Cooking Lesson #406: Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Joan’s Healthy Recipes

​How you doin’? If you watched the Rose Parade on TV this year then you know that SoCal has been much colder than usual making it soup time. Soups are the perfect warming foods… from your tummy to the cockles of your heart. This is a traditional Italian soup recipe full of healthful, nourishing ingredients including lots of vegetables, beans and tomatoes. It’s a meal you will want to cozy up with not only when it’s chilly outside, but any time of year.
 
Minestrone has a rich history that dates back hundreds of years. Its popularity began to take off in the 2nd century BC when Rome conquered different regions of Italy. During this time of geographic growth, a wide variety of new vegetables were introduced.
 
Minestrone varies by season and by region: In the northern region of Lombardy, minestrone might include pasta and winter squash; farther south, in Tuscany, cannellini beans and cabbage or kale; in the coastal city of Genoa in the northwestern region of Liguria, it could be finished with pesto (my favorite). Joan’s Instant Pot Minestrone Soup as written is one of the very best Instant Pot soup recipes. It's full-flavored, easy to make, and healthy, too!
 
Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  4 minutes
Pressure release time:  30 minutes
Yield:  8 servings
Calories:  only 285 calories per serving

Ingredients 
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 cups chopped Yukon gold potatoes 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 28-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes, drained
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, cannellini beans or Great Northern beans (rinsed and drained)
3/4 cup dry short pasta (small shells or elbow pasta), cooked separately
1/2 cup chopped green beans
 
For Finishing (optional, for serving)
A splash of lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (skip if keeping vegetarian)
 
Directions

1. Set a 6-quart Instant Pot to SAUTÉ and heat the olive oil until shimmering.
2. When the oil is hot, add the chopped onions, carrots and celery. Sauté, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 7 minutes.
3. Add the minced garlic, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt and pepper; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Press CANCEL to turn off the sauté function.
4. Sprinkle with the flour and coat the sauteed vegetables, herbs and spices.
5. Pour in the broth and stir, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
6. Add the potatoes, beans (not green beans), tomato paste, and fire roasted crushed tomatoes. Stir.
7. Close the Instant Pot lid and seal the pressure release valve. Set the pressure cook time to 4 MINUTES at HIGH PRESSURE. The Instant Pot will take about 20 to 25 minutes to reach temperature and pressure.
8. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot on the stove, according to the package directions for al dente. Rinse and drain the cooked pasta.
9. When the cook time on the Instant Pot ends, allow the pressure to RELEASE NATURALLY for 5 MINUTES.
10. Then QUICK RELEASE the remaining pressure by carefully and slowly turning the valve to the venting position.
11. Stir the green beans and cooked pasta into the soup.
12. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
13. If desired, serve the soup with lemon juice and/or a small pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste.
14. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
15. Serve hot.

ChefSecret:  Joan’s Healthy Recipe Minestrone is merely a suggestion of ingredients that can be used. You can vary the vegetables in this soup depending on what you have in the refrigerator and your personal taste.

• Vegetables with longer cook times, like sweet potatoes and butternut squash, should be added to the soup when sautéing. The pressure cook time will stay the same.
• Peas, zucchini or yellow squash would be added after pressure cooking, but before adding the cooked pasta and beans. Simmer the soup using the sauté function until the vegetables are tender.
• Chopped fresh spinach or kale can be stirred into the cooked soup without further cooking.

Quip of the Day: “I saw this guy on the scale in the gym the other day sucking in his stomach. I said, ‘that’s not going to do any good to lower the weight.’ ‘Sure it is,’ he replied, ‘that’s the only way I can see the dial on the scale.’”
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. In this New Year, seek out the good in people and avoid conflict. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America.

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