Imagine a hearty, nutritious soup that comes together in less than 40 minutes, packed with vibrant vegetables, creamy white beans, and delicate pasta - all created with the magic of your Instant Pot! This Italian-inspired White Minestrone is not just a meal, it's a quick culinary journey that transforms simple ingredients into a restaurant-worthy dish that will have your family begging for seconds.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 can (15 oz) white beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1/2 cup small pasta (like ditalini)
Instructions
- Prepare all vegetables by washing, peeling, and dicing onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and zucchini into uniform small pieces.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté mode and add a splash of olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic until fragrant and translucent, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Add diced carrots and celery to the pot, continuing to sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
- Pour in vegetable broth, then add drained white beans, diced zucchini, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir ingredients to combine thoroughly.
- Close Instant Pot lid, set valve to sealing position, and select Manual/Pressure Cook mode at high pressure for 8 minutes.
- Once cooking cycle completes, perform a quick release of pressure by carefully turning the valve.
- Open lid and stir in small pasta, then close lid and cook on high pressure for additional 3-4 minutes until pasta is al dente.
- Release pressure, open lid, and gently fold in fresh spinach, allowing it to wilt from the residual heat.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt and pepper.
- Serve hot, optionally garnishing with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.
Tips
- Uniform Chopping: Dice your vegetables into similar-sized pieces to ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the soup.
- Sauté Secrets: Take time to properly sauté onions and garlic to build a rich flavor base before adding other ingredients.
- Pasta Precision: Add pasta towards the end of cooking to prevent overcooking and maintain the perfect al dente texture.
- Spinach Strategy: Add fresh spinach at the very end and let it wilt naturally from the soup's residual heat to preserve its bright color and nutrients.
- Customization Option: Feel free to swap white beans with cannellini or great northern beans, and experiment with different small pasta shapes like orzo or small shells.
- Storage Tip: This soup keeps well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and often tastes even better the next day as flavors continue to meld.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 180kcal
Carbohydrates: 30g
Protein: 8g
Fat: 3g
Saturated Fat: g
Cholesterol: 0mg
