Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

This hearty and delicious slow cooker minestrone soup is easy to pull together and makes for the perfect filling dinner on a chilly night.

What exactly is Minestrone soup? I have heard it described as “everything but the kitchen sink” soup by a friend of mine who comes from an Italian heritage.

It is the type of soup that does not necessarily require an exact recipe and is one of those meals that is helpful to make when you need to clean out your refrigerator.

The beauty of that is that you do not have to follow this recipe exactly as stated. Feel free to substitute different vegetables and other ingredients so that you can use up what you have on hand.

Minestrone is a thick soup that is typically made with vegetables and noodles. It may or may not have a meat base to it. That means this recipe is very easy to make vegetarian, or even vegan.

This recipe makes a very big batch of soup. Because of that it takes a bit longer for the soup to cook. Make sure you allow ample time for the soup to cook, especially if you prefer for it to cook on low in the slow cooker.

Because this makes such a big batch of soup, it makes for a perfect dish for a crowd. Serve it with a side of bread and butter, as well as a salad, and you have a very simple dinner ready to go.

I also like to make this soup on a Monday evening, and then I can warm the leftovers up for lunch throughout the week. It is easy to get a lot of mileage out of this soup!

Toppings for Minestrone Soup

Cheese makes a great topping for minestrone soup. My family likes to put shredded mozzarella or grated parmesan cheese. Croutons also make for a nice topping. And while it may be a bit different, my husband likes to put bacon bits on top of his minestrone soup.

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup water

6 oz tomato paste

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed

10 oz frozen mixed veggies

28 oz crushed tomatoes

15 oz kidney beans, drained

15 oz cannellini beans, drained

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp parsley, dried

1 tsp oregano, dried

1 tsp thyme, dried

1 tsp basil, dried

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 cup dry orzo or other small pasta

Method:

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Cook on HIGH 5-6 hours or LOW 8-9 hours