Chock full of nutritious and tasty vegetables, kidney beans, and pasta, this hearty Instant Pot minestrone soup can be made in less than an hour. Perfect on a cold winter's night, it tastes like a sunny garden!
Heat 6-quart Instant Pot to “saute.” Add olive oil, onion, celery, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute or until fragrant. Add tomato paste and stir, coating all vegetables in tomato paste.
Add broth, canned tomatoes, zucchini, oregano, basil, thyme, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes.
Secure lid and make sure valve is turned to “seal.” Set on “pressure cook” or “manual” (depending on which model you have), high pressure for 2 minutes. It will take about 7 to 8 minutes to come to pressure.
When pressure cooking has ended, turn valve to “vent” to quick release pressure.
Remove lid, and turn Instant Pot back to “Saute” mode. Add pasta, green beans, and kidney beans. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Remove bay leaf. Stir in red wine vinegar and brown sugar. Taste, and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Serve topped with shredded Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
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Notes
Add more broth or water for a thinner soup.
If desired, ¼ lb. bacon or pancetta could be added. Saute until crisp, remove from pan, and then saute the onions, celery, and carrots in the bacon grease. Add the cooked bacon or pancetta right before serving.
For additional flavor, add the rind of Parmesan cheese to the soup with the pasta.
Make it vegan by leaving out the Parmesan cheese.
If you are planning to freeze this soup, leave out the pasta. Add cooked pasta to soup prior to serving.