Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Making really good minestrone in the Instant Pot with dried, un-soaked beans is possible! No need to use mushy canned beans. If you have an Instant Pot, a good minestrone, like this one, needs to be one of your standbys.
Making really good Instant Pot minestrone soup with dried, un-soaked beans is possible. I wasn't sure at first, and it required a few attempts to get the recipe right, but check it out! Deliciousness. Let's start at the beginning. Like many of you, I love minestrone soup. It's hearty and filling. It's healthy, made with a diverse mix of ingredients your body wants more of. And, if you have an Instant Pot, a good minestrone is going to be one of your standbys.
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup: The Strategy
Ok, so most of the IP minestrone recipes I see rely on canned beans, which I was hoping to avoid. Instead, I wanted to develop a minestrone version from dried beans - un-soaked(!) dried beans. Because, that way, you don't have to plan ahead. Second, I want to avoid that murky, overcooked, canned soup flavor (and texture) we're all familiar with - it shows up when you use canned beans and then cook them again under pressure. The size you cut your ingredients ended up being important as well, and so was when you add them to the pot. I landed on a specific order here that maintains brightness, acidity, flavor definition, and general deliciousness. More on that below!
A few notes & techniques
Potatoes: I found any potatoes cut too small turn to mush after cooking under pressure for 35+ minutes. Not great. So, I started using big chunks of potato, really big - and they're incredible! Creamy, perfectly cooked, and nicely structured. Carrots are more dense, and handle the pressure just fine.
Tomatoes & Kale: I think the inclination is to add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot, seal it up, and go for it. The minestrones I attempted to cook this way lost a lot of vibrancy. But not this version! This version has you stir in crushed tomatoes, and kale immediately after releasing pressure. The acidity of the tomatoes brightens the soup immediately, and holding the kale back until the last minute keeps a bit of structure, color, and flavor definition.
Pasta: A lot of people love to add pasta to their minestrone soup. You can certainly add a handful of dried, short pasta before pressurizing, but, quite honestly, it's much better if you cook the pasta on its own. You can also stir dried pasta into the soup directly after it has pressure cooked, adding a bit more water if things get too thick. In short, on the pasta front, you can be pretty flexible. It's open to personal preference (and how convenient you'd like the process to be).
Serving Ideas
I like this minestrone straight and simple, and I also like it flaired out with toppings. A few ideas: a dollop of pesto, a drizzle of lemon olive oil, or a big squeeze of bright lemon, some chopped olives. Stir in a couple of handfuls of day old bread for something more like a ribollita.
Premium Ad-Free membership includes:
-Ad-free content
-Print-friendly recipes
-Spice / Herb / Flower / Zest recipe collection PDF
-Weeknight Express recipe collection PDF
-Surprise bonuses throughout the year
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch coins
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
- 1 1/2 cups dried cannellini beans
- 5 medium waxy potatoes, the size of an egg, halved
- 1 3- inch chunk of Parmesan rind, (optional)
- 8 cups of water
- 1 medium bunch kale or chard, de-stemmed and chopped
- 1 1/4 cup crushed tomatoes, from can
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt or to taste
- chopped black olives, a dollop of pesto, a drizzle of lemon olive oil, or a big squeeze of lemon juice
-
Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot, and press it again to bump it to SAUTE MORE. Heat the olive oil in the Instant Pot. When hot, sauté the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the chile flakes. Add the beans, potatoes, Parmesan rind (if using), and 8 cups of water. Press CANCEL.
-
Close and seal the pot, and pressure cook on MANUAL for 40 minutes* (high). Carefully QUICK RELEASE. Gently shake or tap the pressure cooker, and then carefully open away from you. Remove the Parmesan rind, and gently stir in the salt. Taste and adjust with more if needed. Stir in the kale, and once it has collapsed stir in the tomatoes. Serve as-is, or topped with chopped olives, and a dusting of cheese.
*If after 40 minutes your beans aren't cooked through (yikes!) and you have the time, just slow cook them, covered, to your liking. They should be close with this timing, but you never know! The age and quality of dried beans varies dramatically. Alternately, you can reseal the IP and go for another 5 or 10 minutes.
For reference, this is the Instant Pot I used for this recipe: Instant Pot DUO Plus 6 Qt 9-in-1
Related Recipes
Spicy Instant Pot Taco Soup
Taco Soup, a weeknight winner. A hearty melding of beans, and corn, and taco spices, and quinoa. Finished with avocado and pepitas and a squeeze of lime.
40 Essential Instant Pot Links
All the helpful, essential Instant Pot links in one list. Links to accessories, videos, water test how-to, recipes, guides, etc.
Instant Pot Congee with Brown Rice and Turmeric
Today we're going to explore congee. And, spoiler alert, making congee in your Instant Pot is literally reason enough to buy one. A complete home run.
Melissa Clark’s Instant Pot Hummus (with Variations)
Instant Pot Hummus, the one recipe that keeps my Instant Pot on the counter (instead of under it). Melissa Clark's recipe results in a silky smooth hummus. Once you nail down the method, the variations you can do are endless.
Post Your Comment
Comments
Just a weird recipe. My instant pot was full after 4 cups of water and half the vegetables. No clue how to fit the additional 4 cups, and the celery onion and garlic mixture. No salt added to the beans either in the instant pot.
Will try a half recipe next time and may change rating.
Everything was cooked well, but I’m wondering why there were no herbs or black pepper or vegetable stock added. My whole family felt it the soup just tasted of water, so it wasn’t just me. I’m so confused as to what I did wrong but this had zero flavor.
Hi YM – Thanks for the feedback. My guess is that adding a bit more salt would likely bring the flavors out. After adding the initial salt, I generally instruct people to add more salt to their liking. It sounds like you won’t likely revisit this, but in the future if what you’re cooking is falling flat, especially if it’s a soup, start by adding more salt a bit at a time. After that, consider if adding more acidity (like lemon juice) might bring all the flavors into focus. Best, Heidi
I’ve made a lot of minestrone recipes, but this one is my favorite. So easy and quick. I make very few changes. I dice the kale or chard stems and sauté with the vegetables. If I remember to soak the beans overnight, I cut the potatoes in quarters, and cook the soup on high for 20 minutes.
what is the halved egg for?
Hi Nina – there is no egg called for here, it’s just a reference note related to how large I like to cut the potatoes.
Soup is great any time of the year. So many varieties to chose from. Great when you are in a hurry.
Yummy!! Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe with us.
I made this before but used canned cannellini beans (dried were not available) added them after a quick pressure cook of the veggie ingredients. The second time I made it with dried beans with no soak and 40 minutes was not nearly enough to cook the beans. Will try again with an overnight soak. A delicious recipe nonetheless!
Hi! Could I double this recipe in the instant pot or would it be too much?
Hi Juliet, You just need to be sure you don’t exceed the fill line in your specific pot.
Can I use fingerling potatoes instead of the slightly larger potatoes?
Hi Jamie, yes absolutely!
Very yummy, though I needed to add another 15min session to soften my beans. Beware… It was really spicy – even after adding stock to cut it down (and we don’t mind spice that much)
I have farmers market bounty – yellow wax beans and zucchini – to add to the soup. Any ideas for when to add them in? This will be my first attempt at Instant Pot-ting! Thank you!
Hi Heidi.. I got my new IP last week.. thanks for the inspiration… I think we are going to get along fine.
I had a question about this soup.
I made this last night (it was yummy!) – but when I first released it some of the beans on the top were wrinkled and not well cooked – but the ones underneath were? Any ideas?
Hmm. What if you tried putting a circle of parchment paper on top prior to closing the pot? That would help keep those little floaters submerged…I haven’t had that problem, but will try the parchment next time for fun. Alternately, you could do a quick release, stir, and bring the soup back up to pressure for a bit…
I am inspired by these recipes and want to purchase an insta pot Heidi. Question: I live alone in a very small space and am daunted by the size of the 6 quart pot. Would your recipes work well if I halved the ingredients to fit the smaller pot?
HS: Hi Julie – I think you’d have to play around a bit and adjust for the smaller pot – not going over the fill line, etc.
Just purchased an Instant Pot hoping to adapt my favorite vegetarian recipes. Now that Heidi has posted, I’m good to go. Thank you Heidi !
THANK YOU for a recipe with something other than dried beans and white pasta! I love dried beans and potatoes, I think it’s much healthier. I can’t wait to try this out this week.
I just got an Instant pot this week and your minestrone soup is the first thing I made. It was amazing. I did soak my beans and cooked it for 30 min. I like your suggestion to add the chard and tomatoes after the cooking. I did add some cooked orzo and lemon juice at the end. I started early and then kept it warm until we were ready to eat. While it cooks fast it does take time to build and release pressure. I look forward to more of your Instant pot recipes. Thank you!
This soup was a success for all! My six year old declared it to be the best soup in her life and all agreed to put it on the make it again list. Delish as is, but also yummy with a touch of pesto on top. I cut fingerling potatoes in half and they were perfect- the kids carved bites out with their spoon. Well done.
I just ordered the Instant Pot (after some research, including your “This is How to Become an Instant Pot Whisperer” article) and made this soup. Amazing, and the leftovers are even better the next day, Thanks for sharing.
HS: Have fun with it Joyce!
Heidi, just wondering why 40 minutes for soaked beans? They usually take about 10 minutes at the most…I made the Fiasco Beans and they were great but way soft…I would try less time next time so I don’t want the minestrone to be mushy. Thanks—love all your recipes and your cookbooks!
HS: Hi Ora – It’s actually tricky, people are all over the board re: what works with their beans (I think there are a lot of old, dried beans out there). I’ve had success at 30 minutes using great beans, but at 30 minutes some readers still get uncooked beans, so….long way of saying, go for it with less time if you generally have success. Or, start with 30, and shorten from there…xx!
Made this in my new IP tonight. I’ve never been crazy about Minestrone, but because you have yet to disappoint, Heidi, I went for it. SO good!!! I love the way the IP manages to keep the flavors distinctive, not mashed together like a slow cooker. I’m such a fan of yours, thank you for the new cooking adventure in the IP!
Fantastic Nancy, so happy to hear it!
Im beyond excited to see you are adding Instapot recipes to your site. I made this soup and loved it! I’m adding it to my regular rotation. Easy, flavorful, and healthy! Thanks Heidi!
Excited to try this soup! I’ve made a lot of beans in my stove-top pressure cooker over the years using Lorna Sass’s guidelines, and so have never done a quick release. According to her, quick release “causes the beans to split, lose their shape, and become mushy.” I’m guessing you found this not to be the case? I’m hopeful, since natural release feels like it takes forever, and even longer with the IP (even when using we towels).
Your Instant Pot recipes gave me the confidence to get an IP Mini and this minestrone was the first thing I made in it. I loved being able to skip the pre-soak and used cranberry beans because that’s what I had. I don’t know if I’ve ever had such creamy beans in a soup before! It was delish and I hope you’ll continue with the IP theme – I’ve yet to find another source of such vibrant and creative vegetarian recipes for the machine. Thank you!
HS: Thank you Barbara! I’m working on a few new ones 🙂 Thanks for the encouragement. xx!
Hi! Tried your instant pot minestrone – excellent! Your directions were perfect. Good, adaptable recipe. Didn’t have all ingredients, so subbed small red beans for cannellini, and frozen spinach for kale. Didn’t have parmesan rind, so added grated parmesan at end. Thank you!
HS: Fantastic! Thanks for the nice note Asha!
We made this for lunches to sustain us through this busy work week/holiday season. It’s wonderful, and I will definitely be adding it to my regular rotation of recipes.
Heidi, I’m SO thrilled to see you putting out Instant Pot recipes. I too am not one for kitchen gadget fads, but we bought one and your recipes here along with Melissa’s book have finally helped me hit a groove with my Instant Pot!
HS: Thanks for the nice note Krista!
I just got an Instant pot this week and your minestrone soup is the first thing I made. It was amazing. I did soak my beans and cooked it for 30 min. I like your suggestion to add the chard and tomatoes after the cooking. I did add some cooked orzo and lemon juice at the end. I started early and then kept it warm until we were ready to eat. While it cooks fast it does take time to build and release pressure. I look forward to more of your Instant pot recipes. Thank you!
Hi Heidi, I’m the poster with hard water, reporting back. The beans took an additional 10 minutes. The soup was delicious, with the only possible criticism being that the longer time under pressure meant that the vegetables were a bit overcooked. I think next time I’ll do my usual overnight soak and then follow @Dan’s suggestion above about the cooking time. Thanks again for the recipe – for me, it moves minestrone from the “project” category into “sure, why not?”
HS: Thanks Carol! Interesting. The other suggestion I have, is perhaps cut your veggies into larger chunks.
We have had great luck with a 6 min pre-soak under high pressure. Rinse beans. Then make the soup but decrease pressure cooking time to 20-25 mins. The advantage is that you get to discard most of the digestively problematic parts of the beans and makes it easier to set liquid levels because the beans are partially hydrated
I made this today and it was excellent. Pleasantly surprised how well this turned out in the instant pot. I separately prepared and added a handful of the ditalini pasta, fresh spinach, and fresh tomatoes in the end. Next time, I will try to add the olives. In your photographs, it appears sliced almonds were added. Thank you for posting this recipe!
HS: Thanks for the note Mahnaz! The olives are such a bonus. Give them a try.
Hi, I’m wondering what other veggies might work in place of the potatoes? Thanks so much for your recipes – they are wonderful!!
Kismet – minestone is on this week’s meal plan, and I was just asking Google how I might adapt my stove-top recipe to my new Instant Pot. I was delighted to see your new recipe, using dried beans instead of canned. I will be curious to see how the non-soaking method works for me: our water is so hard that in “normal” cooking, I have to pre-soak everything – even split peas and red lentils – or they will not soften. Hopefully pressure cooking will provide the magic softening touch. 🙂 I’ll report back.
HS: Please do Carol, and if you know you might have trouble, perhaps add a few minutes? Let us know how it goes!
I really got excited that you will be posting recipes for Instant pot. Your recipes are healthy, vibrant, colorful, delicious, and so easy to follow. Thank you for sharing your creativity with us. Keep up your great work!!!
HS: Thanks Nancy!
I’m a hold-out on more large kitchen gadgets, but will use your recipe for tonight’s soup nonetheless, and cook it the old and slow way. Is that kale AND chard, or OR? You mention subbing cabbage for the chard, so I’m thinking it’s calling for two kinds of greens? I know I can use whatever I have, but I happen to have all three… decisions, decisions…
HS: Either or all Janet! 🙂 xx
Sounds great! Did you drain the crushed tomatoes?
HS: Nope! Straight into the pot. xx!
Pressure cook on high or low?
Hi Mihaela – pressure cook set to high.
You are really on fire with the Insta Pot these days – thanks for putting so much thought into this recipe, I can’t wait to make it!
HS: Thanks Rachel! It has been fun – like working a quirky puzzle 😉
Hi Heidi, Following your post, I purchased an Instant Pot also. I am looking forward to all your recipe…..
HS: Thanks Betty!
More Recipes
Weekly recipes and inspirations.
Popular Ingredients