Could I add use pasta in this instead of bulgur?

If you want this to be more traditional with pasta, yes! The instructions should stay mostly the same, but instead of just closing the lid to let it cook, seal and cook it on high pressure for just 3 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook the pasta separately on the stove, and then spoon the soup over the pasta in bowls, which will keep the pasta from getting mushy!

Can I freeze this recipe?

Unfortunately not, as the soup overall will get too mushy!

What other veggies could I add to this?

Just about anything! A traditional minestrone soup might have green beans, zucchini, spinach, squash, etc. It's pretty forgiving, so add whatever makes your heart sing!

Can I add meat to this?

Yes! Ground Italian sausage or ground turkey would both be lovely here. Just cook and crumble it before adding it to the Instant Pot to cook with everything else. If you prefer chicken, you could add chicken breasts in with everything else and shred before adding the bulgur.

How can I make this vegan?

Use a vegan pesto like this one and skip the parm!

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup Recipe

Name: Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 4-5 carrots, chopped; 4-5 celery stalks, chopped; half an onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; half of a head of green cabbage, thinly sliced; 1/4 cup DeLallo pesto; 1 24-ounce jar of DeLallo marinara sauce; 1 14-ounce can cannellini or navy beans; 3 cups water; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 bay leaves; 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (optional – see notes); 1 cup uncooked bulgur; chopped fresh parsley; Parmesan for topping

Description

Instant Pot Minestrone! With tons of veggies, beans, pesto, tomato sauce, parsley, topped with Parmesan, served with bread. Veg-friendly, nutritious, easily made vegan.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Instant Pot Minestrone:

4–5 carrots, chopped
4–5 celery stalks, chopped
half an onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
half of a head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 cup DeLallo pesto
1 24–ounce jar of DeLallo marinara sauce
1 14–ounce can cannellini or navy beans
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (optional – see notes)

To add at the end:

1 cup uncooked bulgur
chopped fresh parsley
Parmesan for topping

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Instructions

Part One: Place everything in the first list inside an Instant Pot / pressure cooker. Turn on the soup setting (30 minutes). Go put your feet up!
Part Two: Use the quick release to let the steam out (hang on, it takes a few minutes). Pull out the bay leaves. Add the bulgur, replace cover, and let it all sit together to cook the bulgur for a while (about 20 minutes). Add more water as needed.
Serve like a boss: Serve with Parmesan and fresh parsley. I’d also like to mention that the leftovers are mighty delicious.

Notes

In a slow cooker: Place all ingredients except bulgur in a slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on low heat. Mix bulgur in at the end and let it rest for 30 minutes or so (doing this near the end helps it stay chewy rather than turning to mush).

On the stovetop: Saute the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and pesto until the vegetables are soft. Add the beans, spices, liquids, and cabbage and simmer for an hour or so. Add bulgur at the end until cooked. Longer simmer = better flavor.

Smoked paprika adds a smoky depth to the flavor of this soup that can also be achieved with bacon! If you prefer, just mince a few pieces of bacon and add to the mix instead. It’s YUMMY, but the downside is that it makes the soup a little more greasy, which is why this version is written with the smoked paprika instead.

Traditional minestrone would use pasta (and that works fine here if you want to make that sub). I used bulgur here because I liked the nutrition and chewiness of it as compared to the pasta!

If you don’t have a jar of pasta sauce or marinara sauce, you CAN use a can of diced tomatoes, but I would recommend adding more seasoning to compensate for what you’re missing with the pasta sauce or marinara.

We tried freezing this recipe and would not recommend it as it gets too mushy when reheated.

If you need this recipe to be vegan, you’ll need to buy vegan pesto or make it yourself. This one might be nice!

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: instant pot minestrone, minestrone soup, instant pot soup