Minestrone Soup – Instant Pot

Here’s an easy recipe for soup, made in the instant pot. I am NOT an instant pot expert. As a matter of fact, this is the first item I made in mine, but someone asked for the recipe, and I figured this was the easiest way to make that happen.

This is made for a six quart pot, FYI.

Ingredients:

• Carrots, 1-2, chopped
• Yellow onion, 1, chopped
• Celery stalks, 1-2, chopped
• Garlic, two cloves, chopped
• Yukon Gold potatoes, 1-2 small size, coarsely chopped
• Cabbage, green, ½ large head or 1 small head, sliced/shredded
• Cauliflower, ½ large or one small head, cut into florets, not too small
• 15 ounce can of chopped tomatoes, NOT drained.
• Kale, one bunch, sliced into strips (sub with spinach if you prefer, it will just be more wilted.)
• Beans, one can. I like cannellini or garbanzo, but choose any that you prefer. Rinsed and drained.
• Corn, fresh if you’ve got it, sliced off the ears. Or a can of whole kernels, drained.
• Small pasta shape, about 8 ounces.
• Water
• Salt, pepper, or my favorite seasoning, Seasonello.

Directions:

1. Turn the instant pot on, use Sauté button.
2. Once that heats up add about 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Let that heat for a moment.
3. Add the onions, celery and carrots to the oil, and cook for a few minutes until they start to get a bit of color. Add the potatoes, let them get a hint of color.
4. Add the garlic and stir around until you smell the garlic hit the heat. Yummm.
5. Add the cauliflower, cabbage, and can of tomatoes to the pot, stir gently.
6. Add salt, pepper, any seasonings you would like. A bit of thyme works nicely, as do various seasoning blends. That’s up to your tastes.
7. Add the beans, corn, and enough water to cover the vegetables. Make sure to keep under the “max level” line on your instant pot.
8. Put the lid on the pot, close the valve to “sealing” and touch the “soup” button on the instant pot. Set for 30 minutes.
9. After the soup cycle is over, do the quick release. For me, this went on for more than 30 minutes. Yes, the quick release took that long. Be patient.
10. Once the release is finished and you can open your pot, remove the lid, away from you, and put in the kale and pasta, if you’re using pasta. Stir that around; make sure the kale is submersed. Add more water if you think you need it.
11. Close the lid. Let that sit for 20 minutes.
12. Lift the lid, taste for seasonings, and enjoy!