Slow Cooker Summer Vegetable Soup

By CarolineNGa

This slow cooker summer vegetable soup (minestrone) is delicious hot and even better served as the Italians do during hot weather, at room temperature with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling of Parmesan.
According to my calculations each serving has 191 calories and *5 Weight Watchers Points Plus. For Simply Filling use brown rice. For a spicier soup, add crushed red pepper flakes to taste when serving. A splash of red wine vinegar might be nice too.

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes or canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (14 to 16 ounces) garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 1-1/2 cups) (I used red potatoes)
• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 large stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 6 cups water
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving, if desired
• Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for serving if desired

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 30mins
Cooking time 570mins
Adapted from simple-nourished-living.com

Preparation

Step 1

Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 5 to 6-Quart
Combine the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, garlic, bell pepper, zucchini, water, 1 teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste, stirring well.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 - 9 hours or on HIGH for 4 - 5 hours, or until the vegetables are tender.
Stir in the rice. Cover and cook on HIGH, 30 minutes longer, or until the rice is tender and the soup is thick.
Stir in the basil and let the soup cool to room temperature.
Taste and add more salt and pepper to suit your tastes. Spoon into bowls. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkling of Parmesan if desired.

Martha's Notes

Nutritional Estimates Per Serving (1-1/4 cups): 191 calories, 1.4 g fat, 37.6 g carbs, 7.1 g fiber, 7.5 g protein and *5 WW Points Plus