Homemade Minestrone Soup

It's better than your {insert relative}'s....they said.

It's better than Olive Garden.....they said.

Well, you be the judge. There are several recipes out there for Minestrone soup but this was shared from one of our very own clients so I decided to give it a go. It can be considered a pretty balanced meal as it is packed with fresh veggies, protein and even some carbs. As I have mentioned in the past, the crockpot is a sure fire way to have a delicious meal with very minimal blood, sweat and tears!

You know my bit---->I always like to go off the cuff and experiment with the ingredients so if you are feeling a bit sassy, then replace some of the ingredients such as using a different type of bean, or using those leftover asparagus spears you had for dinner last night......

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1 parmesan rind
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup carrots, diced
  • 1 1/4 cup celery, diced
  • 1 1/2 cup white onion, diced
  • 4 – 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 sprig rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups zucchini, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups tubular (ditalini) pasta
  • 1 cup frozen green beans, thawed
  • 2 1/2 cups baby spinach, chopped
  • Finely shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving (or Romano)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato pesto, parmesan rind, vegetable stock, water, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves to a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
  2. Add in red kidney beans, great northern beans, zucchini, and pasta and cook on high heat for an additional 20- 25 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir in the spinach and green beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes until heated through. Serve warm topped with parmesan cheese and garlic toasts.