This soup is inspired by the lovely minestrone soup that we often had at Olive Garden! Over the years this has become a regular especially on my long endoscopy days. Since I can just add all the ingredients to my Instant Pot (IP) and come back to a lovely dinner. And left overs work well for lunch as well! Om likes to call it "Pasta Soup".
Typically one makes the soup and boil pasta separately and add the cooked pasta to the soup. But of course for me it is all about using less dishes and reducing the time and effort in cooking! Haha. So mine would be a one pot recipe.
The main soup itself is vegan. But you can choose to add cheese on top (kids love that) as well for a vegetarian version.
You will need:
Oil:
1 tbsp olive/canola/vegetable oil
Veggies:
1 shallot chopped (or onion)
1 garlic pod minced
1 cup mushrooms sliced
1 zucchini diced
1/4 red pepper chopped
1/4 green pepper chopped
1/4 yellow pepper chopped
1/4 orange pepper chopped
1 carrot sliced
You could use olives, squash, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnip, celery as well!
Seasonings:
onion powder
garlic powder
red chilli flakes
rosemary
thyme
oregano
black pepper
salt
Fresh herbs (optional):
thyme (from my Gardyn)
basil (from my Gardyn)
Protein:
15oz can red kidney beans (or butter/cannellini/navy beans)
Soup base:
15oz can diced tomatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
Pasta:
1 cup shell pasta (you could use any other type as well)
Toppings (optional):
greens (I used spinach, green mustard, kale from my Gardyn)
nutritional yeast
cheese (vegetarian parmesan/shredded mozzarella/shredded cheddar)
Method:
Heat oil in IP in saute mode. Add the veggies and saute them for a bit. Add in the seasonings, beans and soup base. Mix pasta into this. Add the fresh herbs and mix well. Close the lid of IP and set the valve to sealed position. Cook at manual high pressure for 3 minutes. Wait for natural pressure release for 10 minutes and then do a quick manual pressure release. Mix in the greens and nutritional yeast. Serve hot!
ENJOY!
TIP:
- you could add shredded cheese on top prior to serving as well
- if you plan to keep this in morning and do not plan to be around to do manual pressure release after 10 minutes, that is fine too. Pasta shells might just be overdone. But if you are short of time, it is still a great option!