Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is the perfect way to use summer vegetables. Tomatoes, zucchini, carrots and white beans pair beautifully with basil in the pesto. This soup is full of flavour and hearty enough to eat as a main course.
Turn on the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion until starting to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional 30 seconds, until fragrant. Turn off the Sauté function.
Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, celery, carrots, zucchini, pesto, tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Do not stir. Then add the macaroni noodles and press them under the broth until just submerged. Again, do not stir.
Close the lid, set the vent to sealing and pressure cook on Manual High pressure for 3 minutes. It will take about 25 minutes to come to pressure.
At the end of cooking time, do a controlled quick release of the pressure and stir to evenly distribute the ingredients. Add salt to taste (I added about a teaspoon) and serve immediately topped with parmesan or chopped fresh basil, if desired. Store any leftovers in a sealed container the refrigerator and eat within 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Inactive time indicates time for Instant Pot to come to pressure and release pressure after cooking time.
You must use cooked beans in this recipe.
Make it vegan by using a vegan pesto and avoiding the parmesan garnish.
Make it gluten free by using gluten-free noodles.
Add salt to taste after cooking. Depending on the broth and pesto you use, it may be salty enough without added salt.
This recipe was tested in the 6-quart Instant Pot model.