Easy Instant Pot Minestrone Soup Recipe

This easy and hearty instant pot minestrone soup is done in under 30 minutes! It’s chock full of veggies, whole wheat macaroni, and beans, for a healthy and simple meal that’s satisfying and delicious!

Minestrone soup was one of the very first soups I ever made as a single woman living on my own.

When I graduated from college, I moved across the country to Los Angeles. It was completely on my own, and didn’t know a soul!

With grand plans, I packed my Chevy Blazer, and set off to California!

I shared a small two bedroom apartment with my roommate who was an aspring actress.

Our kitchen was dreadful. Tiny, old, and it had the worst tile countertops that never seemed to get completely clean.

Not having a ton of experience in the kitchen with the exception of the few recipes my mom taught me growing up, I started to experiment with healthy soup recipes. I didn’t have a ton of money, so I was looking for cheap, wholesome, and easy recipes!

I was already a vegetarian at that time, and minestrone soup seemed like the perfect meal. It’s a classic Italian soup made of vegetables, pasta, and beans, making it a complete one pot meal!

It quickly became one of my favorite go-to recipes! It was inexpensive, made a ton (so I could have leftovers throughout the week), and was super healthy and balanced.

When it’s soup season, I make this vegan soup recipe for my family. But instead of making it stovetop, I make it in the instant pot to save time! I have really started to enjoy pressure cooking for it’s time saving capabilities!

This recipe is a copycat version of the one you’ll find at Olive Garden, only it’s way healthier and much more flavorful! In my opinion, it’s the best minestrone soup recipe around!

This version is vegan, so no parmesan cheese. It’s also oil-free, so there is no added olive oil. However, if you’re not vegan, or oil-free, feel free to sauté your onions in a bit of olive oil, and top your soup using a parmesan rind.

Check out this slideshow for a step by step tutorial of how to make instant pot minestrone soup!

Why This Recipe Works

• A healthy hearty soup that’s a complete one-pot meal.
• Vegan and Dairy-Free
• Hearty and Satisfying
• Easy and Quick to Make (20 minutes)
• Copycat Olive Garden recipe!

Recipe Ingredients and Notes

Vegetable Broth: I use vegetable broth to sauté the onions and vegetables, as well as to create the broth. You’ll need one box, or a quart of low sodium broth, as well as an additional 4 tablespoon to sauté the veggies. If you don’t have enough broth, you can use water or olive oil to sauté the veggies.

Fresh Vegetables: My favorite veggies to add to this soup include, onion, garlic, celery, and carrot. You can also add green beans, or zucchini if you have them on hand.

Beans: There are a variety of beans you can use in this soup, so choose one you already have on hand, or is easy to find in your local grocery store. I recommend using canned beans to save time. Try red kidney beans, white beans, cannellini beans or chickpeas.

Spices: The added spices give this soup a ton of flavor. I use oregano or Italian seasoning, a bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Tomatoes: A combination of diced tomatoes, and tomato paste help to thicken the broth of this instant pot minestrone soup recipe.

What is the best pasta to use in minestrone soup?

Elbow Macaroni: I use whole wheat elbow macaroni to keep this recipe whole food plant-based. If you’re gluten-free, sub a lentil, chickpea, or rice pasta. Use small shells or the cooked pasta will take over the vegetables.

Tools and Equipment

Depending on the cooking method you choose to use, you’ll either need your instant pot or an electric pressure cooker, slow cooker, or a large dutch oven if you’re cooking this recipe on the stove top.

Instant Pot: An instant pot uses high pressure, to cook foods quickly. I recommend using a 6 quart instant pot or larger. Some instant pots also double as a slow cooker, rice cooker, and steamer.

Slow Cooker: If you don’t have an instant pot, or would like to be able to throw your ingredients in your slow cooker in the morning, so that you have soup ready at dinner time, you can use the slow cooker method.

Large Dutch Oven: Use a large Dutch oven or large pot to make this soup on the stovetop.

Find directions for making this soup in the slow cooker and on the stove in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instant Pot Directions

Step 1: Using the sauté mode on your instant pot, add 4 tablespoon water, diced onion, and minced garlic. Sauté for about 3-5 minutes or until onions are translucent.

Step 2: Add the chopped celery, and carrots. Sauté an additional 3 minutes.

Step 3: Add the spices including the bay leaf, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. 

Step 4: Next add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, and whole wheat macaroni. Press CANCEL to stop the sautéing. 

Step 5: Press the MANUAL (older models) or PRESSURE COOK (newer models) and set on high for 2 minutes. Turn the valve to SEALING. Once done, naturally release the pressure.

Step 6: When pressure is fully released, stir in the drained and rinsed kidney beans. If the pasta isn’t fully cooked, turn to the sauté function and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes or until pasta is tender. 

Step 7: Remove bay leaf. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley. 

Stovetop Directions

Step 1: Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ¼ cup of vegetable stock or water to the pan. Add the diced onion and garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes.

Step 2: Add chopped celery and carrots, and sauté for about 3 minutes until softened.

Step 3: Stir in the spices and bay leaf. Add in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Add the elbow macaroni and kidney beans. Cook uncovered for 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove bay leaf. Serve garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

Slow Cooker Directions

Step 1: Add the chopped onion, garlic, celery, carrots, vegetables broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and all of the spices to your slow cooker. Stir to combine. Cook for 6-8 hours on low heat.

Step 2: Add in the kidney beans and pasta. Turn to high heat and cook for an additional 20-25 minutes or until pasta is tender. Remove bay leaf. Serve topped with fresh chopped parsley.

Expert Tips

• Add the beans at the end. If they are added too early they will end up mushy.
• It’s best to use the sauté function to sauté the onions and vegetables rather than just throw them into the pot. The soup will be more flavorful.
• Do a natural pressure release, rather than a quick pressure release. If you do a quick release you run the risk of splattering hot soup all over yourself.

What makes this minestrone soup recipe healthy?

• Low in Calories and Fat
• High in Fiber
• High in Plant-Protein
• Rich in Vitamins and Minerals

Can I have minestrone soup if I’m vegan and/or gluten-free?

Yes! This soup is vegan. You can easily make it gluten-free by using a gluten-free pasta.

How to Serve

• Crusty Bread: I think this soup needs a nice whole wheat crusty bread for dipping.
• Chopped Green Salad: For some added veggies, this soup pairs nicely with a simple chopped green salad using a vegan salad dressing.

How to Store and Keep

Store leftovers in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up 3-4 days. Be aware that the pasta shells may expand over the course of a few days as they absorb the water from the broth.

If you’d like to freeze this soup, transfer it to a freezer safe container. Mark your container with the contents and date. It will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.

When ready to reheat, transfer to the refrigerator to defrost. Then reheat on the stovetop until warm.

If freezing I recommend doing so right away, as the pasta will become mushy and won’t defrost well if you wait.

More vegan soup and instant pot recipes!

• Vegan Pozole
• Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chili
• Vegan Irish Stew
• Instant Pot Chana Masala
• Vegan Cauliflower Soup
• Pressure Cooker Vegan Chili by Pass the Plants

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