Instant Pot Italian Bean Soup

A comforting warm bowl of Italian soup filled to the brim with nutritious herbs, tomatoes, vegetables, greens, beans, and pasta.

‘Tis the season for soups. As the weather turns colder and more damp, soup is incredible at warming me up real quick. Years ago, I used to wake up earlier before heading to work just to prep soup in my slow cooker. That way, dinner was ready to go when I got home. Nowadays, I get to sleep in a little longer in the morning, knowing I can bring a soul-satisfying soup together in about 30 minutes. The electric pressure cooker is a marvel and I use mine all. the. time.

This Instant Pot Italian Bean Soup is the ultimate soup – it warms me up, is super nutritious, and tastes incredible. And yep, it’s made speedy quick in my Instant Pot. In other words, this soup is P E R F E C T.

Essentially, this Instant Pot Italian Bean Soup is my version of Pasta e Fagioli, a satisfying Italian Bean and Pasta Soup. Pasta e fagipoli literally means pasta and beans. This soup had humble beginnings as a peasant dish since it contains rather inexpensive ingredients. In addition to pasta and beans, this soup contains nutritious tomatoes, vegetables, greens, and herbs.

Let’s talk beans. If you don’t use canned beans, some advanced planning is required. This Instant Pot Italian Bean Soup uses 4-5 cups of cooked beans, which is equivalent to three cans. I prefer to soak two cups of a variety of dry beans overnight. I like using an heirloom bean blend from Costco that includes black beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white northern beans, navy beans, split peas, and lentils. But feel free to use any beans you have on hand.

When I soak my beans on Saturday night, I can cook them in my Instant Pot for six minutes on Sunday. Once the beans are cool, I transfer them to a covered storage container and keep them in the refrigerator. This way, the beans are ready to go when I want to make my soup during the week when things tend to be a bit more hectic.

If you haven’t soaked your own beans before, you may want to consider starting now. I like soaking and cooking my own beans for three primary reasons: 1) soaked beans are more easily digested and the nutrients more readily absorbed by our bodies, 2) they don’t contain any salt, and 3) they are much cheaper.

The next key component in this tasty Instant Pot Italian Bean Soup is pasta. You can use any pasta you want in this soup. I used casarecce pasta from Aldi because I had a bag in my pantry and it has a nice shape that holds up well in liquid. I specifically use ounces as a measurement in this recipe since pasta varies in size.

As a general rule, you will cook one-half of a one pound package, or eight ounces. If you want to add more or less or omit the pasta, you may want to reduce the vegetable broth. Also, if you’re following a gluten-free diet, simply ensure the pasta you choose to use is gluten-free and prepare according to your package’s directions.

Next up are tomatoes. I like using canned diced tomatoes and canned tomato sauce. This provides a chunky texture full of bits of tomato that I adore. Then, by combining some tomato sauce with Umami Vegetable Broth, a smooth tomato-flavored broth develops. It’s the perfect base in this Instant Pot Italian Bean Soup.

The fourth ingredient is a mixture of vegetables. In addition to a traditional mirepoix of onion, celery, and carrot, I like adding fresh zucchini, and bell pepper. Each of these vegetables add color, texture, nutrition, and flavor. All of these are important additions to any tasty soup, but really come together well in this Instant Pot Italian Bean Soup.

An Italian soup just wouldn’t be Italian without some flavor-enhancing herbs. I like using two blends – Herbs de Provence and Italian seasoning. Both contain different combinations of herbs. According to MasterClass, “Herbes de Provence is an aromatic mixture of dried Provençal herbs and spices, which traditionally includes thyme, basil, rosemary, tarragon, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf.”

On the other hand, an Italian seasoning blend contains a myriad of herbs that originated from Italy. The blend varies among spice brands and chefs, and is based on personal preference. Italian seasoning blends typically contain a combination of oregano, basil, marjoram, rosemary, and occasionally coriander, sage, and garlic powder.

As you can see the composition of these two blends are rather different and each contribute to the exquisite flavor composition in this soup. And these flavors are enhanced by adding two additional ingredients – vegetable broth and lemons. Both of these contain umami, a fifth taste component independent of the four traditional basic tastes — sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Umami is sometimes described as a meaty, broth-like, or savory taste. (IGIS).

For this reason, I like making my own Umami Vegetable Broth using kitchen scraps. It’s almost free, contains no artificial colorings, and no salt. You can read all about it here. And in case you haven’t made it yet, it uses the incredible Instant Pot, too.

Lemon zest and lemon juice add the final dimension of flavor and should be added near the end. I didn’t know this for a long time, but when lemon is added to a dish, it transforms the flavor profile to something a bit more complex and tantalizing in an instant. This soup uses both the lemon juice along with some lemon zest which naturally contains lemon oil. Both complement the bitterness, sweetness, piquance, and umami of a dish, boosting each to reach their full potential. (Seattle Times)

This soup is great accompanied by a slice of toast, crusty bread, a grilled cheese sandwich, or salad. My husband likes to sprinkle a little cheese on top. My favorite to use on this soup is Follow Your Heart vegan parmesan shreds.

I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot Italian Bean Soup as much as I do.  I’m just starting out and would love to see your results. Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!   Enjoy!!   

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Ingredients

• 2 cups mixed dry beans, soaked, cooked, and drained (3 cans)*
• 8 ounces dry pasta**
• 1 onion, chopped (1-2 cups)
• 3-4 carrots, sliced (1-2 cups)
• 3-4 celery, sliced (1-2 cups)
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped (1-2 cups)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp)
• 1-2 zucchini, chopped (2-3 cups)

• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp Herbes de Provence
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
• 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 4-5 cups vegetable broth***
• 3 cups kale, chopped
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
• salt to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with water, and set aside.

1. Meanwhile, use the sauté feature on the Instant Pot to sauté the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and peppers over low-medium heat, until tender-crisp, about 4-5 minutes.  Add a tablespoon of water or vegetable broth, if needed, to keep from sticking.

1. Add in the garlic, zucchini, and seasonings.  Stir to combine.
2. Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 2 cups of vegetable broth.  Stir to combine.
3. Press cancel. 
4. Lock the lid in place and ensure the sealing knob is turned to sealing.
5. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, then allow to release the pressure naturally.

1. Remove the lid, and stir in the chopped kale, cooked beans, cooked pasta, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Add 2-3 cups additional broth or to desired consistency.
2. Press the sauté function and continue to cook until heated through, about 5-10 minutes.
3. Adjust seasonings and liquid, as desired.

Notes

* I use a bean blend that includes black beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white northern beans, navy beans, split peas, and lentils.

** I used casarecce pasta because I like the shape and had some in my pantry, but you can use any pasta in this soup. If following a gluten-free diet, ensure the pasta used is gluten-free. 

*** I use my homemade Umami Vegetable Broth made from kitchen scraps and does not contain any artificial coloring or sodium. 

To cook this soup on the stove top, sauté the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and peppers over low-medium heat, until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic, zucchini, and seasonings, and sauté 2-3 minutes.  Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and vegetable broth.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes.  Add in the kale, beans, pasta, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Cook 5 more minutes.

Instant Pot Italian Bean Soup

Rachele (Pebbles and Toast)

A comforting warm bowl of soup filled to the brim with tomatoes, vegetables, greens, beans, and pasta.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Overnight soaking for beans (optional) 12 hours hrs

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian, Vegan

Servings 8

Equipment

• Pressure Cooker
• stove

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups mixed dry beans soaked, cooked, and drained (3 cans)*
• 8 ounces dry pasta**
• 1 onion chopped (1-2 cups)
• 3-4 carrots sliced (1-2 cups)
• 3-4 celery sliced (1-2 cups)
• 1 medium bell pepper chopped (1-2 cups)
• 3 garlic cloves minced (1 Tbsp)
• 1-2 zucchini chopped (2-3 cups)
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp Herbes de Provence
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
• 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 4-5 cups vegetable broth***
• 3 cups kale chopped
• juice and zest of one lemon
• 1 tsp garlic powder optional
• salt to taste optional

Instructions

 

• Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, rinse with water, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, use the sauté feature on the Instant Pot to sauté the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and peppers over low-medium heat, until tender-crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water or vegetable broth, if needed, to keep from sticking.
• Add in the garlic, zucchini, and seasonings. Stir to combine.
• Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and 2 cups of vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
• Press cancel.
• Lock the lid in place and ensure the sealing knob is turned to sealing.
• Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes, then allow to release the pressure naturally.
• Remove the lid, and stir in the chopped kale, cooked beans, cooked pasta, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add 2-3 cups additional broth or to desired consistency.
• Press the sauté function and continue to cook until heated through, about 5-10 minutes.
• Adjust seasonings and liquid, as desired.

Notes

* I use a bean blend that includes black beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white northern beans, navy beans, split peas, and lentils.

** I used casarecce pasta because I like the shape and had some in my pantry, but you can use any pasta in this soup.  If following a gluten-free diet, ensure the pasta used is gluten-free. 

*** I use my homemade Umami Vegetable Broth made from kitchen scraps and does not contain any artificial coloring or sodium.

To cook this soup on the stove top, sauté the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and peppers over low-medium heat, until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, zucchini, and seasonings, and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and vegetable broth. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add in the kale, beans, pasta, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cook 5 more minutes.

Keyword beans, gluten-free, instant pot, oil-free, pasta, plant-based, soup, tomato, vegan, vegetable