Cozy up with a nice bowl of soup while you watch the Olympic Games! Tonight kicks off this year’s games, and I want you to have something good to eat while you enjoy the Opening Ceremonies. The players may be cold, but you’ve got something to keep you warm and full!

Between Russian scandals and a late reconciliation between the Koreans, this year’s Olympics have been rather controversial, and they haven’t even started yet. Now I want to apologize in advance to the Italian team as I know this isn’t TRULY a Minestrone soup, but it is delicious, so please forgive me!

We didn’t add any pasta to this recipe, and have included some non-traditional items, like fennel and mushrooms, but the true hero is the cheese rind. This is the perfect dinner for you to cuddle up with in front of the TV.

This is another Instant Pot recipe, so be sure you pick yours up ASAP! And if you want to make this soup without one–there are alternative cooking instructions at the end of the recipe.

Go Team USA!

I’m nearing the end of my trip in Morocco, so stay tuned for my next blog post to hear more about that.

Mushroom Umami "Minestrone" Soup
Mushroom Umami "Minestrone" Soup
Print Recipe Mushroom Umami "Minestrone" Soup
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Course: Comfort, Fall, Instant Pot, Slow-cooking, Soup, Vegetarian, Winter
Servings: 4 people

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 small onions, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 1 small fennel bulb, diced
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 sprigs of parsley
  • 3 inches of cooking twine or 1 cooking tie
  • 4 oz. parmesan rind
  • 6 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 1 container 13.4 oz canellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 5 plum tomatoes, diced
  • 2 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
  • 2 finely grated parmesan for garnish
  • 2 julienned fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

Instant Pot Mushroom Minestrone

  • Turn the Instant Pot on to saute and heat the olive oil, in the pot, without the lid. Add the onions, carrots, celery, fennel and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and begin to turn translucent, add half of the mushrooms, oregano and red pepper to cook for another 3 minutes.
  • Make a bouquet garni by tying the twine around your parsley, bay leaf, and rind(this will help you remove them at the end). Stir in the garni, stock, and beans. Cover the Instant Pot and set it to high pressure cook for 5 minutes.
  • Release the steam and when the pressure is back to normal remove the lid and add the rest of the mushrooms, tomatoes, and zucchini. Let simmer in the warm pot for another 5-7 minutes (do not re-pressurize), stirring as needed, until the zucchini is tender.
  • Before serving, be sure to remove and discard the rind, parsley, and bay leaf garni. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with grated cheese and basil, serve with croutons, bread, or crackers if you're missing the starch.

Stovetop Mushroom Minestrone

  • Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot, over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, fennel and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and begin to turn translucent, add half of the mushrooms, oregano and red pepper to cook for another 3 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes and reduce down, until most of their moisture has evaporated.
  • Make a bouquet garni by tying the twine around your parsley, bay leaf, and rind(this will help you remove them at the end). Stir in the garni, stock, and beans. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
  • Add the rest of the mushrooms and the zucchini and simmer for up to 2 1/2 hours. You could also follow what Serious Eats does and reserve half of the soup on the side, continue to simmer the other half in the pot for up to 2 1/2 hours, and stir reserved soup back in for a soup that is hearty, but still has plenty of bright vegetable flavor and texture.
  • Before serving, be sure to remove and discard the rind, parsley, and bay leaf garni. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top with grated cheese and basil, serve with croutons, bread, or crackers if you're missing the starch.