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–+ servings

Crock-Pot, Hearty Minestrone Soup

Crock-Pot, Hearty Minestrone Soup

Ingredients
  

  • 2½ cups onion, diced
  • 1 cup carrots, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (32 oz) container reduced-sodium beef broth, chicken broth, or vegetable broth
  • 1 (24 oz) jar Barilla pasta sauce or your favorite. see shopping tips
  • 1 (15 oz) can red kidney beans or white kidney beans, (cannellini) rinsed and drained
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1½ teaspoons Italian seasonings
  • Fresh ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 Parmesan cheese rind, see food facts below
  • 2½ cups zucchini, diced
  • 4 cups fresh spinach
  • 2 cups cooked small whole wheat or whole grain pasta elbows (al dente) (1 cup uncooked pasta)
  • Parmesan cheese, grated for topping, optional

Instructions
 

  • In a microwave-safe bowl, add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3 minutes to soften.
  • Add to crockpot, cooked onions, carrots, celery, garlic, broth, pasta sauce, beans, drained tomatoes, bay leaves, Italian seasonings, and pepper. Mix well. Drop-in Parmesan cheese rind. Cover and cook on LOW heat a total of 6 to 7 hours or cook on HIGH heat for a total of  3-3½ hours. Time varies depending on your crock-pot. Mine cooked on high heat for 3 hours.
  • 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 and parmesan rind. Adjust seasonings, if desired.
  • To serve: Add 2 cups of soup to each bowl and top with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.
  • This soup freezes great!

Nutrition

Serving: 2cupsCalories: 223kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 11gFat: 2gSodium: 980mgFiber: 10gSugar: 11gBlue Smart Points: 3Green Smart Points: 7Plus Points: 5