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Big bowl of minestrone soup with fresh basil on top.

Instant Pot Copycat Olive Garden Minestrone Soup

5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 6
Calories 99 kcal

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker or Large Pot

Ingredients
  

Broth

  • 2 28 ounce Cans Roasted Diced Tomatoes
  • 2 Cups Chicken Broth
  • 2 Cups Water

Vegetables & Beans

  • 4 Cups Chopped Green Beans You can use fresh or frozen!
  • 2 Cups Carrots - Chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 2 Cups Celery - Chopped into bite sized pieces
  • 1 Sweet Onion - Diced
  • 1 15 ounces Red Kidney Beans, rinsed & drained. I used the brand Eden.
  • 1 15 ounces Great Northern Beans, rinsed & drained. You can substitute with Cannellini beans!

Spices

  • ½ Cup Fresh Parsley
  • 3-4 Cloves of Garlic - Minced You can substitute with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
  • 1+ ½ Teaspoons Salt
  • ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • 1 Bay Leaf

Instructions
 

Sautéing the Onions & Garlic

  • Start by turning your pot to a medium/high heat. (Sauté setting on pressure cooker.) Add about a tablespoon of coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil.
  • Once the pot has warmed up, add your diced onions. Stir continuously until they start to turn translucent. Then add your minced garlic, and stir for another minute. (If you're using garlic powder, skip this step.)

Adding the Vegetables, Herbs & Spices

  • Next, add in your chopped carrots and celery. Continuing stirring for a couple minutes, then add in your salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and parsley. (If you're using garlic powder, add it in now too!)
  • Stir until the flavors become fragrant - about a minute or two. If you're using a pressure cooker, turn the sauté setting off while you add the broth and vegetables. If you're using a pot on the stovetop, turn your heat to medium/low while you're adding the broth and vegetables.

Broth & Vegetables

  • Next, pour in the chicken broth, water, and roasted tomatoes. Stir well, make sure the garlic and onions are not stuck to the bottom of the pot. (Especially if you're using a pressure cooker!
  • Then add in the rinsed and drained red kidney beans, great northern beans, and any other vegetables you decide to add in. Stir well.

Cooking in Pressure Cooker or Stovetop

  • Last, place the bay leaf on top! If you're using the pressure cooker, set to high for 15 minutes. (If you overcook the vegetables and beans will get mushy.) If you're cooking the soup on the stovetop, place the cover on top and turn up to medium/high heat until it begins to boil. Once it's boiling, turn to medium/low and let simmer for about 45-60 minutes.
  • It's ready to serve when the vegetables are tender!
  • If you used the pressure cooker, make sure to release the pressure before removing the lid.

Serving Minestrone Soup

  • Serve as is, or with some gluten-free pasta! I like adding the pasta in as I serve the soup. If you store the pasta in the soup, it will get mushy. (Especially gluten-free pasta.) You can also top with fresh chopped parsley, basil, or a little grated cheese! Enjoy!

Notes

Vegetable Swaps & Add-In's - 
  1. Zucchini - Zucchini is one of those amazing vegetables that goes well in almost every soup recipe. I would peel, and cut into quarter size pieces.
  2. Spinach or Kale - Want more greens? Either option would be great in this recipe! I personally love using spinach, but I would recommend stirring it in at the end - it doesn't take long to cook! Kale takes a bit longer, so add it into the pressure cooker with the rest of the vegetables, or halfway through on the stovetop.
  3. Potatoes - If you're not planning on adding in pasta at the end, small peeled, cubed potatoes are delicious in Minestrone! (Also great if you want to skip the beans!) Potatoes add a little more bulk to the soup.
  4. Yellow Squash - I love yellow squash, especially for more of a summer version of this recipe!! Peel, and chop into quarter size pieces.
  5. Green Peas - In my Instant Pot Minestrone recipe, I use green peas! They're delicious, but totally optional.
 
Storing & Reheating Leftover Minestrone -
You can freeze leftover soup in a freezer safe glass container. Make sure it’s cooled to room temperature before placing it in the freezer. You can also store leftovers for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
I use Ello containers because they’re freezer & microwave safe. To reheat soup, transfer it into a small saucepan on medium heat until it’s to your desired temperature. (You can also use a microwave!)
Remember to store pasta separately, or else it will get soggy. Add to soup when serving.
**See full post for more information and step by step photos!

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 99kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 5gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 946mgPotassium: 724mgFiber: 7gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 8800IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 3mg
Keywords instant pot minestrone soup, olive garden minestrone soup, stovetop minestrone soup, vegetarian minestrone soup
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