Description
Hearty minestrone soup delivers Italian comfort straight from your pressure cooker’s depths. Nourishing vegetables, tender beans, and aromatic herbs combine for a warming meal that welcomes you to savor each spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups chopped spinach or kale
- 1.5 cups green beans, trimmed and chopped
- 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can great northern or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 small onion, diced
- 0.75 cup small pasta (like ditalini or elbow)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 0.5 tsp dried thyme
- 0.75 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Fresh basil or parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Aromatic Foundation: Activate the Instant Pot’s sauté mode. Coat the base with olive oil and sauté onions, carrots, and celery until soft and translucent. Introduce minced garlic, allowing it to release its fragrant essence briefly.
- Herbal Infusion: Sprinkle oregano, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper across the vegetable mixture. Stir thoroughly to distribute herbs evenly and create a robust flavor base.
- Soup Assembly: Combine diced tomatoes, kidney beans, cannellini beans, zucchini, and green beans into the pot. Pour vegetable broth over the ingredients and gently mix in pasta, ensuring complete integration.
- Pressure Cooking: Seal the Instant Pot lid with valve positioned to sealing. Execute a high-pressure cook cycle for 4 minutes. Upon completion, perform a swift and controlled pressure release.
- Final Touches: Incorporate spinach or kale, allowing them to gently wilt in the hot liquid. Enhance the soup’s brightness with a splash of red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serving Presentation: Transfer the steaming soup into serving bowls. Crown with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and optional chopped herbs for an elegant and flavorful finish.
Notes
- Optimize Vegetable Sautéing: Cut vegetables uniformly to ensure even cooking and consistent texture, preventing some pieces from becoming mushy while others remain undercooked.
- Control Pasta Consistency: Add pasta towards the end of cooking to prevent overcooking and maintain a perfect al dente texture, which prevents the pasta from becoming soggy and absorbing too much liquid.
- Customize Dietary Adaptations: Easily transform the recipe for gluten-free diets by substituting regular pasta with chickpea or zucchini noodles, and ensure bean varieties accommodate specific nutritional needs.
- Enhance Flavor Depth: Consider roasting vegetables beforehand or using fire-roasted tomatoes to introduce a smoky undertone, elevating the soup’s complexity and creating a more robust taste profile.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg