Minestrone Soup in the Slow Cooker
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.
Equipment
- 6 quart slow cooker/crockpot lightly greased with olive oil
- cutting board
- garlic press
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Ingredients
- 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
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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