Shayon Pal

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Properties3
descriptionA hearty, veggie-packed Italian soup made easy in the Instant Pot. Oil-free, whole-food plant-based minestrone loaded with vegetables and Italian flavor.
tags🌐, recipe, italian, pressure-cooker, instant-pot, oil-free, whole-food-plant-based, gluten-free, vegetables, hearty, weeknight-dinner
aliasesMinestrone Soup, Pressure Cooker Minestrone

3 min read

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

A hearty, veggie-packed Italian soup made easy in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop. This oil-free, whole-food plant-based version is loaded with vegetables and flavor, perfect for any season.

Preparation Time

  • Prep: 15 mins
  • Cook: 10 mins (Instant Pot) / 25 mins (Stovetop)
  • Total: 25-40 mins
  • Servings: Makes about 6 cups (4-6 servings)

Ingredients

Aromatics & Base

  • ½ cup yellow onion, chopped (80g)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
  • ½ cup celery, diced (50g / about 1 stalk)
  • ½ cup carrot, chopped (65g)
  • ¼ cup parsley, chopped (15g)

Vegetables

  • ½ cup zucchini, chopped (62g)
  • ½ cup red bell pepper, diced (75g)
  • 1 cup fresh green beans, strings removed and cut into thirds (100g)
  • 1 cup eggplant, cut into cubes (80g)
  • ¾ cup russet potato, diced (peeled or unpeeled) (112g / about 1 small potato)

Protein & Tomatoes

  • 1½ cups garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained well (1 15.5-oz. can / 225g after draining)
  • 1½ cups diced tomatoes (1 14.5-oz. can / 365g)

Seasonings

  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper (about 10 turns)
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Liquid

  • 3 cups water for Instant Pot method (710ml / or oil-free veggie broth for deeper flavor)
  • 4 cups water for stovetop method (946ml / or oil-free veggie broth for deeper flavor)

Instructions

Instant Pot Method

  1. Prep ingredients: Measure and chop all ingredients. Combine in a large bowl to minimize cleanup.
  2. Preheat: Press saute button on Instant Pot and let inner pot heat up for 2 minutes.
  3. Sauté vegetables: Add all ingredients except water (onion, garlic, zucchini, bell pepper, green beans, eggplant, celery, carrot, potato, parsley, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, basil, oregano, black pepper, and salt). Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add small splashes of water if vegetables start to stick. This caramelization step adds depth to the flavor.
  4. Add liquid: Turn off Instant Pot. Add 3 cups water (or veggie broth) and stir.
  5. Pressure cook: Lock lid into place with steam nozzle in sealed position. Use manual setting (high pressure) and set timer for 10 minutes.
  6. Natural release: When time is up, allow pressure to dissipate naturally while leaving steam nozzle sealed. Once pressure is fully released and locking mechanism disengages, remove lid.
  7. Serve: Ladle into bowls and serve immediately, or allow to cool completely before storing in refrigerator.

Stovetop Method

  1. Prep ingredients: Measure and chop all ingredients.
  2. Preheat pot: Heat large pot over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
  3. Sauté vegetables: Add all ingredients except water (onion, garlic, zucchini, bell pepper, green beans, eggplant, celery, carrot, potato, parsley, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, basil, oregano, black pepper, and salt). Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add small splashes of water if anything starts to stick.
  4. Simmer: Add 4 cups water (or veggie broth) and stir. Place lid on pot at an angle and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft to your liking.
  5. Serve: Turn off heat and serve immediately.

Notes

  • Storage: Refrigerate up to 5 days in airtight container; cool completely before storing
  • Substitutions: Extremely flexible - swap vegetables based on what’s available, use pre-cut veggies for convenience, add veggie broth instead of water for richer flavor
  • Tips: Don’t skip sauté step for caramelization; use natural pressure release for Instant Pot method

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