This veggie minestrone is one of our favorite recipes to make in the slow cooker in anticipation of a cold winter night. Assemble it in the morning, let it cook all day, and dinner is ready to go when everyone gets home. In terms of the vegetables, this recipe features quite the variety, such as carrots, onions, celery, zucchini, summer squash, and string beans. For an even heartier soup to really warm the cockles, feel free to add 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced, to the soup at the same time as the other vegetables. Chickpeas and whole wheat pasta also combine to make this
Ingredients
Canned chickpeas
1 can(s), (15.5 oz), rinsed and drained
Canned diced tomatoes
14½ oz
Carrots
2 medium, sliced
Onion
2 medium, diced
Celery
2 rib(s), medium, with leaves, sliced
Uncooked zucchini
1 small, halved lenghtwise and sliced
Uncooked yellow summer squash
1 small, halved lengthwise and sliced
Uncooked string beans
½ pound(s), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Garlic
2 clove(s), chopped
Table salt
½ tsp
Black pepper
¼ tsp
Water
7 cup(s)
Uncooked whole wheat pasta
12 oz, spirals or other tube pasta (1 1/2 cups)
Basil
¼ cup(s), fresh, chopped or flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients except the pasta and basil in a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook until the vegetables are fork-tender, 4 – 5 hours on high or 8 – 10 hours on low.
- About 30 minutes before the cooking time is up, cook the macaroni according to the package directions, omitting the salt if desired. Stir the pasta and basil into the soup. Yields about 2 cups per serving.