Hearty Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup (Easy One-Pot Vegetarian Recipe)
This Hearty Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup is a richly flavored, satisfying Italian vegetable soup packed with beans, pasta, and colorful vegetables. The slow cooker method deepens the flavors beautifully with minimal hands-on time.
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Cutting board
- Chef’s knife
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- 1.5 cups yellow onion, diced
- 28 oz diced tomatoes with juices
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2.5 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- 1.25 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
- pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups water
- 2 Tbsp vegetable base (Better Than Bouillon)
- 15 oz dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 oz cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup diced zucchini (added at end)
- 1.5 cups dried ditalini pasta (added at end)
- 1 cup frozen cut green beans (added at end)
- 1.5 cups baby spinach, chopped (added at end)
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Add carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, seasonings, bay leaves, vegetable stock, water, vegetable base, kidney beans, and cannellini beans to a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
- 30 minutes before serving, stir in the zucchini and dried ditalini pasta. Cook on HIGH until pasta is al dente.
- Five minutes before serving, stir in frozen green beans and chopped spinach until wilted.
- Remove bay leaves. Serve hot and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan.
Notes
For best results, add pasta and tender vegetables near the end to prevent mushiness. If making ahead or freezing, cook pasta separately.