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

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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

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FAQs

How long does it take to cook in Instant Pot vs crockpot? ›

Generally, if your slow cooker meat, soup, or stew recipe calls for 8 hours on the low setting or about 4 hours on the high setting, it should be fully cooked in about 25 to 30 minutes in the Instant Pot. For chicken or turkey, use the 15-minute poultry button. While volume doesn't matter, density does.

What is the soup setting on an Instant Pot? ›

Instant Pot SOUP Setting (SOUP/BROTH BUTTON) The default Instant Pot soup setting is pre-programmed to set the pot to cook at HIGH pressure for 30 minutes. The soup program brings the contents of the pot to a slow simmer and results in a clear broth due to lack of boiling motion.

Do you close vent on Ninja when slow cooking? ›

Leave the pressure release valve in the VENT position for Steam, Slow Cook, and Sear/Sauté. Why is the time counting down so slowly? You may have set hours rather than minutes. When setting time, the display will show HH:MM and the time will increase/decrease in minute increments.

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