From the roundup: 22 Instant Pot Soup Recipes for Easy Weeknight Dinners
Around 9:00 in the morning, before school drop-off, I soak the dried beans in a big bowl of cold water so everything is ready to move fast when I get back. Instant Pot Tuscan White Bean Soup sounds like an all-day project, but the actual hands-on time is closer to fifteen minutes once the beans have soaked overnight. The detail I learned the hard way is to never skip the Parmesan rind. Drop it in before you seal the lid and it melts into the broth during the 35-minute pressure cook, giving the whole pot a salty, almost silky body that no amount of shredded cheese stirred in at the end can match.
Why you will love this
- The Parmesan rind simmers directly in the broth and adds a savory depth that shredded cheese cannot match.
- Dried cannellini beans soaked overnight cook to a creamy, tender texture that holds up in the broth without turning to mush.
- Pancetta renders its own fat, so you build the flavor base in the same pot with almost no extra oil.
- Active prep is about 15 minutes. The Instant Pot handles the rest while you do something else.
- Leftovers reheat well for lunch the next day, and the soup actually tastes better after sitting overnight.
Tips for success
- Scrape the pot thoroughly after deglazing with that first splash of broth. Any stuck pancetta bits left on the bottom will trigger a burn warning once the lid locks.
- Do not skip the natural release. Cutting it short to vent immediately can leave the beans slightly firm in the center, especially if your beans are older and have been sitting in the pantry for a while.
- Fish out the rosemary sprig and Parmesan rind before stirring. The rind gets soft and swollen and can break apart if you stir around it, which leaves rubbery bits in the soup.
- Add the spinach in two or three handfuls rather than all at once. It wilts down fast and dropping in a full 3 cups at once can make it clump before it integrates into the broth.
Common questions
- Can I use canned cannellini beans instead of dried? You can, but reduce the pressure cook time significantly, around 8 to 10 minutes, and cut the broth by about a cup since canned beans release more liquid. The texture will be softer.
- My soup is thicker than I expected. Is that normal? Yes. The beans continue absorbing liquid as the soup cools and sits. Stir in a splash of broth when reheating and it loosens right up.
- I cannot find pancetta. What works? Diced bacon is the easiest swap. It renders and browns the same way. Italian sausage crumbled and browned also works if you want a heartier bowl.
- Do I have to soak the beans overnight? Soaking is strongly recommended here. Unsoaked dried beans need significantly longer cook times in the Instant Pot and the results are less consistent.
Substitutions
No pancetta on hand: diced bacon works as a direct swap and renders the same way in the pot. For a vegetarian version, skip the pancetta entirely, add the tablespoon of olive oil to start, and use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. The soup will be lighter in flavor but the Parmesan rind still does a lot of work. Leave the rind out too if you need it fully vegan.
Cannellini beans can be swapped for great northern beans soaked the same way. If spinach is a hard no for someone at your table, chopped kale works fine. Stir it in about 2 minutes before serving so it softens a bit but does not get slimy.
Make-ahead and storage
Soak the beans the night before and dice the pancetta, onion, and garlic ahead of time. Store each separately in the fridge and the actual cooking goes fast the next evening. Leftovers keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The soup thickens considerably as it sits, so stir in a splash of broth when reheating on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
To freeze, let the soup cool completely and portion it into freezer-safe containers without the spinach, which turns mushy after freezing. It keeps well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, reheat on the stovetop, and stir in a handful of fresh spinach at the end to finish it.
Instant Pot Tuscan White Bean Soup
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Set your Instant Pot to Saute on Normal heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 to 5 minutes until the fat renders and the edges start to brown. You want some color on the pancetta because that fond on the bottom of the pot is pure flavor.
- Add the diced onion and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring a few times, until it softens and turns translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant. If anything looks like it is sticking, add the tablespoon of olive oil.
- Pour in about 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and use your wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. This step prevents a burn warning during pressure cooking and those bits add great flavor to the broth.
- Add the drained cannellini beans, canned diced tomatoes with their juices, remaining chicken broth, rosemary sprig, Parmesan rind, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together. Press Cancel to turn off Saute mode.
- Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and pressure cook on High for 35 minutes. When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes before carefully switching the valve to Venting to release any remaining steam.
- Open the lid and fish out the rosemary sprig and Parmesan rind. The rind will be soft and swollen but you do not want to eat it. Give the soup a good stir. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust as needed.
- Stir in the baby spinach a handful at a time. It will wilt in about 1 to 2 minutes from the residual heat. Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread for soaking up the broth. A little extra shaved Parmesan on top never hurts.
Notes
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