Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
This Instant Pot Minestrone recipe is quick, easy, hearty, and delicious. Serve your minestrone soup with a chunk of crusty bread for a warming Italian vegetarian dinner.

If we’re friends over on Instagram, you probably know we’ve just moved houses. Moving is both exciting and incredibly draining. I have a big new (to me) kitchen to explore, but haven’t gotten the chance to enjoy it yet, as we work through the many boxes of our belongings. I was craving something cozy, comforting, and nourishing this week, but it had to be easy and fast. Instant Pot Minestrone was just the thing to get us through a hectic Monday.
I’ve shared a bunch of Instant Pot pressure cooker recipes over the past few months. Instant Pot Lentil Soup and Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili are a few favorites. If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet… what are you waiting for? Kidding guys. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, try this Slow Cooker Minestrone. I am so excited to share more warming slow cooker and Instant Pot recipes with you in the coming fall and winter months.
What is Minestrone?
Minestrone is an Italian vegetable soup made with beans, and usually small pasta or rice. I’ve had it many times in Italy and in the US and always find it so warm and delicious. I often omit the pasta and use potatoes or farro instead. One of the things I love about minestrone soup is that it’s so adaptable.
Using whatever vegetables are in season is the way to go. In the summer I would use zucchini, while now that it’s getting to be fall I’m using butternut squash. I also love peas and green beens in minestrone. White beans like Cannellini and kidney beans are both traditionally used in minestrone. You may notice that in the video I’ve used shell pasta while the still images show macaroni. I much prefer shells, but you can use your favorite.
How to Make Minestrone in the Instant Pot
Making minestrone in the Instant Pot is quick and easy. The reason I love the Instant Pot isn’t because it cooks food in an instant, but that I can pop everything in and forget about it. It has the same appeal as a slow cooker, but without the wait. First, I saute the vegetables for a few minutes to soften them up a bit. I like to season each layer with a little salt and pepper.
Next, I add crushed or diced tomatoes. I like to use boxed or jarred tomatoes from brands like Pacific or Pomi.
The pasta, beans, broth, and herbs go at this point too. Lock the Instant Pot lid on and set to manual mode for 4 minutes. You can use fresh or dried herbs. I happen to have a ton of rosemary growing in my backyard, so that’s what I used. A couple of tablespoons of an Italian seasoning blend works too.
I add an entire 5-oz. bag of baby spinach or kale and stir it in to wilt.
Serving Instant Pot Minestrone
Minestrone is lovely served with a chunk of crusty warm bread. In Italian restaurants it’s usually sprinkled generously with Parmesan cheese, which does add a lot of flavor. If you want even more flavor, top with pesto, Parmesan, nutritional yeast, truffle salt, or red pepper flakes.
Instant Pot minestrone soup makes a delicious, hearty, vegetable rich dinner. It’s great for kids because it’s filled with soft bite-sized veggies, and most kids love pasta. Mine have been eating minestrone sine they were toddlers. I hope your family enjoys it too.
If you’re a fan of Italian style soups, try my veggie Zuppa Toscana, Tuscan Lentil Soup, and Vegetarian Lasagna Soup next!
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
A hearty vegetable minestrone soup made easy in the Instant Pot pressure cooker. Instant Pot minestrone soup makes such a delicious and nourishing plant based family dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon avocado or olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups 1/2-inch chopped carrots
- 2 cups 1/2-inch chopped celery
- 2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch diced butternut squash
- 1 (26 oz.) box crushed or diced tomatoes (such as Pomi)
- 32 oz. vegetable broth
- 2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup shell pasta (or bowties)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 5 oz. baby spinach
- salt and pepper to taste
- fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup fresh pesto (store bought or homemade)
Instructions
- Add the oil to the Instant Pot and set to saute. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and butternut squash. Saute for 5 minutes, until starting to soften.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, beans, pasta, and herbs and stir to combine. Set the pot to manual mode for 4 minutes with the valve set to sealing.
- Carefully quick release the pressure valve. Stir in the spinach to wilt. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, garnish with fresh parsley and a dollop of pesto.
Notes
- This minestrone is best served soon after it's finished cooking, as the pasta will continue to absorb the liquid and become too soft.
- A note on recipe cook time: While the Instant Pot is set to 4 minutes on manual, it does take about 10 minutes to reach pressure before that timer starts, which is why I've allowed extra time in the total cook time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 391Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 5mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 14gSugar: 8gProtein: 16g
I’m still perfecting my insta pot skills, I’ll have to try this recipe!
I am loving the IP. Hope you enjoy the recipe, Ali!
Nice instant pot recipe. I will delete the pasta and instead I’ll add cooked (in IP naturally but earlier) grains LIKE EITHER MILLET, FARRO, OAT GROATS, ALL WITH SESAME SEEDS AND/OR WHEAT BERRIES, AND THIS WILL BE A KILLER MINESTRONE. THANK YOU!
Hi, thanks for this recipe looks amazing. I have some questions please.
if i was going to use farro instead of the pasta, would i precook it and then add it at the end, or throw it all in, and second question i dont have an IP but i do have a crock pot could i make this recipe in there following the same instructions?
This recipe is the best! I make it once/twice a month. I sub the pasta for brown rice so it’s gluten free. Which if you eat right away the rice isn’t all the way cooked….. but after sitting overnight in the fridge it’s perfect! So if you want it for meal prep for the week the rice works perfect, it won’t turn to mush like the pasta. I’ve never tried to cook the rice before adding to the instant pot with the other ingredients but that may be the trick if you want to eat immediately
How would i adapt to using potatoes instead of pasta?