Instant Pot Minestrone
Instant Pot Minestrone is the easiest, most flavorful minestrone recipe. This simple soup is vegan friendly and absolutely delicious.
Servings: 6
Calories: 256kcal
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ onion minced
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced
- 2 stalks of celery diced
- ½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup marinara or spaghetti sauce
- 1 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 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Parmesan for serving optional
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute, add in the oil, and let it heat for 1-2 minutes. Once heated, add the onions, carrots, and celery to the Instant pot. Let saute for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Add in the garlic and oregano. Saute that for 1 minute.
- Add in dry red wine (or additional broth) and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot and let cook off for 1-2 minutes. Turn the saute function off.
- Add the vegetable stock, marinara, zucchini, beans, elbow noodles, bay leaf, salt, and stir well.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and set cook time for 1 minute on high pressure.
- Once the cooking time has been released, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, do a quick release of the remaining pressure by using a wooden spoon to hit the vent knob from sealing to venting. (Be sure to stand away from the vent knob to protect yourself.)
- Remove the bay leaf and then stir in the spinach and red wine vinegar. Place the lid back on the pressure cooker and allow the spinach to wilt for just a couple of minutes.
- Serve the soup with freshly grated Parmesan if desired.
Video
Notes
Wine: the dry red wine is optional but adds incredible flavor. Use a dry wine such as merlot or cabernet and be sure it is suitable for drinking. Don't use a wine labeled cooking wine, as the flavor is not very good!
Beans: I use kidney beans and Great Northern beans, but you can use all kidney beans, white beans, or even garbanzo beans/chickpeas work great in Minestrone.
Noodles: For the noodles, elbow noodles are traditional, but orecchiette or small shells are a great substitute. Whole wheat or regular noodles work perfectly.
Gluten-Free Modifications: For gluten-free noodles, I recommend Barilla Gluten Free--those are the only noodles that cook up well in the soup without releasing too much starch.
Spinach: Feel free to stir in baby kale instead of the kale. You can also add shredded cabbage BEFORE pressure cooking if desired.
Storage: Leftover minestrone soup can be stored in a sealed container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. It also can be frozen for up to 3 months. Keep in mind you may need to add a bit of stock when reheating, as the noodles will absorb the extra broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1066mg | Potassium: 947mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4910IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 5mg