This quick and easy hearty Italian Minestrone Soup with Kale comes together in less than 30 minutes, and can be made in the Instant Pot, or on the stovetop! Loaded with cannellini and kidney beans, chopped fresh kale, zucchini, carrots and tomatoes- this richly flavored vegetarian Minestrone soup goes great with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and a hunk of crusty bread. Mangia!

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Easy and delicious Italian Minestrone Soup- ready in 30 minutes!

A hearty vegetarian meal that's ready in less than 30 minutes- this Instant Pot Minestrone Soup with Kale is a healthy weeknight hero. This soup is loaded with fresh veggies and fiber-rich kale and beans, and can be made vegan by using vegan pesto, and omitting the parmesan cheese topping, or replacing it with a vegan parmesan, such as this one from Love and Lemons.

This vegetarian minestrone soup is so richly flavored and comforting, and is a huge favorite among friends and family. And how can you beat a soup that from prep to plate is ready in UNDER 30 MINUTES?!

Italian Minestrone Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop!)

Prepping the ingredients

This quick minestrone soup comes together very quickly, and it helps to have all of your ingredients prepped and read to go. You could even do this the night before, so it's all waiting for you when you get home from work.

I like to chop up all of my veggies in advance, so they are ready to add to the pot quickly. The carrots, celery and onion will go in first, followed by the garlic, then the zucchini or squash, and last but not least- the kale. So if doing the prep work in advance, separate the veggies accordingly.

To make the soup, you will need:

Olive oil.
2 ribs of celery with leaves, finely chopped. The leaves are packed with flavor!
A small onion.
3 medium carrots. You can dice them or slice them.
Dried oregano, dried basil, dried thyme, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and bay leaves.
Garlic.
Tomato paste.
White wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. No sweet wines.
Diced zucchini or yellow squash.
A can fire roasted diced tomatoes.
Vegetable broth.
Prepared pesto (homemade or jarred).
Chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving.
A can of cannellini beans and a can of kidney beans.
Mini shell pasta, or ditalini pasta.
Chopped kale, tough stems removed.
Apple cider vinegar.

Cooking the Italian Minestrone Soup

Once all your ingredients are prepped and ready to go, you'll start by setting the Instant Pot to sauté, and briefly sweating the celery, onion and carrots until the onions are translucent.

Building the flavor in the quick minestrone soup

Sautéing the vegetables first helps to give them a nice texture, and bring out their flavor. And to build the flavor even more, once the veggies are softened, the next step is cooking out the spices, tomato paste and garlic briefly to intensify their flavors. This soup cooks FAST- so building flavor is key.

Final steps for great Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Once you've briefly cooked the spiced, tomato paste and garlic with the veggies, it's time to deglaze the pan with some white wine. If you're not a fan of cooking with wine, you could skip it- but I highly recommend adding the wine. It give the soup great depth of flavor.

Once the wine cooks a few minutes and absorbs into the veggies, you'll add; a couple bay leaves, fire roasted diced tomatoes, pesto, beans, pasta and zucchini or squash.

Set the Instant Pot to High Pressure, then do a quick release. Set it back to sauté, and cook the kale for about 5-7 minutes, and that's it!

Making the soup on the stovetop

For the stovetop version, you'll follow almost all the steps, identically, with the exception of the high pressure simmer. The stovetop version takes about 15 minutes.

Serving suggestions for the Italian Minestrone Soup

I love to serve this soup piping hot, with plenty of grated parmesan cheese and a bit of chopped parsley. Serve it with a hunk of crusty bread for a hearty, vegetarian (or vegan!) meal, or as a first course!

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If you make my Vegetarian Italian Minestrone Soup, please be sure to leave me a comment! I would love to hear from you, and value your feedback! Lastly, if you make the recipe and love it, please tag me on Instagram! I love to see your photos!

Looking for more great recipes?

Why not try my Instant Pot Tuscan Sausage, Farro and White Bean Soup, Slow Cooker Mexican Pozole, Shrimp Corn Chowder, or Shrimp Gumbo with Chicken and Andouille!

Print Recipe

Italian Minestrone Soup (Instant Pot or Stovetop!)

Prep Time10

Cook Time18

Total Time28

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, lunch

Keyword: Instant pot, minestrone, soup

Servings: 8

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 ribs of celery with leaves, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
3 medium carrots, sliced thinly
2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried Basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
1 cup diced zucchini or yellow squash
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
32 oz vegetable broth
1 tablespoon prepared pesto (homemade or jarred)
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for serving
2 bay leaves
2 cups water
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup mini shell pasta, or ditalini
1 bunch chopped kale, tough stems removed
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
grated parmesan, for serving

Instructions

Instant Pot:
Turn Instant Pot on sauté and add olive oil.
2. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots with salt and pepper to taste for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent.
3. Add the spices, garlic and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the wine and cook 1-2 minutes until mostly evaporated.
5. Turn off the instant pot.
6. Add the zucchini or squash, diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, parsley, pesto, water, pasta and beans. Stir well.
7. Close lid and set vent to sealed position.
8. Set to pressure cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.
9. After the 6 minutes, carefully do a quick pressure release using a kitchen towel to turn the valve to venting position.
10. Once pressure is released, open pot and remove the bay leaves.
11. Set to sauté, and add kale and apple cider vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook 5-7 minutes. Stirring occasionally until kale is cooked through.
12. Serve hot with grated parmesan cheese.
Stovetop:
1. Heat olive oil over medium in large stock pot or enameled dutch oven.  
2. Sauté the onion, celery, and carrots with salt and pepper to taste for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are translucent. 
3. Add the spices, garlic and tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. 
4. Add the wine and cook 1-2 minutes, until mostly evaporated. 
5. Add the zucchini (or squash), diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, parsley, pesto, water, kale pasta and beans. Stir well. If using a parmesan rind, add this now.
6. Bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover soup with lid and simmer 15 minutes, until pasta is cooked and zucchini is fork tender.
7. Remove parmesan rind and bay leaves before serving. Serve hot with grated parmesan cheese.

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