Many years ago, I worked in a family-run Italian restaurant. Graciously, the family offered the staff a free meal with every shift. Though some of my fellow wait staff eagerly ordered the most expensive items on the menu, I always opted for my favorite - the minestrone soup. Hearty. Flavorful. Stick-to-your-ribs good, minestrone is one of my long-time favorites. I have so many iterations of different recipes for this soup. But they all involve fresh Italian herb flavors and a variety of veggies.
This recipe is a chop and dump soup - the perfect antidote to the Sunday Scaries - and a great way to meal prep for the week with very little effort.
I started this soup early Sunday morning and let it simmer away in the slow cooker all day, filling our house with all the goodness of something home cooked, the aroma tempting our taste buds all day long. The buildup was half the fun, but the soup itself was worth the wait. Served with a crusty, high-quality, locally made loaf of bread, this soup just hit the spot.
Here's the recipe.
Sunday Slow Cooker Minestrone
Ingredients
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 15-oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen, cut green beans
2 small zucchini, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups chopped kale
3 cups cooked elbow macaroni pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
Method
Combine all ingredients, except the kale, pasta, and olive oil, in a large slow cooker. Stir and turn on low. Cook for 8 hours.
Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Cook a box of elbow macaroni pasta for 6 minutes, or until al dente. Rinse with cool water and drain. Place cooled pasta in a large Ziploc bag and drizzle with olive oil. Refrigerate until soup is ready.
In the last 15 minutes of cooking time, add in the kale. Place a large spoonful of elbow macaroni in each serving bowl and ladle soup into the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil or garnish with parsley or croutons. Serve with crusty bread.
Enjoy!
This recipe is a chop and dump soup - the perfect antidote to the Sunday Scaries - and a great way to meal prep for the week with very little effort.
I started this soup early Sunday morning and let it simmer away in the slow cooker all day, filling our house with all the goodness of something home cooked, the aroma tempting our taste buds all day long. The buildup was half the fun, but the soup itself was worth the wait. Served with a crusty, high-quality, locally made loaf of bread, this soup just hit the spot.
Here's the recipe.
Sunday Slow Cooker Minestrone
Ingredients
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 15-oz cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen, cut green beans
2 small zucchini, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3 cups chopped kale
3 cups cooked elbow macaroni pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
Method
Combine all ingredients, except the kale, pasta, and olive oil, in a large slow cooker. Stir and turn on low. Cook for 8 hours.
Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Cook a box of elbow macaroni pasta for 6 minutes, or until al dente. Rinse with cool water and drain. Place cooled pasta in a large Ziploc bag and drizzle with olive oil. Refrigerate until soup is ready.
In the last 15 minutes of cooking time, add in the kale. Place a large spoonful of elbow macaroni in each serving bowl and ladle soup into the bowl. Drizzle with olive oil or garnish with parsley or croutons. Serve with crusty bread.
Enjoy!
