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If you think it takes hours to develop a rich, flavorful minestrone, this Instant Pot Minestrone may prove you wrong. With vegetables, beans, pasta, and deeply flavored tomato broth, it comes together in about 35 minutes using simple, humble ingredients.
The real secret is in a few small details: marinara and red wine add depth, a 1-minute pressure cook followed by exactly 10 minutes of natural pressure release keeps the pasta tender without turning everything to mush, and a splash of vinegar at the end makes the whole soup come alive.
Instant Pot Minestrone at a Glance
- Serves: 6
- Time Needed: About 35 minutes, including prep.
- Instant Pot Size: 6- or 8-quart; halve the recipe for a 3-quart; doubling not recommended
- Dietary Notes: Vegetarian as written, with gluten-free and alcohol-free swaps.
Kristen's Keys for Instant Pot Minestrone
When I set out to turn my Crockpot Minestrone Soup into an Instant Pot version, I wanted to keep the same flavor without ending up with mushy vegetables or overcooked pasta. After testing, I found these details made all the difference.
- The cook time is intentionally short. Pressure cook for just 1 minute, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. That timing gives the pasta time to become tender without turning the vegetables to mush.
- Use marinara for an easy flavor shortcut. You can use crushed tomatoes, but marinara is already seasoned and cooked down, so it adds surprising flavor without extra work.
- Use the wine, if you can. Dry red wine adds another layer of flavor and makes this quick soup taste like it simmered much longer.
- Whatever you do, don't skip the vinegar. Stirring in red wine vinegar after pressure cooking won't make the soup taste like vinegar; it will simply taste more balanced and flavorful.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
- Aromatics: I use onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Feel free to omit the celery if you don't have it on hand, but I don't recommend skipping the others.
- Broth: Use low-sodium vegetable broth to control the sodium. If you aren't keeping this vegetarian, chicken stock works as well.
- Wine: A dry red like Cabernet, Pinot Noir, or Merlot adds depth. It doesn't need to be expensive, but it should be worth drinking. Don't use cooking wine; the flavor isn't the same. For alcohol-free minestrone, use additional broth instead.
- Marinara: I recommend store-bought marinara or homemade spaghetti sauce (like Instant Pot spaghetti sauce) over diced tomatoes. The sauce adds more depth, and I prefer its texture to chunks of diced tomato, as do my picky kids! No sauce on hand? Use crushed tomatoes plus 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
- Zucchini: If your zucchini is on the larger side, you may want to remove the seeds for the best texture.
- Beans: Use kidney beans, white beans, or a combination. If using dried beans, cook them first according to my Instant Pot dried beans guide.
- Noodles: The timing is based on using elbow noodles, but it also works with ditalini. For gluten-free, use Barilla Gluten-Free elbows; they're the only ones I've found that cook up well in the soup without releasing too much starch. Otherwise, cook your GF noodles on the stove and stir them in after.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Added after cooking, it brightens the tomato broth. Balsamic vinegar works as a substitute.
- Spinach: Add fresh spinach after pressure cooking. Frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry) goes in before pressure cooking. Kale works as well, but add it before pressure cooking.
How to Make Instant Pot Minestrone
If you are unfamiliar with cooking in an Instant Pot, start with my guide for using an Instant Pot for the best results on this and future recipes. You'll find ingredient quantities and full instructions in the recipe card below, along with a step-by-step video.
- Sauté Aromatics. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté, add a bit of oil, and let it heat briefly. Once heated, add in the onions, celery, and carrots and sauté until softened, stirring often. Add in the garlic and oregano and let toast for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Deglaze the Inner Pot. Add in the wine (or additional broth) and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot. This helps ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot, which helps prevent a Burn warning.
- Layer Ingredients. Stir in the vegetable broth, noodles, drained beans, zucchini, salt, and bay leaf. Dollop the marinara on top. It's okay if it sinks a bit, but not stirring it into the soup is another way to prevent a burn notice.
- Pressure Cook Minestrone. Set the cooking time for 1 minute on high pressure. Expect the pot to take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the timer starts.
- Let Pressure Release. After 10 minutes of natural release, do a controlled quick release of any remaining pressure. Because the pot is full of thin liquid, be extra careful! Slowly knock the vent knob from sealing to venting with the handle of a wooden spoon and stand back in case liquid sprays from the valve. I also recommend doing this away from your kitchen cabinets.
- Add Spinach and Vinegar. Remove the bay leaf, then stir in the spinach and red wine vinegar. Put the lid back on and let it sit for a couple of minutes, until the spinach wilts.
Serving Suggestions
If you aren't dairy-free, finish each bowl with freshly grated Parmesan.
- Make it a Meal: Serve with Caesar Salad and Whole Wheat Dutch Oven Bread.
- Olive Garden-Style Combo: Recreate the soup, salad, and breadsticks lunch with my copycat Olive Garden Salad and Olive Garden Breadsticks.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Let leftovers cool slightly, then store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Transfer the cooled soup to a freezer-safe container, leaving 1 inch of space for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months. The pasta will soften and swell after freezing and thawing, so add a splash of broth when reheating.
- Reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator if needed. Heat individual servings in a heat-safe bowl covered with a damp paper towel in 60-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through.
Note on Doubling
I don't recommend doubling this recipe. While a double-batch will technically fit inside an 8-quart Instant Pot, the larger batch takes so much longer to come to pressure that the noodles and zucchini soften too much.
More Instant Pot Soups
Craving more cozy soup recipes? Browse all of my Instant Pot Soup recipes, or check out a few favorites below.
- Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Instant Pot Pasta e Fagioli
- Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Instant Pot French Onion Soup
- Instant Pot White Bean and Kale Soup
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Instant Pot Minestrone
Red wine and marinara give this one-pot Instant Pot minestrone its depth, and the pasta cooks right in the soup. Vegetarian as written, with gluten-free and alcohol-free swaps.
Video
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ large yellow onion, minced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, or Italian seasoning
- ½ cup dry red wine, or additional broth
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 medium zucchini, diced into ½ inch moons
- ½ cup dry elbow macaroni
- 15 ounces kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounces white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 dried bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Parmesan for serving, optional
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté, add the oil, and let it heat for 30-60 seconds. Once heated, add in the onions, celery, and carrots and sauté until softened, stirring often. Add in the garlic and oregano and let toast for 30-60 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Add in the wine (or additional broth) and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot. Continue to cook on Sauté for 1-2 minutes to let the wine reduce slightly. Hit Cancel to turn off the Sauté function.
- Stir in the broth, zucchini, macaroni, drained and rinsed beans, bay leaf, and salt. Add the marinara on top of the ingredients, but don't stir it into the soup (it's okay if it sinks a bit).
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the vent knob is in the sealed position. Using the Manual or Pressure Cook button, set the cooking time to 1 minute on High Pressure. Keep in mind that it will take about 10 minutes to reach pressure.
- Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for exactly 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure by using the handle of a long utensil to release the knob or switch from the sealing position to the venting position in small increments. If your machine doesn't allow this, a full quick release is fine. Also, stand away from the vent knob to protect yourself from steam escaping. I also don't recommend releasing pressure under kitchen cabinets.
- Remove the lid, stir, and remove the bay leaf as you come across it. Then, stir in the spinach and red wine vinegar. Put the lid back on and let it sit for a couple of minutes, until the spinach wilts.
- Serve the soup with freshly grated Parmesan if desired.
Notes
Using a 3-Quart Instant Pot? Halve the ingredients and follow the same cook time and pressure-release instructions.
Note on Doubling: Don't double this recipe; the noodles and zucchini overcook while the larger batch comes to pressure.
In place of marinara: Use crushed tomatoes plus 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
Red Wine Vinegar: You can replace it with balsamic vinegar if needed. I don't recommend any other vinegar as a substitute.
Wine: Optional but adds depth. Use a dry red you'd drink, not cooking wine, or swap in more broth.
Beans: I use kidney and Great Northern beans, but any combination of kidney, white beans, or even chickpeas works.
Gluten-free: Barilla Gluten Free elbows are the only ones I've found that hold up in the pot.
Greens: Instead of fresh spinach, add chopped kale or defrosted, drained frozen spinach before pressure cooking.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. The pasta swells as the soup sits, so you will need to thin with broth when reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 16gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 226mgPotassium: 934mgFiber: 12gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 4413IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 117mgIron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is one hearty and satisfying soup when the weather is cold. Our family loves it with crusty bread. I'd say it's way better the Olive Garden's.
Thank you Erin!
This was such a delicious, healthy, and easy soup to throw in the instant pot. And I love that I can make minestrone with whatever veggies I need to use up in the fridge. This will be a repeat recipe for sure!
Wonderful! I love hearing you enjoyed and thank you for sharing.
I have made many, many Minestrone recipes and this one is by far the best. I did, however, add pancetta in the beginning just before adding in the carrot, celery and onion. I think the wine had a lot to do with the addition of wine which gave it a great flavor. Thanks for this recipe. I will be making it again very soon.
I absolutely love hearing you enjoyed so much! Thank you for sharing!
This turned out absolutely delicious! I loved it with the red wine -- I think it added so much to this recipe!
Hi! I just made this. It’s wonderful! I used Better Than Bullion vegan chicken flavor because I was out of my home made veggie broth and I added a yellow squash in addition to the zucchini. I also used both pinto and cannelloni beans! What a delicious soup!
Thanks for sharing! I love hearing you enjoyed it and appreciate you sharing the modifications.
Seriously good stuff. Meat eater didn’t go fishing for meat, and the cheese loving vegetarians gobbled it down without adding the Parmesan. Everyone of your IP soup recipes I’ve tried have been super consistent and tasty. There is always a perfect balance of ingredients. The recipes invariably make 4 nice portions as written. Preparation methods are similar, making the IP recipes extra easy to use - master one and you’ve got them all without studying a culinary methods book.
Thank you so much Laurie! I love hearing you are enjoying my recipes (and your diverse eaters are as well!)