Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
This easy slow cooker minestrone soup is loaded with vegetables, cannellini beans, pasta, and greens for a hearty, simple meal.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 90kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced (about 1½ cups)
- 2 medium carrots diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 celery stalks diced (about ¾ cup)
- 3 garlic cloves minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 medium zucchini diced (about 1½ cups)
- 4 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup pasta small, like ditalini (baby penne) or similar
- 3 1/2 cups fresh spinach or kale chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5–7 minutes until slightly softened.
- Stir in garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, and black pepper and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add chopped tomatoes, cannellini beans, zucchini, vegetable stock, and water. Stir well.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the pasta and cook until tender.
- Stir in chopped spinach or kale and cook until wilted.
- Add lemon juice if using. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Notes
- Cut the carrots, celery, onion, and zucchini into fairly even pieces so they cook evenly.
- Ditalini is a classic choice for minestrone, but another small pasta shape will work just as well.
- If you prefer firmer pasta or expect to have leftovers, cook the pasta separately and add it to individual bowls when serving. This prevents the pasta from continuing to absorb the soup broth as it sits.
- The tablespoon of lemon juice is optional, but adding it just before serving gives the finished soup a little brightness.
- If the soup becomes thicker than you like after adding the pasta, simply add a little more vegetable broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 819mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 4106IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg
