Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

So cozy, so hearty! Loaded with vegetables, beans, pasta + Parmesan rind for extra flavor. Vegetarian-friendly!

With so many soups and stews being made, my Instant Pot has been working some major overtime this winter. We call it our magic pot. And now our lovely magic pot can make the best minestrone soup there ever was with the touch of a button.

WHY I LOVE THIS RECIPE

• One pot meal. This is one of those weeknight hero recipes where you can throw all of your veggies, beans, stock, pasta and greens into one single pot for a quick and easy clean up.
• Versatile. The recipe can easily be bulked up to add meat or made vegetarian (or vegan).
• Freezer-friendly. Minestrone soup freezes very, very well (sans pasta, of course) without significant changes to flavor and texture.

IS THIS MINESTRONE SOUP OR VEGETABLE SOUP?

Both minestrone and vegetable soup include veggies, but minestrone is typically a thicker soup that includes beans and pasta (or rice).

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS

• Use short cut pasta. Ditalini, macaroni or a small shape pasta similar in size to the vegetables is ideal.
• Add more vegetables. Minestrone can serve as a clean-out-the-fridge meal, adding in other veggies you have on hand such as shredded cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes and green beans.
• Choose your meat. As written, this recipe does not contain meat but you can easily add ground beef, shredded chicken or crumbled Italian sausage.
• Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
• Save leftover Parmesan rinds. Get more out of those expensive Parmesan cheeses by using up the leftover rinds! Adding a Parmesan rind slightly thickens the stock and adds a level of nutty richness to the soup.
• Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!