This easy Instant Pot minestrone soup is loaded with chock full of healthy vegetables, beans, and pasta, making this is a hearty, comforting, and delicious meal all by itself!
I’m sorry guys, I’ve been away from blogging! We moved back to Mumbai, and you know how hectic moving can get! There are so many things on my radar here that have kept me off blogging. It may be a while before things get back to normal on the blogging front. I’ll still try to post something here every few days. The good news is that I have quite a few posts stocked up and I can’t wait to share them with you!
It’s not really cold here in Mumbai and never really does get that cold, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like soups! Soups are one of those food categories that we can enjoy all year round! We can literally make a meal out of it, especially if it is this easy, Italian minestrone soup.
Soup season or not, classic Minestrone soup is one of our favorites. It is packed with vegetables, beans, and pasta making it a complete meal on its own. So when I don’t feel like preparing an elaborate meal, I simply make this easy minestrone soup and call it a day!
- WHAT IS MINESTRONE SOUP?
- INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS EASY INSTANT POT MINESTRONE SOUP
- RECIPE FOR MINESTRONE SOUP IN THE INSTANT POT
- TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST INSTANT POT MINESTRONE SOUP RECIPE
- HOW TO FREEZE MINESTRONE SOUP?
- WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS PRESSURE COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP?
- HOW CAN I CUSTOMIZE THIS PRESSURE COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP?
- DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THESE DELICIOUS INSTANT POT SOUP RECIPES TOO
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE INSTANT POT MINESTRONE SOUP
- HOW TO MAKE PRESSURE COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP?
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup Recipe
WHAT IS MINESTRONE SOUP?
Minestrone is a classic Italian tomato-based soup made of vegetables, beans with the inclusion of pasta or rice. There is no fixed recipe to make this hearty soup. You can make a summer, spring, or winter minestrone depending on the availability of seasonal vegetables making this soup truly versatile and adaptable.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE THIS EASY INSTANT POT MINESTRONE SOUP
Like I mentioned above, you do not need to stick to the vegetables I’ve used. Feel free to leave or add your preferred vegetables. Here’s what went into my homemade minestrone soup recipe.
Olive oil
Aromatics like onion and garlic, a must for a flavorful soup in my opinion. And don’t just dump them, a quick saute adds a wonderful depth of flavor.
Lots and lots of vegetables and leafy greens. I’ve used celery, carrots, green beans, zucchini, red potatoes, and baby spinach. Kale is another great substitute. The traditional minestrone soup recipe calls for cabbage too. Cabbage is not an ingredient you will find in the minestrone served at Olive garden, but it tastes delicious. I didn’t have it at hand, and so I’ve skipped adding it.
I’ve added the vegetables in 2 parts in this recipe. In the first part, I’ve added carrots, celery, and potatoes and sauteed them for a few minutes. I, then added zucchini and green beans in the second part as they didn’t need to be sauteed much.
Diced tomatoes and tomato sauce for that tomato-y flavor. For a more intense tomato taste, add in a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste. This is totally adaptable, you can also use only diced tomatoes, or crushed tomatoes or tomato puree or whatever it is you have sitting in your pantry. Or simply dice up fresh tomatoes and use that instead.
Beans : I’ve used canned kidney beans here. Feel free to use your favorite type of bean or a combination of beans. You can also use freshly cooked beans, but making an Instant pot minestrone soup with dry beans is a bit far fetched for me, and I’ll explain why below.
Veg stock or water plus better than bouillon stock base. Feel free to use chicken broth or stock or any other stock of choice.
Seasoning, I’ve used Italian seasoning, you could do a mix of individual Italian herbs as per your preference.
Parmesan rind. Stock up on parmesan rinds instead of thrashing them. Save them in a ziplock bag and freeze, then just throw a rind into a soup, it adds a rich, savory flavor to the soup. Whole Foods even sell a container of these rinds, it is worth buying one, especially during this season when you know you will be making more soups.
Pasta – Authentic Italian minestrone soup recipe calls for short pasta noodles such as ditalini, and that’s what I’ve used. Not that it makes a difference in taste, you can also use other pasta’s like elbow macaroni, small shell, mini farfalle, mini penne or mini wheels etc to name a few.
RECIPE FOR MINESTRONE SOUP IN THE INSTANT POT
You are just a few steps away from making the best minestrone soup! Here’s a gist of what you need to do,
- Saute aromatics
- A brief saute of carrots, celery, and potatoes.
- Season
- Add the zucchini and green beans
- Add your tomato-based products
- Next, go in the beans, pasta, and liquid
- Don’t forget to throw in the parmesan rind. A few bay leaves don’t hurt either :p
- Pressure cook
- Natural pressure release for 1-2 minutes followed by a quick release.
- Add baby spinach and parsley
- Squeeze in some lemon juice, dish out, sprinkle parmesan and dig in!
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST INSTANT POT MINESTRONE SOUP RECIPE
Making minestrone soup in the Instant pot is so simple and it turns out delicious every single time. Having said that, you don’t want a pot of mushy vegetables and liquid along with overcooked pasta. To stay clear of these debacles,
- Avoid dicing the vegetables too small.
- Pasta like dried tortellini, are best-cooked separately and then added into individual bowls at the time of serving the soup.
- Skip the pasta completely if you do not intend serving the soup. As it will do nothing but absorb the stock and turn mushy. You may need to add more stock to thin out the soup.
- Avoid pressure cooking your greens. Add it in the end, to add a fresh element to the soup.
- Add a small amount of acid like red wine vinegar or a squirt of lemon juice to the finished soup. The acidity brightens the flavors and elevates the soup to a whole new level.
- Definitely use the parmesan rind for that umami flavor.
HOW TO FREEZE MINESTRONE SOUP?
Hold off adding the pasta if you intend freezing the soup or else the pasta will turn mushy on reheating. Once the soup has completely cooled down, transfer 1-2 serving size portions into a freezer-safe bag or containers. Remove as much air as possible. Seal the bags and remember to label the contents, especially the date, lest you forget and wonder if it is still good to consume. Lay the bags flat in the freezer.
Thaw in the refrigerator the night before. Re-heat in the microwave or transfer to a small pot over low heat, stirring occasionally.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS PRESSURE COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP?
Minestrone soup is a pretty hearty and filling, standalone dish on its own, in my opinion as it packed with veggies, beans, and pasta. Though you can’t go wrong if you pair this soup with some breadsticks, crusty bread or cheesy garlic rolls. Yumm!
HOW CAN I CUSTOMIZE THIS PRESSURE COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP?
Vegetarian/Vegan: Parmesan is not a vegetarian cheese, so skip using the rind here. You can sprinkle some nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan cheese.
Gluten-free: Use gluten-free pasta that is easily available across most stores.
No beans: Simply skip adding any beans without altering anything else.
Meat: For a version with meat, saute about a pound of ground beef, ground chicken, or Italian sausage in the first step and then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Dry beans: Cook the dry beans separately and add them to the soup. The reason is pretty simple here, whether you soak or don’t soak the beans, the time range required to cook the beans implies that you will have to compromise on the integrity of the vegetables.
Vegetables like potato, celery, and carrots may still hold their shape, but zucchini, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, etc will turn to mush.
The shortest time I’ve encountered while cooking beans is the cannellini beans, that were soaked and required about 8 minutes to cook. 8 minutes would do no good to the veggies or pasta here unless you are cool with it and their tender texture doesn’t bother you.
Minestrone soup is a pretty healthy dish as it is prepared with so many veggies and beans. For a healthier take, use whole wheat pasta, or lentil pasta, or skip them altogether and use quinoa or bulgar.
My family absolutely loves this IP minestrone soup. They devour bowlfuls of this hearty and delicious soup. And I encourage you to try it out too, it may quickly turn into one of your favorites. Skip the trip to Olive garden and enjoy your very own delicious, homemade minestrone soup!
DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THESE DELICIOUS INSTANT POT SOUP RECIPES TOO
- Carrot ginger soup
- Chicken noodle soup
- Corn and potato chowder with bacon
- Broccoli cheese soup
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE INSTANT POT MINESTRONE SOUP
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup each diced onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, green beans, and zucchini
- 1.5 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 8 oz tomato sauce or puree
- 1/2 cup ditalini pasta
- 15 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed, or 1 & 3/4 cup cooked beans
- 1-quart vegetable stock
- 1 cup water *refer notes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small parmesan rind
- 2 oz baby spinach
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for garnishing, as required
DIRECTIONS
1.Press ‘SAUTE’ button, and set it to ‘NORMAL’. Once its displays, ‘HOT’, add olive oil, add diced onions along with minced garlic, saute until the onions are translucent.
2.Press ‘CANCEL’, and add 1 cup each of diced carrots, celery, and cubed potatoes. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
3.Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
4.Add diced zucchini and green beans.
5.Add diced tomatoes, along with tomato sauce.
6.Add canned, drained kidney beans, ditalini pasta or any other short pasta of choice.
7.Add veg stock or broth and water, along with parmesan rind, and 2 bay leaves. Give everything a good mix.
8.Close the lid of the Instant Pot. Set the valve to ‘SEALING’. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. It will take some time for the pressure to build up (about 25 minutes), after which the timer will begin.
9.Let the pot depressurize for 1-2 minutes. Then do a quick release as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the silver pin drops, turn the knob to ‘VENTING’ and open the lid away from you.
10.Add the baby spinach in batches, mixing well with each addition until the spinach wilts.
11.Also, add chopped parsley along with the last batch of baby spinach, mix well.
12.Discard the bay leaves before serving. Discard the parmesan rind if it’s still hard. If it is soft, you can dice it up into small pieces and add it back to the soup. Stir in the lemon juice and mix well. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
13.Dish out and serve topped with parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
NOTES:
1.We love the consistency of the soup the way it is in this recipe. If you prefer a really thick minestrone soup, skip adding one cup of water. You can always adjust the consistency of the soup by adding more water or stock later.
HOW TO MAKE PRESSURE COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP?
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced onions 155 grams
- 1.5 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup diced carrots 120 grams
- 1 cup diced celery 110 grams
- 1 cup cubed potatoes 130 grams
- 1 cup chopped green beans (2-inches) 110 grams
- 1 cup diced zucchini 150 grams
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 8 oz tomato sauce or puree
- 1/2 cup ditalini pasta
- 15 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed, or 1 & 3/4 cup cooked beans
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- 1 cup water refer notes
- 1 (2-inch) parmesan rind
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 oz baby spinach
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for garnishing, as required
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnishing, as required
Instructions
- Press ‘SAUTE’ button, and set it to ‘NORMAL’. Once its displays, ‘HOT’, add olive oil, add diced onions along with minced garlic, saute until the onions are translucent.
- Press ‘CANCEL’, and add 1 cup each of diced carrots, celery, and cubed potatoes. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Add diced zucchini and green beans.
- Add diced tomatoes, along with tomato sauce.
- Add canned, drained kidney beans, ditalini pasta or any other short pasta of choice.
- Add veg stock or broth and water, along with parmesan rind, and 2 bay leaves. Give everything a good mix.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot. Set the valve to ‘SEALING’. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. It will take some time for the pressure to build up (about 25 minutes), after which the timer will begin.
- Let the pot depressurize for 1-2 minutes. Then do a quick release as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the silver pin drops, turn the knob to ‘VENTING’ and open the lid away from you.
- Add the baby spinach in batches, mixing well with each addition until the spinach wilts.
- Also, add chopped parsley along with the last batch of baby spinach, mix well.
- Discard the bay leaves before serving. Discard the parmesan rind if it’s still hard. If it is soft, you can dice it up into small pieces and add it back to the soup. Stir in the lemon juice and mix well. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Dish out and serve topped with parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Notes
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Regards,
Freda
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup diced onions 155 grams
- 1.5 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup diced carrots 120 grams
- 1 cup diced celery 110 grams
- 1 cup cubed potatoes 130 grams
- 1 cup chopped green beans (2-inches) 110 grams
- 1 cup diced zucchini 150 grams
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 8 oz tomato sauce or puree
- 1/2 cup ditalini pasta
- 15 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed, or 1 & 3/4 cup cooked beans
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- 1 cup water refer notes
- 1 (2-inch) parmesan rind
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 oz baby spinach
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for garnishing, as required
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnishing, as required
Instructions
- Press ‘SAUTE’ button, and set it to ‘NORMAL’. Once its displays, ‘HOT’, add olive oil, add diced onions along with minced garlic, saute until the onions are translucent.
- Press ‘CANCEL’, and add 1 cup each of diced carrots, celery, and cubed potatoes. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Add diced zucchini and green beans.
- Add diced tomatoes, along with tomato sauce.
- Add canned, drained kidney beans, ditalini pasta or any other short pasta of choice.
- Add veg stock or broth and water, along with parmesan rind, and 2 bay leaves. Give everything a good mix.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot. Set the valve to ‘SEALING’. Pressure cook on high for 4 minutes. It will take some time for the pressure to build up (about 25 minutes), after which the timer will begin.
- Let the pot depressurize for 1-2 minutes. Then do a quick release as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the silver pin drops, turn the knob to ‘VENTING’ and open the lid away from you.
- Add the baby spinach in batches, mixing well with each addition until the spinach wilts.
- Also, add chopped parsley along with the last batch of baby spinach, mix well.
- Discard the bay leaves before serving. Discard the parmesan rind if it’s still hard. If it is soft, you can dice it up into small pieces and add it back to the soup. Stir in the lemon juice and mix well. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Dish out and serve topped with parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired.
Notes
This Instant Pot chili Mac is oh so yum and hearty, combining the best of both worlds making this the ultimate comfort food!
Have you tried making chili mac in the Instant Pot? If your answer is no, you are seriously missing out on some deliciousness in life!
Chili Mac is one of those comfort foods that would please just about anyone, from kids to adults alike. Meat, pasta, beans, cheese, in a tomato-ey base, what’s not to like really? Besides, it is really quick, simple, and makes for such an inexpensive meal that will easily feed a crowd. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry right now to pull this off!
The shortest way out to make chili mac is by using some leftover chili! But if you ask me to make this from scratch, I would just use my Instant Pot to put it all together. The meat, veggies, pasta, all cook together in this ultimate and satisfying comfort food!
I love that this IP chili mac is all made in just one pot, which means I have fewer pots and pans to clean. And that’s good on any given day. Honestly, doing dishes is one of my least favorite things.
One-pot food is my meal of choice since it scores high in the ease of cooking plus flavor department and something that I can put on the table for everyone to enjoy. We never ever have leftovers of this yummy one-pot chili mac and cheese.
Besides, I think the pressure cooking process infuses even more flavor in this dish as opposed to when its made on the stovetop. Definitely try this Instant pot version!
- Instant pot Chili Mac ingredients
- This pressure cooker chili mac comes together in just a few steps
- You can easily customize this homemade chili macaroni recipe
- Can you freeze chili mac?
- We love this recipe because
- More Instant Pot recipes that you may enjoy
- How to make easy Instant Pot chili mac and cheese – Step by step instructions
- Instant Pot Chili Mac | How To Make Chili Mac
Instant pot Chili Mac ingredients
Lean ground meat of choice, beef, chicken or turkey. I’ve used turkey today. You can even use sausage if that’s what you have at hand. I know all the flavor is in the fat, but using lean meat works best for this recipe as you don’t end up with an overly greasy dish. If you don’t have lean ground meat at hand, remember to drain off the excess fat.
Pasta of choice, I’ve gone the traditional route by using elbow macaroni. But I’ve also use penne and it’s just as good. Just remember to adjust the cooking time to half of that mentioned on the pasta box cooking directions.
Veggies like onion and red bell pepper. Feel free to add in more veggies of your choice.
Aromatics like minced garlic. A must!
You can also use chili seasoning or taco seasoning. Though, I find that the resultant dish has so much more flavor when I use my own spice mix. The same goes for making chili too!
Other ingredients like tomato paste , fire-roasted diced tomatoes , cooked black beans or kidney beans and some stock are all that you will need. You may skip the beans if you wish to.
And of course your favorite kind of cheese for an extra delicious cheesy chili mac :p
This pressure cooker chili mac comes together in just a few steps
- Cook the ground meat mixture with veggies, aromatics, spices, and tomato paste. This is pretty much the base of the dish, so I can’t stress enough on one thing, i.e season, season, season! Or the entire dish can fall flat and taste bland!
- Add the rest of the ingredients, and pressure cook.
- Do a quick release in short bursts.
- Optional step (for a cheesy version): Add your cheese, in batches, mix it in, add some cheese on top, cover the instant pot with the lid. We just want to cheese to melt on top from the residual heat and lo and behold it’s ready!
You can easily customize this homemade chili macaroni recipe
Meatless/Vegetarian: Skip the meat, add more veggies like corn, green beans, zucchini, etc
No beans: Skip the beans all-together. No biggie! There is no need to alter anything in the recipe.
Spicy: Add chopped Serrano’s, or jalapeno’s along with the veggies. or add more cayenne pepper. You may also add more chili powder as certain brands of chili powder tend to be quite spicy.
Can you freeze chili mac?
I do not like to freeze pasta dishes, as it kind of alters the texture on reheating. However, if you have leftovers, place individual serving portions in freezer-safe containers, leaving at least an inch space between the contents and the lid. Remember to label the containers. Freeze up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave or transfer to a shallow, oven-safe dish, splash some milk to add some moisture, cover the dish with a foil, and reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
We love this recipe because
It is very flavorful !
It is hearty, comforting, and soul-satisfying !
A good standalone meal ! You really don’t need a lot of sides, pile on the toppings instead!
It is quick to put together, making this an amazing weeknight dinner option for busy parents.
It is a rather inexpensive dish and a great option to feed a crowd for tailgate parties, potlucks, gameday gatherings, etc
More Instant Pot recipes that you may enjoy
- Carrot ginger soup
- Chicken noodle soup
- Southern red beans with sausage
- Chana masala
- Brown lentil curry
- Creamy steel-cut oatmeal
- Quinoa pilaf
- Strawberry jam
- Mongolian beef
- Instant pot chocolate cheesecake jars
- Corn and potato chowder with bacon
- Instant Pot Pumpkin cheesecake jars
- Instant pot cheesecake jars
- Minestrone soup
- Broccoli cheese soup
How to make easy Instant Pot chili mac and cheese – Step by step instructions
Step 1: Brown ground turkey
Press the ‘SAUTE’ button, set it to “NORMAL’ and wait until it displays ‘HOT’. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, once it heats up, add 1 lb of ground turkey or lean ground beef, cook until no longer pink.
Step 2: Saute onions, bell peppers, and garlic
Add 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion and 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, and chopped jalapenos (1 jalapeno, if using), and continue to sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
Step 3: Add seasoning and tomato paste
Add the spice mix ( 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper) mix well, and cook until fragrant.
Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and cook for another minute.
Step 4: Deglaze the pot and add rest of the ingredients
De-glaze the pot with 1/4 cup of stock if there are browned bits at the bottom of the pot, or else you may end up with a “BURN’ error. Add the rest of the low-sodium chicken stock (2.75 cups), and mix well. Press ‘CANCEL’ to turn off the ‘SAUTE’ mode.
Add 1- ( 15.5 ) oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed, 8 oz dry elbow macaroni , and 1-( 14.5 ) oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoe s. Do not stir, make sure to press the macaroni down in the liquid.
Step 5: Pressure cook
Close the lid of the Instant Pot with the valve on ‘SEALING’ position. Press the manual or pressure cook button and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes It will take some time for the pressure to build up (about 12 minutes), after which the timer will start.
Step 6: Quick release
After the cooking cycle is complete, do a quick release of the pressure, in short bursts. Once the silver pin drops, open the lid. It will go to the ‘KEEP WARM’ mode. You can leave it on the warm mode, or press ‘CANCEL’ to turn off the Instant Pot.
Step 7: Stir the contents
Stir the contents in the pot gently.
Step 8: Add cheese
Add 1.5 cups of shredded cheese ( I used sharp cheddar & Monterey Jack) , mix well.
Sprinkle the remaining 1.5 cups of cheese all over the top.
Close the lid and let it sit for 5 minutes so that the cheese melts.
Step 9: Serve
Open the lid and dish out! Top with any of your favorite fixin’s like chopped onions, green onions, sour cream, shredded cheese, diced avocado, sliced jalapenos, etc Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
1.You can skip the tomato paste, and add an 8 oz can of tomato sauce in step 4 along with the fire-roasted tomatoes.
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Instant Pot Chili Mac | How To Make Chili Mac
Equipment
- Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1
Ingredients1x2x3x
- 1 lb lean ground beef or turkey, I used turkey
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
- 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and diced finely, optional, add as per desired heat
- 1-(14.5) oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1-(15.5) oz can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed, or 1.5 cups cooked beans
- 8 oz dry elbow macaroni, about 2 cups
- 3 cups shredded cheese of choice, I used sharp cheddar & Monterey Jack
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Chili mac seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chili powder, adjust as per desired heat
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Press the ‘SAUTE’ button, set it to “NORMAL’ and wait until it displays ‘HOT’. Add the oil, once it heats up, add the ground turkey, cook until no longer pink.
- Add chopped onions, red bell peppers, garlic, and chopped jalapenos (if using), and continue to sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add the spice mix, mix well, and cook until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
- De-glaze the pot with 1/4 cup of stock if there are browned bits at the bottom of the pot, or else you may end up with a “BURN’ error. Add the rest of the stock, and mix well. Press ‘CANCEL’ to turn off the ‘SAUTE’ mode.
- Add the beans, macaroni, and fire-roasted diced tomatoes. Do not stir, make sure to press the macaroni down in the liquid.
- Close the lid of the Instant Pot with the valve on sealing position. Press the manual or pressure cook button and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes It will take some time for the pressure to build up (about 12 minutes), after which the timer will start.
- After the cooking cycle is complete, do a quick release of the pressure, in short bursts. Once the silver pin drops, open the lid. It will go to the ‘KEEP WARM’ mode. You can leave it on the warm mode, or press ‘CANCEL’ to turn off the Instant Pot.
- Stir the contents in the pot gently.
- Add half of the cheese, mix well.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese all over the top.
- Close the lid and let it sit for 5 minutes so that the cheese melts. Open the lid and dish out! Top with any of your favorite fixin’s like chopped onions, green onions, sour cream, shredded cheese, diced avocado, sliced jalapenos, etc Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
