Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

By McLean

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, hopped
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 1 (28 oz.) can iced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz.) can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy)
• 3 cup chicken broth
• 1 oz. chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• Salt and fresh pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach
• 2 cups cooked small pasta like ditalini or elbows (al dente)
• extra parmesan cheese to top

Preparation

Step 1

Rinse and drain beans. Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender.

In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook o low for 6 to 8 hours.

Forty minutes before the soup is done, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and fresh pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese.