Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup Recipe (Instant Pot directions too!) (2024)

Table of Contents

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup Helpful Cooking Tips Freezer Directions Minestrone Soup Variations: More Soup Recipes You Will Love Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup Recipe Ingredients Instructions Nutrition Did You Make This Recipe? Categories: FAQs References

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This is by far the BEST Slow Cooker Minestrone soup – a classic, hearty Italian soup with tomatoes, white beans, vegetables and pasta.

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

This soup recipe is SO easy to make in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot (directions provided for both). If you don’t like buying extra appliances, no worries you can check out my stove top minestrone soup recipe. One thing I love about this soup, I puree the beans which thickens which is also great for picky eaters. Adding the rind from a wedge of parmesan or Romano cheese is my tip for adding extra flavor! I always stash them in my freezer just for soups, if you don’t have one toss some grated cheese into the soup while it’s cooking.

Helpful Cooking Tips

To keep the pasta al dente, I cook the pasta separate and add it to each bowl when I serve it, rather than throwing it in the soup which winds up soaking up all the broth. It’s totally your call, you can also just add the pasta to the soup at the end.

Freezer Directions

You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Let it cool then transfer to freezer-safe containers.

Minestrone Soup Variations:

Swap the spinach for Swiss chard or baby kale.
To keep this low-carb, omit the pasta, you honestly won’t miss it with everything else in this soup.
Add some mini turkey meatballs, or even some sauteed crumbled turkey sausage.

More Soup Recipes You Will Love

Turkey Chili Taco Soup
Chicken Enchilada Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Turkey Meatball Vegetable Soup

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup Recipe

4.94 from 101 votes

Cals:190

Protein:9

Carbs:32

Fat:3

Ingredients

▢ 1 15 ounce can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy)
▢ 32 oz container reduced sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth for vegetarians
▢ 2 tsp olive oil
▢ 1/2 cup chopped onion
▢ 1 cup diced carrots
▢ 1/2 cup diced celery
▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
▢ 1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
▢ Parmesan cheese rind, optional
▢ 1 fresh rosemary sprig
▢ 2 bay leaves
▢ 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
▢ 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
▢ 1/2 tsp kosher salt and fresh black pepper
▢ 1 medium zucchini, 8 oz each, diced
▢ 2 cups chopped fresh, or frozen defrosted spinach
▢ 2 cups cooked small pasta such as ditalini, al dente (or GF pasta)
▢ extra parmesan cheese for garnish, optional

Instructions

Slow Cooker Version:

Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and saute until tender and fragrant, about 15 minutes.
Transfer to the crock pot along with the remaining broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, bay leaves, basil and parsley, cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Forty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle 1-1/4 cups soup into 8 bowls with 1/4 cup pasta in each and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired.

Stove Top Directions:

Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and saute until tender and fragrant, about 15 minutes.
Add the remaining broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, bay leaves, basil and parsley, cover and cook on low 40 minutes. Add the zucchini and spinach, cover and simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle 1-1/4 cups soup into 8 bowls with 1/4 cup pasta in each and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired.

Instant Pot Directions:

Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender. Press saute in the Instant Pot and heat oil. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and saute until tender and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
Add the remaining broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Add the rosemary, bay leaves, basil and parsley, cover and cook high pressure 20 minutes.
Quick release, add the pasta, zucchini and spinach and cook high pressure 4 minutes. Quick release so the pasta doesn't overcook.
Remove the bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle 1-1/2 cups soup into 8 bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 1/2 cups, Calories: 190 kcal, Carbohydrates: 32 g, Protein: 9 g, Fat: 3 g, Sodium: 483 mg, Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 4 g

Did You Make This Recipe?

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FAQs

How long to leave soup in Instant Pot? ›

Instant pot vegetable soup FAQs

You'll set the timer in the instant pot for just 2 minutes! However, the soup isn't actually cooking for just 2 minutes. The pot takes about 15 minutes to come to pressure. In that time, the veggies soften and the soup cooks!

What line do you fill Instant Pot soup? ›

Also, an overly-full Instant Pot can lead to a clogged pressure release knob, because food and liquid can get sucked up inside. To stay on the safe side, don't fill your pot over that two-thirds line, and stay below half full for foods that expand while cooking, such as beans and lentils.

See Details ›

Do I seal the Instant Pot when slow cooking? ›

The Instant Pot's standard lid is designed to tightly seal and keep moisture in, which is great if you're pressure cooking pork shoulder — but less so if you're trying to slow cook fruit butter. Before you use your Instant Pot as a slow cooker, find a replacement lid.

Read The Full Story ›

Can an Instant Pot do the same thing as a slow cooker? ›

✔️ You can use an Instant Pot as a slow cooker.

Yes, an Instant Pot can replace a slow cooker, but the results may be a little different. "The difference primarily lies in the shape of the cooking bowl. Slow cookers are often longer and wider and offer more surface area for larger roasts.

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How long does an Instant Pot take to preheat for slow cooking? ›

It shouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes to heat up.

If after 20 minutes your Instant Pot is still heating, rather than counting down the cooking time, it is likely struggling to reach temperature. To override this, you can take the lid off your pressure cooker, press saute, and saute for 2-4 minutes.

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Should the steam valve be open or closed on Instant Pot? ›

In order for pressure to build in the Instant Pot — a necessary requirement for pressure cooking — the steam release knob must be turned to the sealed position. This traps the steam pressure in the cooker, which builds over time, eventually pressure cooking the ingredients.

Find Out More ›