soup with healthy pantry ingredients. Wholesome Italian vegetable soup that's filling, refreshing, and budget-friendly.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) olive oil or unsalted butter
- 1 (180g - 220g) medium onion , diced
- 3 cloves (12g) garlic , minced
- 3 (0.7g) bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon (0.8g) dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon (0.6g) dried basil
- 3 ribs (220g) celery , chopped
- 3 (220g) carrots , peeled and chopped
- 2 (240g) Italian squash (optional), chopped
- 5 cups (1.25L) unsalted vegetable stock or unsalted chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon (8g) fine salt
- 1 cup (80g) Farfalle or other pasta
- 1 can (540ml or 19oz) red kidney beans , drained and rinsed
- 1½ pounds (680g) russet or Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into cubes
- 1 can (796g) crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 - 3 cups (80g - 120g) spinach or kale (optional)
Garnish
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
Equipment
Instructions
- Saute Onions in Instant Pot: Press "Saute" button to "Sauté More" function to heat up Instant Pot. Wait until it says "HOT" on the screen (takes roughly 8 minutes). Add 2 tbsp olive oil in Instant Pot. Ensure the whole bottom is covered with oil. Saute diced onion in Instant Pot for 2.5 to 3 minutes.
- Saute Garlic, Herbs & Veggies in Instant Pot: Add minced garlic, 3 bay leaves, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried basil in Instant Pot, then saute for 30 seconds. Add in chopped celery, carrots, and Italian squash, then saute for 3 minutes.
- Deglaze Instant Pot: Add 1 cup (250ml) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.
- Pressure Cook Minestrone Soup: Add 1 tsp fine salt and 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock in Instant Pot. Give it a quick mix. Add in 1 cup (80g) Farfalle, drained beans, and drained potato cubes. Layer the crushed fire-roasted tomatoes on top of all the ingredients. Do not mix. With Venting Knob in Venting Position. Close the lid. Turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 1 minute, then Natural Release for 10 minutes. Carefully & gradually release the remaining pressure by turning Venting Knob to Venting Position. When the Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.
- Add Spinach/Kale and Season (Optional): Bring the soup to a simmer with "Saute" function. Cook spinach or kale in Instant Pot. Kale: cook for roughly 3 to 4 minutes. Spinach: cook for roughly 1 to 2 minutes. Taste the minestrone soup, then season with salt if necessary. For Reference: We added 3 large pinches of salt to season our soup. Amy + Jacky's Tip! If your tomatoes are particularly acidic, you can add a bit of sugar to balance the flavors.
- Garnish & Serve: Place your minestrone soup in a serving bowl. Then, garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and basil leaves. Enjoy~
Notes
1. Preparing Potatoes: Submerge the potato cubes into cold water to keep them fresh. Just make sure to strain and drain them well before placing the potatoes in Instant Pot.
2. Tomato Quality: The quality of your tomatoes highly influence the minestrone soup's flavor profile. Different tomatoes will vary in taste, aroma, sweetness, acidity, or flavor development. So, make sure to balance your soup's flavors based on your tomatoes.
- Acidic Tomatoes: balance the flavors with a bit of sugar.
- Mild/Bland Tomatoes: add salt to bring out more flavors.
Nutrition
Calories: 359kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1440mg | Potassium: 1127mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 7246IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 5mg