TRUUUST me. You are going to love this cozy italian vegetable goodness for this fall soup season. Loaded with veggies, delicious noodles and warm savory broth. You can make this on the stove top or, for a fast and easy method try instant pot minestone soup!
WAYS TO MAKE THIS SOUP
You can make this on the stove top in a large pan, most the photos will demonstrate this since there are more steps to it, where as there are less steps for the Instant Pot method. Both instructions will be listed in the post and the recipe card!
MATERIALS NEEDED TO MAKE MINESTRONE SOUP
You will need
- INSTANT POT METHOD: an 6 or 8 qt pressure cooker
- STOVE TOP METHOD: a large dutch oven or stock pot
INGREDIENTS FOR INSTANT POT MINESTRONE
For a classic minestrone recipe you will need:
- onion
- garlic
- olive oil
- zucchini
- carrots
- celery
- spinach
- broth
- green beans
- uncooked noodles
- canned diced tomatoes
- canned beans
WHAT KIND OF BEANS DO I USE?
For classic minestrone you use red beans and awhile beans, but if you want to sub for your favorite beans you 100% can!
Strain the liquid from the canned beans then rinse.
STEP ONE: CHOP YOUR VEGGIES.
Do it all at once, just chop and get them prepped to be dumped!
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT MINESTRONE
- Turn your instant pot to saute mode (if on the stove top turn to med-high heat). Add your olive oil.
- saute your onions and garlic for a couple of minutes
- add your celery, zucchini and green beans.
Saute these veggies until the onions are translucent and soft.
- add in your broth
add the remaining veggies, seasonings and canned tomatoes.
Then add 1 cup uncooked noodles.
HOW LONG DO I COOK MINESTRONE IN INSTANT POT
Turn off saute mode and place lid on sealed. Pressure cook, high, for 2 minutes. Then quick release when done.
HOW LONG DO I COOK MINESTRONE ON THE STOVE TOP?
If you are cooking on the stove top bring your soup to a boil, place the lid on and turn down to low. You will want to simmer it for about 20 minutes.
WHAT TOPPINGS CAN I ADD?
Minestone is wonderful with a little fresh parmesan on top! You can also top with crunchy croutons or serve with a side of buttery bread!
CAN I ADD MEAT TO MY MINESTRONE?
OF COURSE! If you want to add a little meat to your minestone I recommend cooking 1lb of lean ground beef or 1 lb lean ground turkey with your onions at the beginning. Then continue to add remaining ingredients as instructed.
HOW DO I STORE LEFTOVERS?
Store your minestone in the refrigerator in an air tight container. It will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. When reheating, only reheat the portion that will be eaten.
CAN I FREEZE SOUP?
Yes! I love to freeze it in portions. A good way to do this is to freeze in plastic cups. Once frozen cut off the cup and place all the soups into one large bag. When ready to eat you can pop it in a bowl right into the microwave or the stove top.
WANT SOME OTHER SOUP RECIPES?
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Cozy Italian vegetable goodness for soup season.
- 3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 1 c minced white onion about 1 sm onion
- 2 zucchini chopped
- 1 c frozen Italian cut green beans
- 1/4 c celery minced (about 1/2 stalk)
- 4 tsp minced garlic about 4 cloves
- 4 c vegetable broth (32 oz)
- 1 15 oz cans red kidney beans, drained
- 1 15oz cans small white beans, drained
- 1 14oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 c carrots chopped
- 2 Tbs fresh parsley minced
- 1 1/2 tsp oregano – dried
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper – ground black
- 1/2 tsp basil – dried
- 1/4 tsp thyme – dried
- 3 c hot water
- 2-4 c fresh baby spinach
- 1 c small shell pasta uncooked
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Turn the instant pot to saute mode. Sauté onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in oil for 5 min or until onion begins to turn translucent
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Add vegetable broth to pot. Add canned tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices. Add spinach leaves and pasta. Cook for 2 minutes on high pressure. Quick release when done.
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Heat olive oil over med heat in large soup pot
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Sauté onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in oil for 5 min or until onion begins to turn translucent
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Add vegetable broth to pot
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Add canned tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices
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Bring soup to boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer 20 min
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Add spinach leaves and pasta—simmer 20 min (or until tender and done)
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*please, pretty please, top with croutons
Word to the wiz–kids:
1. dried herbs are about 3x more potent than fresh. If using dry parsley go with 2 tsp instead of 2 Tbs—since 3 tsp equals 1 Tbs (my sister put in 2 Tbs of dried parsley and that made for some potent parsley vegetable soup!)
2. don’t accidentally throw in 3x the salt, then rectify the situation with 3x the noodles w/o adding additional liquid (that made for some thick oodley noodley leftovers—nope nope nope)
3. vegetable broth does not equal chicken broth, nor vice–versa (ever. no never.)
4. if you gage the quality of your recipe by how things fair as leftovers, here’s the cream of the crop (not sure I’m a huge fan of cream and crop together in a saying now that I think of it… ew). this recipe makes an over abundance of blessed deliciousness—freeze some of that baby for up to 6 months! (my friend froze hers in mason jars and pulled them out for lunches and it continued to be delish and it made all the other teachers in the teacher’s lounge super jelly… I’m assuming the last bit of that story because I aint no dummy, but the first two bits were fully factual)
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Geri, You are a doll and I loved reading every last bit of this post! Your humor is amazing and I know this minestrone just as amazing as you! Thanks for sharing!!