Instant Pot Minestrone

Ingredients

• 4-5 carrots - chopped
• 4-5 celery stalks - chopped
• Half an onion - chopped
• 3 cloves garlic - minced
• half of a head of green cabbage - thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup DeLallo pesto
• 1 24-ounce jar of DeLallo marinara sauce
• 1 14-ounce can cannellini or navy beans
• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika (optional – see notes)

To add at the end:

• 1 cup uncooked bulgur
• Fresh parsley - chopped
• Parmesan for topping

Preparation

• Place everything in the first list inside an Instant Pot / pressure cooker. Turn on the soup setting (30 minutes). Go put your feet up!
• Use the quick release to let the steam out (hang on, it takes a few minutes). Pull out the bay leaves. Add the bulgur, replace cover, and let it all sit together to cook the bulgur for a while (about 20 minutes). Add more water as needed.
• Serve with Parmesan and fresh parsley. I’d also like to mention that the leftovers are mighty delicious.

Notes

• In a slow cooker: Place all ingredients except bulgur in a slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on low heat. Mix bulgur in at the end and let it rest for 30 minutes or so (doing this near the end helps it stay chewy rather than turning to mush).
• On the stovetop: Saute the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and pesto until the vegetables are soft. Add the beans, spices, liquids, and cabbage and simmer for an hour or so. Add bulgur at the end until cooked. Longer simmer = better flavor.
• Smoked paprika adds a smoky depth to the flavor of this soup that can also be achieved with bacon! If you prefer, just mince a few pieces of bacon and add to the mix instead. It’s YUMMY, but the downside is that it makes the soup a little more greasy, which is why this version is written with the smoked paprika instead.
• If you don’t have a jar of pasta sauce or marinara sauce, you CAN use a can of diced tomatoes, but I would recommend adding more seasoning to compensate for what you’re missing with the pasta sauce or marinara.
• We tried freezing this recipe and would not recommend it as it gets too mushy when reheated.

Pinch of Yum