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–+ servings
CLASSIC Italian Minestrone Soup INSTANT POT
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5 from 38 reviews

Classic Italian Minestrone Soup

This is simply the most authentic, classic recipe for Italian Minestrone that you'll find anywhere. It's so easy to prepare and chock-full of delicious beans and a secret ingredient that takes this soup over the top!
Servings: 8 servings
Author: Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina

Ingredients

  • ½ cup olive oil plus ½ stick 4 oz. high-quality butter (which Northern Italians cook with alongside olive oil for a more rich, deeper flavor)
  • 4 - 5 large cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 onion preferably sweet, such as Vidalia, diced
  • 4 - 8 oz. diced pancetta] I use 8 oz. {If vegetarian, do not include [pancetta}
  • 3 carrots cleaned and diced/sliced pancetta
  • 2 stalks celery plus its flavor-filled leaves cleaned and diced/sliced
  • 1 cup fresh green beans cut up into ½" pieces
  • 2 cans 14.5 oz imported Italian diced tomatoes (San Marzano
  • OR better yet use the same amount of garden-fresh, home-grown tomatoes, if you have some on hand
  • 2 Idaho potatoes cut into chunks about ¼" thick
  • 1 zucchini diced with skin left on
  • 1-½ cups fresh spinach or swiss chard chopped
  • 1 cups fresh cabbage chopped
  • 1 can cannellini beans drained and rinsed well
  • 1 can dark red kidney beans drained and rinsed well
  • 1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed well
  • 4 - 6 cups water or homemade vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 'bunch' of Italian parsley stems removed and chopped (makes about 1 cup)
  • 1 big chunk of parmesan rind
  • 1 Tbsp. freshly-diced sage
  • freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup tubular ditalini pasta
  • Optional - 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

  • Follow the step-by-step photo instructions provided on the blog post while you read these directions.
  • Turn on the Instant Pot to ‘sauté’.
  • Pour the extra virgin olive oil and butter into the pot (we like a richer flavor and most Northern Italians cook with butter combined with olive oil).
  • Add the chopped onions and minced garlic.
  • Add the carrots.
  • Add the celery.
  • Add the chopped pancetta.
  • Gently stir all of these ingredients and sauté for about 5 minutes.
  • Enjoy the wonderful aroma!
  • Then turn the Instant Pot on “Keep Warm” and turn heat setting to “Less”.
  • Add the chopped zucchini.
  • Add the green beans.
  • Add the potatoes.
  • Add the slivers of spinach.
  • Add the cabbage.
  • Add the tomatoes.
  • Add the parsley.
  • Add the cannellini, garbanzo and kidney beans.
  • Add a large chunk of Parmigiano cheese, then fill up the Instant Pot with chicken or vegetable broth, about 2 inches below the top.
  • Add the sage.
  • Place the lid on the Instant Pot, press the button ‘soup’ and let the pot do it’s thing for 30 minutes.  
  • Enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea . . . or a glass of wine while the soup cooks!
  • Carefully open the lid so that the steam releases ‘away’ from your face so that you don’t get burned.
  • Add the pasta into the hot soup and allow it to cook with the lid off until the pasta is ‘al dente’.
  • When serving, garnish with Italian parsley and pass freshly-grated Parmigiano cheese around for your guests to help themselves and top their bowls of this delicious soup.

Notes

If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it with others on Pinterest and Instagram! Thank you for sharing the love! 
https://www.italianbellavita.com/2025/09/classic-italian-minestrone-soup/