Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• Onions

  Raw

  2 ½ cup, chopped or 400g

• Carrots

  Raw

  1 cup chopped or 128g

• Celery

  Raw

  1 cup chopped or 101g

• Garlic

  Raw

  1 tbsp or 9g

• Chicken broth

  Soup, canned, ready-to-serve

  4 cup or 960g

• Pasta sauce

  Spaghetti/marinara, ready-to-serve, low sodium

  2 ⅔ cup or 685g

• Kidney beans

  All types, mature seeds, canned

  1 ½ cup or 384g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice

  1 ⅔ cup or 400g

• Bay leaf

  Spices

  2 tbsp, crumbled or 4g

• Poultry seasoning

  Spices

  1 ½ tsp or 2g

• Spinach

  Raw

  4 cup or 120g

• Zucchini

  Summer squash, includes skin, raw

  2 ½ cup, sliced or 283g

• Whole wheat pasta

  Dry

  12 oz or 340g

Directions

1. In a microwave safe bowl, add onions, carrots and celery. Cook for 3 minutes to soften.
2. Add to a slow cooker the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, broth, pasta sauce, beans, drained tomatoes, bay leaves, seasonings, and pepper. Mix well. Cover and cook on LOW heat a total of 6 to 7 hours or cook on HIGH heat a total of 3-3½ hours. Time varies depending on your slow-cooker.
3. Meanwhie, prepare pasta as per package directions; set aside.
4. Note: One hour before the soup is done, add zucchini. Cover and cook on high heat for the last hour. Or, cooked chopped zucchini in microwave for 2-3 minutes and add to soup with cooked pasta and spinach and continue to cook 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Adjust seasonings, if desired.
5. To serve: Add 2 cups of soup to each bowl and top with grated parmesan cheese , if desired.
6. Makes 12 cups total. Each serving, 2 cups
7. Recipe inspired by: http://www.skinnykitchen.com/recipes/crock-pot-hearty-minestrone-soup/

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