Looking for a comforting and filling meal that’s easy to make and tastes incredible? Look no further than this Olive Garden Copycat Instant Pot Minestrone Soup recipe!
This classic Italian soup recipe is perfect for warming up on a cold winter’s day, and the best part is that it only requires one pot and can be ready in just 30 minutes. And if you’re looking for a vegan option, skip the Parmesan cheese! To round out the meal, serve this soup with crusty, no-knead bread to soak up the savory broth, and sprinkle on some grated Parmesan cheese for an extra cozy touch.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, don’t worry – this recipe includes directions for stovetop and Instant Pot methods.
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Do you like the endless bowls of soup and the breadsticks from Olive Garden? They are truly delicious, aren’t they? I always get nostalgic thinking about it.
My family loves Olive Garden and everything they offer, from their delicious salad and warm breadsticks to their cozy bowls of minestrone. I don’t mean to brag, but I prefer my homemade minestrone over Olive Garden’s.
And the best part is, making it in the Instant Pot saves so much time, and it tastes scrumptious!
Making soups in the Instant Pot has become a staple around here. We love making easy and delicious soups in the pressure cooker, such as our famous 15-bean soup, spinach, and Lasagna soup. And if you’re a fan of creamy soups, you should try out this Instant-Pot broccoli cheese soup, this Potato leek soup, or this gnocchi soup. They’re all so delicious!
What is Minestrone Soup?
Minestrone is a hearty and delicious Italian vegetable soup made with tomato-y broth, kidney beans, and pasta.
There is no right or wrong way to make minestrone. You can swipe ingredients in the recipe as per your taste and availability!
Why I love this soup?
- hearty and wholesome
- easy to make and worth the effort.
- The recipe calls for seasonal vegetables and affordable pantry ingredients.
- crowed pleasing
- packs great for lunch, and tastes even better the next day.
- freezes and defrosts well, too.
- it’s so versatile! You can adjust the consistency according to your preference.
- On top of all, it is much better than the Olive Garden or store-bought varieties!
Ingredients required
Below is the ingredients list and possible substitutions. The exact ingredient amounts are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Vegetables – Minestrone was traditionally made to use up leftover vegetables, so feel free to use any seasonal vegetables and greens you have on hand. I used celery, carrots, zucchini, onion, and spinach for the soup and it was delicious. You can use any vegetables of your choice. Swap the spinach for Swiss chard or baby kale If you don’t have or don’t like spinach. If you want your spinach to be less cooked, fold it in right after the soup is done cooking.
- Pasta – For this recipe, we use dry pasta shells that get cooked directly in the Instant Pot to make this an easy one-pot meal. Small/tiny pasta is preferred, our favorite one is small shell pasta. You may use mini farfalle, mini macaroni, orzo, etc. You can also boil the pasta separately and stir in later or use leftover cooked pasta. Also, if you plan on freezing this soup, I would leave out the pasta and cook it separately on the stove whenever you’re planning to serve it. That way, the pasta doesn’t end up getting soggy. For an even healthier option, use whole wheat macaroni pasta. To keep this low-carb, omit the pasta, you honestly won’t miss it with everything else in this soup.
- Beans – I have used canned red kidney beans here. You can use any beans you have on hand – kidney beans, cannellini, northern beans, or the combination of all the beans. Chickpeas will also work. If using dried beans instead of canned, cook and drain ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Seasoning – For seasoning, I used Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, black pepper powder, and salt. Since we love spicy, red pepper flakes are an absolute must for us. You can reduce the number of chili flakes or leave it out if you’re making these cheese cookies for kids or for someone who isn’t a fan of spices. Be very careful while adding salt. Because tomato sauce and beans have salt added to them. If you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand, you could use a mix of individual Italian herbs as per your preferences.
- Cheese – What makes this soup extra special, is using the rind from a wedge of parmesan. I always stash them in my freezer just for soups, if you don’t have one toss some grated cheese into the soup while it’s cooking. It adds a rich, savory flavor to the soup. You can skip what you want to make vegan or don’t have at hand. Btw, if you are looking for vegetarian parmesan cheese, then Sprouts and Wholefoods does carry them.
- Diced tomato and tomato sauce – I always use this combination for that tomato-y flavor. You can use tomato paste for the intense flavors. If you don’t prefer to use canned products, use fresh diced tomatoes.
- Vegetable stock – I have used low sodium vegetable stock. If you don’t have it in the pantry, you may use water or a combination of better than bouillon and water. Feel free to use any other stock of your choice.
- Oil – I have used extra virgin olive oil. You may use any oil of your choice.
- Basil leaves and Parmesan cheese
Step by step process
- Heat oil on ‘saute’ high setting.
- Once the oil is hot, add the garlic to the instant pot and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add onion, zucchini, carrots, celery, and spinach. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, salt, Black pepper powder, red pepper flakes, Pasta shells, and parmesan rind. Give it a nice stir.
- Securely lock the Instant pot’s lid and set for 5 minutes under high pressure. Set vent valve on sealing position.
- Once cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and ‘quick release’ the release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the parmesan rind. If it’s soft then chop it and add it to the soup.
- Add chopped basil leaves and give it a quick stir.
- Dish out, sprinkle some parmesan cheese, top it up with basil leaves and serve it hot with your choice of bread and salads.
Notes, Pro-tips, and quick FAQs.
- To make keto, low carb minestrone soup, or a whole paleo version of it, simply leave out the pasta, beans, and carrots. And instead, add cauliflower and green beans.
- Add sugar if you feel soup is sour.
Soup is always a healthy choice when it’s packed with a ton of vegetables. This instant pot minestrone soup recipe is full of fresh vegetables and legumes. It also contains tons of vitamins, protein, and fiber. Plus, it works if you’re vegan and gluten-free if you use gluten-free pasta.
Minestrone soup is just a heartier version of a vegetable soup. Instead of only have vegetables, this easy minestrone soup recipe packs extra nutrients from pasta and kidney beans. It’s a delicious meal that will keep you full and satisfied.
Soups are one of the best to make ahead meals out there! Yes, this Instant Pot Minestrone soup can be made ahead up to 5 days in advance.
To warm this soup again, add some water, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat stirring occasionally. Do not simmer for too long as this will overcook the pasta and zucchini and dull the flavor of the basil.
Yes, this Minestrone can be frozen for up to four months. Don’t add pasta if you intend to freeze this soup or else the pasta will be mushy on reheating.
Once the soup is cool, divide it into containers with a convenient number of servings.
Cover it tightly and freeze.
Freeze for up to four months.
To thaw, transfer the container to the refrigerator and thaw for at least 24 hours.
Reheat in the microwave or a pan.
Also, keep it in mind that this soup will thicken in the freezer or refrigerator as the residual heat of the broth continues to cook the vegetables and they release their starches, so stir in some more stock or water when you reheat leftovers.
Besides topping your delicious bowl with freshly grated parmesan, I love serving it with:
The Best no-knead bread
Quinoa and roasted squash salad
Cheese pizza cookies
Pumpkin savory bread
More soup recipes to try
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Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- 1 heaping cup spinach chopped
- 1 cup carrots chopped
- ⅓ cup celery chopped
- 1 ½ cup zucchini chopped
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
- 14 oz. diced tomatoes (canned) do not drain
- 14 oz. red kidney beans (canned) I didn’t drain, used it directly
- 14 oz. tomato sauce (canned) 14 Oz
- 4 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth 1 quart
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup small shell pasta
- ¼ cup basil leaves
- 1- inch parmesan rind optional
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped basil leaves for topping.
Instructions
Instant Pot method
- Heat oil on ‘saute’ high setting.
- Once the oil is hot, add the garlic to the instant pot and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add onion, zucchini, carrots, celery, and spinach. Saute for 30 seconds.
- Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, salt, Black pepper powder, red pepper flakes, Pasta shells, and parmesan rind. Give it a nice stir.
- Securely lock the Instant pot's lid and set for 5 minutes under high pressure. Set the valve on sealing position.
- Once cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and ‘quick release’ the release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the parmesan rind. If it’s soft then chop it and add it to the soup.
- Add chopped basil leaves and give it a quick stir.
- Dish out, sprinkle some parmesan cheese, top it up with basil leaves and serve it hot with your choice of bread and salads.
Stove Top method
- Add olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Saute for a few seconds.
- Now add carrots, celery, zucchini. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, kidney beans, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and parmesan rind.
- Stir together and let come to a low boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat to medium and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add spinach and dried pasta shells. Let cook until pasta is al-dente.
- Add chopped basil and stir well. Adjust the consistency by adding more water, if required.
- Switch off the flame, sprinkle some parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- To make keto, low carb minestrone soup, or a whole paleo version of it, simply leave out the pasta, beans, and carrots. And instead, add cauliflower and green beans.
- Add sugar if you feel the soup is sour.
- Please read the blog post above or all the possible ingredients substitution and for quick FAQs. Trust me, you find it very helpful and useful.
Nutrition
Warm regards,
Dhwani.
I was a little nervous to make this because I didn’t like the minestrone soup I tried at a restaurant… I am SO glad I made this recipe. It has amazing flavor, is very easy and takes little preparation! Thank you for sharing this recipe! I will definitely be making this again!
So glad to know. Thank you 🙂
This soup was delicious and will be a regular in our house! Thank you!
Also was wondering how much is 1 serving? 1 cup?
So glad to know. Thanks!! One serving is around 1.5 cups.