Minestrone Soup In The Slow Cooker

This minestrone soup in the slow cooker is a hearty, robust bowl loaded with fresh carrots, celery, zucchini, tender ditalini pasta, and so much more. Simmered low and slow in a rich tomato broth, it's packed with kidney beans, great northern beans, and protein-rich, fiber-filled goodness. Even better than Olive Garden, this healthy, filling vegetarian soup is the perfect meal to come home to.

🤔Is This An Olive Garden Copycat Recipe?

Not exactly, though this minestrone soup, just like our Pasta Fagioli and Chocolate Lasagna, definitely borrows inspiration from the restaurant classic. One of the biggest differences in this homemade version is a parmesan rind simmered right in the broth, adding a rich, savory depth you won't find at the restaurant. Since this recipe doubles up on zucchini, it also skips string beans and spinach, though both can easily be added in if you'd like. (See the recipe variations below for more details.)

🤫The Secret To A Great Minestrone

One well-known trick is building a soffritto base by slowly cooking onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil until they soften and sweeten, deepening the soup's overall flavor. This slow cooker version leans into that same idea, letting the vegetables simmer low and slow for hours so those flavors have plenty of time to develop.

Cooking the beans directly in the broth also helps thicken the soup naturally, while the ditalini pasta gets added near the end, soaking up flavor without turning mushy or starchy. Together, these small steps are what take this soup from good to truly memorable.

And of course, you need a slice of our easy homemade Garlic Bread to get every last drop of savory broth left in the bowl!

🍲The Benefits Of Making Minestrone Soup In The Slow Cooker

Making minestrone in the slow cooker means you can toss in your ingredients, set it, and walk away for the rest of the day. As everything simmers low and slow, the broth has time to thicken naturally while the flavors deepen and meld together into something rich and savory. By dinnertime, you're left with a hearty, flavorful soup that tastes like it took all day to make, because it did, just without any of the work on your part.

🥘Just Simple Ingredients Needed

• Celery, carrots & garlic cloves: These aromatics form the classic flavor base, bringing a savory, slightly sweet depth to the broth.
• Tomato sauce & tomato paste: Together, these create a rich, concentrated tomato base packed with classic Italian flavor.
• Onion powder, Italian seasoning & red pepper flakes: This seasoning blend adds savory depth, warm herby notes, and a subtle kick of heat.
• Kidney beans & great northern beans: These hearty beans add protein, fiber, and creamy texture, making the soup even more filling.
• Vegetable broth + water: Forms the flavorful liquid base that brings all the ingredients together.
• Parmesan rind & bay leaves: These simmer right in the broth, infusing it with rich, savory depth and subtle aromatic flavor.
• Ditalini: This small pasta adds heartiness and soaks up the rich, savory broth in every bite.
• Zucchini: Adds tender texture and a fresh, mild flavor, rounding out the soup's vegetable medley.

See recipe card for quantities.

🔪How To Make Minestrone Soup In The Slow Cooker

Step 1: Add the chopped veggies, seasonings, and beans to the slow cooker.

Step 2: Add the tomato sauce, paste, broth and water; cover and cook on LOW for several hours. Add the the dry noodles and zucchini. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes.

Step 3: Remove the parmesan rind and bay leaves (if you can find them!) from the crock. Stir soup and keep warm until ready to serve.

Step 4: Optional to top individual servings with freshly grated parmesan, chopped parsley, or basil.

For step-by-step instructions, see the printable recipe card below.

Hint: For added flavor depth, lightly coat the slow cooker with olive oil before adding the ingredients. This helps to match the soffritto base flavor profile mentioned above.

🌿Healthy Ingredient Substitutions

• Whole Wheat Ditalini: Swapping in whole wheat ditalini adds extra fiber without changing the texture or heartiness of the soup.
• Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth: Using a low-sodium broth helps cut back on excess salt while still delivering a rich, flavorful base.
• Extra Leafy Greens: Stirring in spinach or kale near the end of cooking boosts the soup's nutrients and fiber without altering the overall flavor.

📖Easy Recipe Variations

• Vegan Minestrone: Skip the parmesan rind to keep this soup completely plant-based, while still enjoying all the same rich, hearty flavor.
• Olive Garden Copycat Style: Use only 1 zucchini; add 1 cup frozen green beans when you add the pasta and zucchini. Hold the parmesan rind and swap the ditalini for small shells. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add a handful of baby spinach.
• Sausage and White Bean Minestrone: Brown some Italian sausage before adding the remaining ingredients for a heartier, meatier twist on this classic vegetable soup.

For more easy crockpot soups, see our roundup post, Best Slow Cooker Soups.

🍽Essential Equipment Needed

• 6 quart slow cooker (lightly greased with olive oil)
• chef's knife & cutting board
• garlic press
• box grater

🍶Storing Your Minestrone Soup

Store minestrone soup leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Note that the pasta will absorb broth the longer it sits in the soup. You may need to add a splash of extra broth or water when reheating your leftovers to reach the desired consistency.

For longer storage you can freeze the soup base in freezer safe containers or heavy duty bags for three months. To prevent mushy noodles it's best to freeze the soup without the ditalini pasta included.

Thaw the frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it thoroughly on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add fresh cooked pasta and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese just before serving to maintain the best texture and flavor.

❓Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup FAQ

🥄More Slow Cooker Soups

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these, or head over to our Soups page:

🍴What To Serve With Minestrone Soup

These are my favorite dishes to serve with minestrone soup in the slow cooker:

📋Recipe With Step-By-Step Instructions

Minestrone Soup in the Slow Cooker

Kitchen Ready Betty

This hearty, vegetarian slow cooker minestrone is loaded with fresh vegetables, protein-rich beans, and tender ditalini pasta simmered in a rich tomato broth. Infused with a parmesan rind for deep, savory flavor, it's an incredibly easy, hands-off dinner that tastes like it cooked on the stove all day.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 6 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Main Dishes, Soups

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 8

Calories 222 kcal

Equipment

• 6 quart slow cooker/crockpot lightly greased with olive oil
• chef's knife
• cutting board
• garlic press
• box grater

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 cup celery sliced
• 1 cup carrots sliced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon onion powder or 1 cup fresh white or yellow onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 15 oz can kidney beans drained and rinsed
• 15 oz can great northern or cannellini beans drained and rinsed
• 15 oz tomato sauce
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 qt vegetable broth
• 1 cup water increase this to 2 cups for thinner broth
• 3 bay leaves remove before serving
• parmesan rind remove before serving
• ¾ cup ditalini uncooked
• 2 medium zucchini cut into bite-sized pieces
• grated parmesan, chopped parsley or basil optional toppings

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Instructions

 

• Lightly grease slow cooker with olive oil.
• Add the celery, carrots, garlic, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Then add the kidney and white beans.
• Mix the tomato sauce and paste; pour on top of beans. Then slowly pour in the vegetable broth and water.
• Add the bay leaves and parmesan rind.
• Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours (recommended) or on HIGH for 3 houurs.
• Add the uncooked pasta and chopped zucchini. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 30 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• Optional to top individual servings with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley or basil.

Notes

For added flavor depth, lightly coat the slow cooker with olive oil before adding the ingredients. This helps to match the soffritto base flavor profile mentioned above.

This recipe makes a pretty thick, hearty soup as written, but it's easy to adjust the texture to your liking. If you prefer a thinner consistency, simply use only half a can of tomato paste and add an extra cup of water to loosen the broth.

Store minestrone soup leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Note that the pasta will absorb broth the longer it sits in the soup. You may need to add a splash of extra broth or water when reheating your leftovers to reach the desired consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 11gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gSodium: 1062mgPotassium: 1024mgFiber: 9gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 3682IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 106mgIron: 4mg

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_{Please note that nutritional information is provided by a third party service and is intended for guidance purposes only. KitchenReadyBetty.com makes no claims to its accuracy.}