HEARTY SLOW COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP

I’ve made a lot of soups over the years… some of our favorites are tomato basil, zuppa toscana, and beef barley… but this one, it might just be my absolute FAVORITE!!  Normally vegetable soups always leave me feeling hungry about an hour after.  But this one doesn’t do that to me; it’s hearty, rich, and FULL of flavor.
Minestrone is typically a vegetable soup, usually with beans, and pasta.  Traditionally ditalini (the small little tubes) is used, but mini shells, mini penne, or any other really short pasta will work.

In many ways yes!  It’s low in fat and calories and loaded with healthy vegetables.  If you’re following a low-carb way of eating, the beans and pasta will make this higher in carbohydrates.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup carrots, sliced
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, diced
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• parmesan rind, or 1" chunk of parmesan
• 2-3 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/4 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 4 cups fat free vegetable stock or broth
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp vegetable base
• 15 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed

ADD 20-25 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING

• 1 cup diced zucchini
• 1 1/2 cups dried ditalini or other small pasta

ADD 5 MINUTES BEFORE SERVING

• 1 cup frozen cut green beans
• 1 1/2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add first 15 ingredients to 6 quart or larger slow cooker.  Stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
2. 30 minutes before you want to serve the soup, add zucchini and ditalini pasta, stir, cover and cook on HIGH for 20-25 minutes.
3. 5 minutes before serving, add in frozen green beans and baby spinach, stir, cover and cook on HIGH for 5 minutes.
4. .......................................

for full instruction please see : www.thechunkychef.com

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