When the weather turns cold, nothing beats a warm bowl of soup. And when the soup is full of healthy vegetables and beans, you feel like you're having the best meal in the world!
This Instant Pot Minestrone is one of those meals. Bursting with vegetables and healthy protein, it's hearty and nourishing without weighing you down.
Minestrone is also an infinitely customizable soup. Mix and match your vegetables according to your taste or mood, what's in season or what you happen to have on hand. The same rule applies to the beans and pasta.
Make a pot of minestrone once following this recipe, and then after that use some variations to make it your own!
What is Minestrone
I have often seen it said that Minestrone translates to "Big Soup." Online translators do not reproduce this, but per Wikipedia: "In modern Italian there are three words corresponding to the English word soup: zuppa, which is used in the sense of tomato soup, or fish soup; minestra, which is used in the sense of a more substantial soup such as a vegetable soup, and also for "dry" soups, namely pasta dishes; and minestrone, which means a very substantial or large soup or stew, though the meaning has now come to be associated with this particular dish."
Ingredients
Pancetta is described as "Italian-inspired bacon" and is sold already chopped, in 3 to 5 ounce packages. Whichever size package you can find within that range should work fine.
How to make this Instant Pot Minestrone
Homemade soup is so delicious, and it usually starts with celery, carrots and onion. The French call it mirepoix, but this is an Italian soup so we will use the term soffritto. It's basically the aromatic base for your soup.
I've made this Minestrone for years on the stove top, but recently adapted it to the Instant Pot. Love the results!
Start with the sauté function and cook the pancetta for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté 3 more minutes, then add the garlic, give it a quick stir, and immediately turn off the sauté function. Add the chopped cabbage and Swiss chard stems (reserve the chopped leaves), then add the broth, tomatoes, beans and seasonings.
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Take note of how full the Instant Pot insert is, and where the max fill line is. Add up to 2 cups of water, but do not exceed the max fill line. It is always just below the line for me. Give this mixture a stir.
A little pasta is optional but it does add a nice element to the soup. If using, add the uncooked pasta to the Instant Pot and stir.
Now, add the chopped leaves of Swiss chard to the top of the soup mixture, but do not stir in. Simply leave it in a layer right on top.
Close the Instant Pot, seal, and set it to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. It will take some time, probably about 30 minutes, to build pressure. Then, when the 5 minutes of cooking time are done, quick release the pressure.
Give your soup a stir, and it's ready to serve!
Variations and FAQ
Definitely! Use vegetable broth instead of chicken and skip the pancetta.
This soup freezes well, with one exception: the pasta. If you are planning to freeze the soup, I suggest freezing it without the pasta. You can always add a little in after the fact if you want, or just have the soup without pasta.
Variations of this minestrone soup
Minestrone variations are endless! Here are a few:
Vegetables - Swiss chard is sometimes hard to source, but you can easily add or substitute green beans, zucchini, or yellow squash for the stems
Greens - as noted in the recipe card, spinach is a common substitute for the Swiss chard leaves
Beans - I listed my 2 favorite types of beans to put in this soup, but that is also subject to whatever I already have. Kidney beans, navy beans, butter beans - I've used them all and love the result. If it seems like a lot of beans, you can make the soup with just one can.
Pasta - I use ditalini but any small pasta will work. Small elbows or shells, or orecchiette. Or, you can substitute with a grain, like farro or barley. Don't have any of these? Just leave it out. You'll barely notice the difference!
More soup ideas to warm you in cold weather
- Butternut squash chowder
- Hamburger barley soup
- Cheesy potato soup
- Instant Pot split pea soup
- Old fashioned chili
📖 Recipe
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Instant Pot Minestrone
Video
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta
- 1 onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 cup celery chopped (3-4 ribs)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 15.5 ounce can cannellini beans drained
- 15.5 ounce can garbanzo beans drained
- 2 cups cabbage chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 bunch Swiss chard chopped and divided*(or 2-3 cups fresh spinach)
- ⅔ cup ditalini pasta optional
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to sauté and add the olive oil and pancetta. Sauté 2 to 3 minutes, then add onion, carrot, and celery and sauté 3 more minutes. Add the garlic and stir, then turn off the sauté function. Add the cabbage and Swiss chard stems.1 Tablespoon olive oil, 4 ounces pancetta, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 cup celery, 4 cloves garlic, 2 cups cabbage, 1 bunch Swiss chard
- Pour in the chicken broth, tomatoes, beans and seasonings and stir. Add up to 2 cups water, but do not exceed the "Max Fill" line. You will get very close! Stir in pasta, if using.4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, 15.5 ounce can cannellini beans, 15.5 ounce can garbanzo beans, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons salt, ⅔ cup ditalini pasta
- Top the mixture with the chopped Swiss chard leaves, but do not stir in.1 bunch Swiss chard
- Seal the Instant Pot and set the cycle to cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When cooking cycle is done, quick release the pressure, then open the lid.
- Stir the soup, taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
Andréa Janssen
A great minestrone soup recipe! Thank you for sharing, our family loved it.
Sula
You’re welcome, and thank you for the kind review!
Dennis Littley
Your minestrone was delicious and making it my instant pot was really easy!
Sula
Thank you! I’ve made this recipe for years, and now the Instant Pot makes it so hands off!