The BEST Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

I'm a little bit of a soup snob. I love a good bowl of soup.

Not too brothy. Not too thick. Minestrone is one of my favorites. It's so filling but super healthy. I've tried SO many recipes for minestrone and this by far is my absolute favorite!

Why? It has the best flavor! It's super easy to throw in the crock pot and cooks while you're at work or taking care of the kids. It has tons of veggies and you can add in whatever pasta you want. It's really versatile. I've made it several ways and each time it turns out fabulous! Give it a try and let me know if you agree - is this really the best minestrone soup? ;) Oh, and don't let the amount of ingredients fool you, it's really simple!

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup: (adapted from here)

Printable Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped (about 3 carrots)
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28oz) can petitie-diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained & rinsed
• 3 cups fat free chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 oz chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (or 3/4 tsp. dried)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach
• 1-2 cups cooked small pasta like ditalini or elbows (al dente)
• extra Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

1. In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
2. 30-40 minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes.
3. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more.
4. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese. ENJOY!!

If you're looking for some more crock pot dinner ideas, check these out:

Crock Pot Whole Rotisserie Chicken

9 Yummy Crock Pot Dinners

Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Crock Pot Skinny Chicken Jambalaya

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken

Click HERE to print this recipe.

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