I just used 1 cup dry and cooked it before adding. Was great once I adjusted the salt/pepper levels! Even the kids ate it! I served it and forgot the pasta lol. I have this soup on the stove for dinner —- I didn't use the crockpot. The parmesean rind completely disintegrated in the instant pot. Today I finally decided to make a recipe from the site and I chose this soup. Wondering if I would need to add additional liquid? @KMW- That's great! This is simmering away on the stove right now and smells fantastic. This is so delicious and so satisfying! I also put in 2 cups green beans (the last picking of the season), a can of corn and 2/3 cup of brown rice instead of pasta. About 30 minutes prior to serving, stir in the zucchini and the pasta. I would add them at the beginning, and I’m using uncooked, dry pasta. I cook it separately and add to each bowl. One problem I had the next day though is all the juices were gone almost like the vegetables absorbed them. I don't have a cheese rind, but I do have a wedge of Parmesan. I am going to make this soup this weekend- I love your website! Because there was less liquid, it was a little thick so I didn't even both adding the pasta, which made it an even healtier meal. I love your site , this came out good BUT there was almost no broth!! Do you know what it would be without? What do you recommend doing if I just wanted to add beans whole instead of pureeing? Usually you would grate the cheese off, but you can't really eat the rind; however, it is full of flavor. I also print them as I make them and put them in a binder in case my internet isn't working. Easy Minestrone Soup.  If you’re following a low-carb way of eating, the beans and pasta will make this higher in carbohydrates. It was delicious!! I made this and my family loved it. This was delicious! Nevermind, I just added half a pound of Italian turkey sausage and that was plenty. Hi! Thank you for the leftovers!!! and the chicken cacciatore is in the crockpot for tonight! This is the BEST minestrone I’ve ever tried! Thank you sooo much for this recipe! This recipe looks so good that I wanted to make it for a family get-together this weekend. I made a couple modifications : I’m dairy free so No Parmesan (or rind), I also didn’t have fresh herbs on hand, so I used dried Italian seasoning. omg looks so good… i've been looking for a reason to use my crock pot!! what is the extra liquid needed? But they’re actually the diced zucchini 🙂, If I want to add potatoes when should I? rave reviews. Print Recipe Pin Recipe. Any ideas on converting this to an Instant Pot recipe (and adding pasta after of course)? Thanks in advance! Can't wait to taste it in a few hours. You puréed some of the soup meaning the carrots, celery etc? Is there a typo regarding the Basil / Bay leaf?? I always get compliments when making this reciepe! My food philosophy is to eat seasonal, whole foods and maintain good portion control (everything in moderation!). I love to prepare home meals which is healthy and delicious for my family. Did not have fresh basil either. Just made this tonight for dinner this was delicious! Where do chiefs get their prep times? I ended up putting in 2 cups of un-cooked pasta to cook for 4 mins. Thanks again! I made just as the recipe read, leaving out the pasta and adding turkey sausage, as recommended. Thank you. Pingback: October Menu | Audrey Chlarson Under Construction. If on the stove, do you cook the veggies a little before adding the broth and simmering? The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting the fruits and vegetables. I made this and honestly the flavour is absolutely excellent! I made this in the crockpot and it came out amazing! Next time I’ll scale down on the dry pasta. As written, the green beans are semi-crisp. Yum!!!! Recipe book is wonderful! I opted to leave out the pasta so I could serve with seasoned croutons. As mentioned in the recipe, if you don’t have a rind, just add a 1 inch piece of Parmesan cheese. This soup is amazing!!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe, so delicious. I love this soup! Delicious ! Increase the heat a little so the soup comes to a low boil, then add pasta and zucchini. Also is ther an easier way to chop everything ? Add red wine if using. Use my immersion blender in the slow cooker pot with much more broth added in so as not to have to wash the blender. And, will it be mush if I cook on low and then it sits for a while longer on the warm setting?Â, I add the pasta for convenience, but it doesn’t effect the soup in terms of thickening or anything. Sooo good!!! Never add raw ground meat of any kind to crock pot. Add all the ingredients, except for the spinach and pasta, to the bowl of your slow cooker, ending with the broth and water. I could do either so Id rather do the one that tastes better! Definitely will be making more than once for the fall season. lol. Thank you for another winning recipe! Came out delicious. I will be keeping the beans whole next time but there will definitely be a next time! I did it stove top. Do you add the pasta cooked or uncooked in the 4 minute step in the pressure cooker? Do I buy a pound of spinach? I made this soup and wrote about it here. = 3 tsp. As noted by another reviewer below, it does seem to get thicker as leftovers – more like a stew than a soup. I accidentally bought southern style beans, but rinsed it, and it made the flavor even more incredible. Thanks!! Freezes well too! How many calories would this be without the cheese rind? This recipe is super easy to make… the slow cooker does the work for you! Next time I may use more- I love the creaminess they add puréed but I also enjoy them on their own. I live alone, so I freeze this soup in 1 cup containers and just defrost some when i do not feel like cooking. *. The only spot I’m thinking I might be messing up is the pasta – is it two cups cooked pasta or two cups of dry pasta, cooked. Loved this! Always on the hunt for recipes that we can all eat. So very delicious. It has been a year since I first made it and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to make it again (to be fair – my husband is the better and primary cook in our home). They may be more concentrated than the vegetable base. The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”) which does not count fruits and vegetables in recipes in the calculations as they are now 0 points. Is it used for flavor or? This is fantastic! It’s sneakily hearty and a bit sweet from the tomatoes. best minestrone soup, instant pot minestrone soup, minestrone soup, minestrone soup crock pot, minestrone soup recipe, vegetarian minestrone soup. I love blending the beans with the stock. Gina, your website is fantastic. (Because I had Gruyere rind…) I don’t know if I’d say it’s the best soup I’ve *ever* eaten (that’s a hard statement for me to make – I have consumed quite a bit of soup over the years) but I will say it was absolutely delicious and I know I will make this again and again. This soup is delicious! hi Gina – just discovered your website and have already made 3 recipes, all winners! …love your recipes, they are all delish! I am making so many things from your site and sharing with girlfriends–LOVE IT!!!! Crockpot Minestrone Soup. Cannot wait to try this recipe out; it looks delicious! I added some spinach & feta chicken sausage that I had in the freezer. This soup looks so hearty and delicious! This was a great recipe! Thanks I love your website its awesome! I am vegan so I did not put the cheese rind in and used vegetable broth. I could just drink the broth by itself. Is the pasta measured 2 cups dry or 2 cups after cooking? Have I ever made a Skinny Taste recipe I haven’t liked? I make this recipe for guests often and get lots of requests for the link. Julie Wunder. The flavors work perfectly together and it was perfect for our first chilling day of 2012 in Atlanta. Maybe do everything besides the noodles? Nikki….you should cook the sausage before adding to crock pot. I love it!!! Am i correct that the serving size is 1 and 1/4 cups of soup and 1/4 pasta – all together it is 4 smart points? If I do cook it before should I add it at the end with the spinach and zucchini? xo Juliannereallifesurreallife.blogspot.com, That looks delicious! Delicious as usual! This is a great recipe based on one from the Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook. This looks amazing! So healthy and so delicious! Low Sodium Slow-Cooker Minestrone Soup. http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/2012/09/twenty-slow-cooker-soups-perfect-for.html. I noticed in the recipe there is basil but no bay leaf. All I got to say is that it was delicious. Add first ingredients – In a large slow cooker, combine all the ingredients excluding all the beans, zucchini, green beans, spinach, and pasta. Overall, hubby liked it too and it was awesome! I'm just making it and if I do it on low it won't be ready till almost 11pm. Baby was crying and I got flustered .. is that ok? Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Thanks! Would love to see an instant pot version, love this recipe. Question: could you cook it on high heat for less time? Thanks so much! I also pureed half the beans and kept the rest whole. When serving, if desired, grate parmesan cheese over the soup and enjoy! I’ll have to freeze some for later. BUT I was unable to wait ANY LONGER to make this!!! Love that you puree the beans, I don't like the texture of beans either, and generally leave them out, but I will puree them.  There’s a trick to the timing of adding certain ingredients, but it’s all detailed in the recipe at the end of the post 😉. It was a great way to use the final zucchini from the garden. Not sure. Cook the tortellini according to package directions and add it to the soup bowls separately. Worked perfectly! Could not find in the store. It was delicious. Added more carrots, potatoes and celery, and more salt and pepper. I then followed the directions from step 1 till the end. Thanks! I washed them off and didn’t purée. This is hands down the best minestrone I’ve had! Is it okay to use pureed tomatoes? 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker. I can honestly say this soup was just as good (if not better) than any restaurant and more weight loss friendly. It's listed in the nutritional information with the recipe. broth to liquify it somewhat. When you buy real parmesan, that is cut from a wheel, there is a rind on it. Can’t wait for dinner! What a GORGEOUS pot of soup! Best soup I've ever had! Thanx. It was just one of those days where a pot of soup simmering on the stove was needed. OMG absolutely delicious. I’m so scared that I messed up the recipe! Thank you for the awesome recipe! Thanks for a great recipe! Thanks! Delish! Just a note that the stove top instructions forget to include the bay leaves. Puree beans with 1 cup of the broth in a blender. My family loved it! This reminds me of chicken piccata without capers. What is the best way to do the cooked pasta if I want to prepare that in the morning? Lately I have been adding sautéed sweet Italian chicken sausage for extra protein, I’m making this in the Crock Pot and don’t see when to add the pasta? Also, I used half chicken broth and half veggie broth. Darn it! Great soup, will use this recipe again! Highly recommend. Thank you so much Gina!! Then add the rest of the ingredients up through the cannelini beans, and bring to a boil. Hi Gina! so you’ll need 6 Bouillon cubes. UNITS: US. How to Make Minestrone Soup in the Crockpot Put broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, red beans, zucchini, carrots, green beans, and diced cabbage in the slow cooker. We should eliminate all of the contaminants and weight of all the gloom made in cold weather, air pollution, fatty and sweet foods enjoyed to hot up. I was eyeing the minestrone the other day to go with my meal but went with a salad instead. It is going to be a great soup to put in the freezer for quick dinners. 6 . This came out so good and provided 3-4 meals for 2 of us. 5 minutes before serving, add in frozen green beans and baby spinach, stir, cover and cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. I like Pecorino or Reggiano. Your blog is absolutely amazing. Now that you're here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let's get cookin'! And I know I say it in every comment I leave, but Gina, I just LOVE the pictures, and it is so nice to make a recipe and have it come out like the picture! Please don't tell Jesus I used chicken stock!!!! I love some beans more than others, so pureeing them keeps them in my meal, makes the soup thicker too. Is this normal? I made it on the stove because I was short on time (and added 1/2 can of broth), and I didn't puree the beans, but otherwise I stuck to the recipe. How’s your Spring going so far? This soup is wonderful! I pureed half the beans and left the other have as is. The pureed beans added great body to the soup and I didn’t feel guilty eating it. I cooked it on the stovetop, I left out the zucchini and carrots but added mushrooms . I have also left out the parm rind both times, mostly because i keep forgetting to look for it at the store! Loved by myself and both kids. 15 oz can white beans, drained, rinsed (cannellini or navy). Made this tonight and it was fabulous. I have been looking through this web site ever since I stumbled across it a few weeks ago, oohing and aahing over all the beautiful photography and recipes. 5pp even with veggie stock instead of chicken stock? This recipe is AMAZING! A little olive oil should keep it from sticking. Quick release so the pasta doesn't overcook. So it’s probably much less dry. Thank you for sharing tbis recipe. The Recipe For Low Sodium Slow-Cooker Minestrone Soup. (Yes, chilly in July, and I'm loving it!) For the macaroni, is it 2 cups after it is cooked, or 2 cups dry? The cheese for topping was not included. This is amazing. Did you try this with the Instant Pot? Hi, Gina! I would recommend either adding more chicken broth or water to this recipe otherwise it is a lot of noodles and vegetables, which is great for me, but for people a little intimidated by veggies it may seem like too much of a "health dish". Even as an adult, I hate saying goodbye to summer – I always set aside your soup recipes to make the arrival of fall easier! , OMG this was awesome! Has anyone subbed anything for the pureed white beans? I see in the ingredient list that it calls for pasta (ie, elbow macaroni). It made the soup a little bit thicker for me! Carbs shouldn’t change by not pureeing them. I am eating the leftovers at work as I speak this. One tip–I buy a big bunch of parsley, use the amount for this recipe, and then freeze the rest in 1/4 cup portions to pull out the next time I make it. And since so many are asking, although I have and love my Instant Pot, I still love my slow cooker! Does anyone know where to find the nutritional information for this? I'm Amanda... a wife, mother of two rambunctious kiddos, photography nerd, and bacon lover! This Minestrone Soup is healthy and hearty and made with no cream! Will definitely keep doing this step. Can wait to try this Gina! Looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  It’s low in fat and calories and loaded with healthy vegetables. Do the nutrition facts include the pasta added into the soup as well? Ladle 1-1/4 cups soup into 8 bowls with 1/4 cup pasta in each and top with extra parmesan cheese if desired. Next time I’ll add only one cup of uncooked pasta, or cook it separate and add it with the cooked soup (after 4 mins of cooking the spinach and zucchini in). Honestly though, I still make soup year round… it’s just great comfort food. Can I make it the day before and then heat up the following day and add the pasta and zucchini then? Thanks for a great recipe!! Thanks for ANOTHER great recipe!! Much appreciated! My favorite minestrone soup made in the slow cooker is great for an easy … My whole family loved it. I am addicted to your site! I added black beans and chick peas, loved it! Thank you for all your amazing recipes! This sounds great! Absolutely delicious and as always the recipe was easy to follow! Made this tonight and it was excellent. This was tonight's dinner….so YUMMY!!! What should I do? I put the pasta in raw and it soaked up all the liquid as it cooked. Add the zucchini and spinach, cover and simmer until the zucchini is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. I would probably freeze before adding pasta, though (I leave it out of mine). Thank you Gina for ALL your wonderful recipes with photos. Easy. You can add almost any vegetable to this soup. There’s enough for my boyfriend and my coworkers to last all week. Your email address will not be published. Quick question: how much dry pasta do you need to make one cup of cooked pasta? The fresh herbs and Parmesan rind really make the dish. Crock Pot Minestrone Soup. Gina, you are a genius. 30 minutes before you want to serve the soup, add zucchini and ditalini pasta, stir, cover and cook … Sorry I don’t have that info off hand but a lot less for sure! . So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, now you know why. Is there anyway I could make this and freeze it for later? The soup had such a great flavor. oops. Thanks again! Will definitely try adding turkey sausage next time to make it a fuller meal. Approximately how many ounces of turkey sausage would you recommend adding to this recipe? Can you please adjust this for the Instant Pot? My family and I have been living off your recipes for the past few weeks (when I came upon your site). I adjusted the recipe by sauteing some italian sausage ( i took the skin off of the sausage and broke into small pieces). Hi there. yummy! https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/230298/slow-cooker-vegetarian-minestrone You can cook it on HIGH 3-4 hours. If you’re eating it right away, it should be just fine, but if there will be some time in between cooking the soup and eating it, I would cook the pasta separate and add it to the bowls before eating 🙂, My whole family loves this recipe. Thanks! Especially twith the puried beans for thickening. Made this recipe to take for my lunch this week. Add the remaining broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Quick release, add the pasta, zucchini and spinach and cook high pressure 4 minutes. Wondering, along with anonymous, what the dried spices would measure at. I love the idea of pureeing the beans! Gina, I know this is an older recipe but I hope you see this comment… If I wanted to make this with UN-cooked pasta, could you recommend which adjustments to make (adding more broth, cooking longer, etc)? I just snip up some fresh baby spinach every time I warm up a bowl in the microwave and it worked well. Stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours. 5 star! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who asks for it. Hi Gina!!!!! So hearty and delicious! That must be why my puree turned out so chunky. cheese rind right now. Best minestrone I've ever had. Do you have to puree the beans in beginning? Served with crusty bread and shaved Parm on top. My son even had a bowl for a bedtime snack last night. I always stash them in my freezer just for soups, if you don’t have one toss some grated cheese into the soup while it’s cooking. We’ll definitely be making this in the future. This soup looks delicious, especially with fresh summer vegetables added to it! I also didn’t have fresh basil or parsley so used dried spices and it was still delicious! I would appreciate knowing how many carbs per serving without the pasta.. Combine carrots, celery, onion, garlic, green beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a 6- to 8-qt. Jump to Recipe Print Recipe. I added 2 cups dry and it used the majority of my broth in my instant pot, had to add more. I also sauteed the sausage with a little merlot wine. Looks a lot more like soup now than stew (last night). Check out my blog, fingerscrossedeveryday.blogspot.com for my review. Add carrots, celery and onions and saute 4 minutes adding in garlic during last minute of sauteing. Because I would happily skip this step but I thought it was better safe than sorry! We did not have a Parmesan rind to put in, and I substituted dried herbs for fresh (1 Tbsp + 1 tsp basil, 1/3 tsp rosemary … just now realized I forgot to put in the Italian parsley. Thanks Gina! I still have one portion left in the freezer and I'm still looking forward to eating it.