Easy recipe to make Restaurant Style Minestrone at home in Instant Pot. Tastes so good actually as good as the Olive Garden Minestrone.

 Course Main Course, Soup

 Cuisine American, Italian

 Prep Time 10 minutes

 Cook Time 15 minutes

 Servings 6

Equipment
Instant Pot 6 quart or Mealthy Multipot
Kitchen Colander
Measuring Spoons, Measuring Cups, Stirring Spoon,
Kitchen Stirring Spoon
Chopping board and knife
Can Opener
Ingredients
Canned Ingredients
32 ounce Vegetable Stock/Broth Low sodium or Salt-Free
15 ounce Can of Navy Beans (washed & drained) Low sodium or salt-free
15 ounce Can of Red Kidney Beans Low sodium or salt-free
14.5 ounce Can of Italian Beans or fresh green string beans Low sodium or salt-free
14.5 ounce Can of Stewed Tomatoes Low sodium or salt-free
14.5 ounce Can of Diced Tomatoes Low sodium or salt-free
1/2 cup small shell pasta or elbow macaroni
Fresh Produce
3/4 cup Onions chopped
1/2 cup Celery sliced
1/2 cup Carrots peeled, quartered & sliced
1 small Zucchini halved & sliced
2 tsp Garlic minced
2 cups Spinach leaves chopped
Oil & Spices
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp Parsley, dry
To taste Salt & Black Pepper
1 Bay Leaf dry
Instructions
Gather all your ingredients. Drain and wash the beans in colander including navy beans, red kidney beans & Italian green beans. Chop the onion, celery & carrots into 1 inch pieces as big as beans. Cut zucchini in half and then into half discs like a half-moon.
Place the inner liner inside the 6-quart Instant Pot and plug it in. Press the SAUTE button and set it on high for 10 minutes.
Once the screen displays HOT, add Olive Oil. After a few seconds, add bay leaf, garlic, chopped onion, celery & carrot. Saute for about 5 minutes till they are slightly done.
Add zucchini & saute for 1 minute. Now add navy beans, red kidney beans, Italian Beans, stewed tomatoes & diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, and black pepper to the pot. Also, add just a handful of Mini Shell Pasta or Elbow Macaroni.
Close the lid and set the valve to SEALING. Press the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL button and set it for 5 minutes.
Once the timer goes off, follow QPR (Quick Pressure Release). As the safety valve drops down, open the lid. Add chopped spinach. Check for salt if needed. Close the lid back again and let it sit for 2 minutes. Now open the lid and ladle out MINESTRONE SOUP and serve in soup bowls.
Dump & Cook Minestrone
Yes, you can make Dump & Cook Minestrone Soup using this recipe. All you have to do is that dump all the ingredients together without any sauteeing, including the oil. And cook for the same amount as mentioned in the main recipe. You get equally good Soup. I have made it this way also and can vouch for it. Also, to make it oil-free, skip the oil and rest make it as is as mentioned.
Gluten-free Minestrone
Yes, you can make this soup glutenfree. Either you can skip the pasta in the recipe and make it not only glutenfree but much healthier. Or you can use GLUTENFREE PASTA.
Gas Top Instructions
Gas Top Instructions – To make it on the GAS TOP, you will follow the above instructions as-is. The only difference is that instead of using an Instant Pot, you will use a heavy bottom saucepot. You will cook it for about 10-12 minutes till pasta is done.
Notes
You may cook the pasta separately and add it later. I normally do that and while serving, I add some cooked pasta to individual bowls as needed. My kids want more pasta in their soup and I normally skip it.
This has one more benefit – as the soup sits for a long time, the pasta absorbs the liquid and becomes too soft & loses Texture. It becomes blah by then. Unless you are sure that the whole soup will be consumed at the same time, this is a good point to keep in mind.
You can easily freeze this soup in individual freezer-friendly soup containers or bags. Just thaw and heat and eat.
This is perfect for any meal. You can pack it for lunches too.
It stays good when refrigerated for a week.
I am sure you are going to try this recipe soon. Please leave your feedback under the comments section and RATE THE RECIPE. I would greatly appreciate it.