This Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup is loaded with veggies and perfectly cooked pasta in a rich and flavorful tomato broth. It’s hearty, healthy, and couldn’t be easier to make.
Feel free to adapt the recipe by adding a protein, like Italian sausage or chicken, or using up extra veggies from the fridge. If you would rather make the stovetop version, try my other Easy Minestrone Soup recipe.
Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup Recipe
If you have ever been burned by slow cooker soup recipes that leave you with mushy pasta, listen up! This is not that recipe.
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This minestrone soup uses the slow cooker to cook all of the veggies and broth, creating the most deliciously rich and flavorful soup as it cooks low and slow.
The trick to this recipe is that we cook the pasta separately and add it later. Not only does this ensure you have perfectly cooked pasta in your soup, it also keeps any potential leftovers safe from the same fate. Just store the leftover soup and cooked pasta separately so that you can add them just before you want to reheat.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No mushy pasta! Because this recipe cooks the pasta separately and adds it in later, you won’t risk overcooked pasta in your soup. This also makes it better for storing and reheating leftovers.
- Hearty and healthy. This soup is packed with vitamins, is low in calories, and will still fill you up.
- Easy dump-and-go recipe. The crockpot turns this from a simple one-pot recipe to an even simpler dump-and-go recipe. Literally just prep the veggies, toss them in with the broth and seasoning, and set the slow cooker.
- Clean out the fridge! This recipe is perfect for times when you have miscellaneous veggies that need to get used up. You can feel free to substitute any of the vegetables listed with whatever you have. Green beans, celery, spinach, broccoli, and kale are just a few other ideas.
Key Ingredients You Will Need
- Olive Oil – This is used to cook the onion and give it a deep, rich, Italian recipe flavor.
- Onion – Adding onion will give the soup a sweet flavor. We like to caramelize our onions before adding everything else. I promise this little bit of extra time is well worth the hassle.
- Carrots – The best carrots to use are fresh, big carrots. They are even sweeter than the mini ones and don’t have any preservatives on them.
- Cauliflower – A must with Minestrone soup.
- Zucchini – small zucchini is best. If you’re using small zucchini, no need to peel the skin, wash and dice.
- Shredded Cabbage – You can buy the cabbage pre-shredded or do it yourself. It’s a really flavorful, healthy, and hearty ingredient.
- Chicken Broth – You can use the jarred chicken base from Costco and make your own broth, use a carton of broth, or even homemade chicken broth. They all work great. If you’re wanting a vegetarian or vegan minestrone soup recipe, just replace the chicken broth with your favorite vegetable broth.
- Stewed Italian Tomatoes – San Marzano tomatoes work great here. Just be sure they’re diced or crushed or do it yourself in the blender before adding the tomatoes to the soup.
- Kidney Beans – Black Beans or Pinto Beans would work in a pinch. Kidney beans are the classic bean to use a Minestrone Soup Recipe.
- Macaroni Pasta – This recipe can be made with or without pasta. If you’re making this for the main course, the beans and pasta really help make it hearty.
- Parmesan Cheese – If you have a parmesan cheese rind, throw it in the soup while the veggies cook. You can take it out before you serve the minestrone soup and then add some more fresh parmesan cheese on top before serving. Oh, so delicious.
How to Make Minestrone Soup in a Slow Cooker
- Add ingredients to the slow cooker. In a large 6-8 quart slow cooker, add everything but the pasta and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
- Cook the soup. Cover with a lid and slow cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low heat for about 6 hours—until the veggies are tender.
- Cook the pasta separately. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and add to the soup just before serving.
- Serve. Top the soup with Parmesan cheese just before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Add extra protein. If you want to add a little meat to this soup, try adding ground beef, Italian sausage, or even shredded or diced chicken. I recommend browning beef over the stovetop first, just until there is a little pink left. From there, add to the slow cooker to finish cooking along with the rest of the soup.
- Make it completely vegetarian. Just substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth and you’ve got a 100% vegetarian soup!
- Make it gluten-free. To make this soup gluten-free, just swap out the pasta for gluten-free pasta.
- Use different veggies. Basically any vegetable that will hold up in the slow cooker will work well. A few ideas are green beans, broccoli, celery, corn, peas, potatoes, fresh tomatoes, and different kinds of squash.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerator: store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s best to store the soup and pasta separately if possible.
- Freezer: if you haven’t yet added the pasta, you can freeze the soup for up to 2 months. To thaw, just transfer to the fridge overnight.
- Reheating instructions: reheat in a microwave or a small saucepot over medium heat, stirring occasionally. If you stored the pasta separately, add it into the soup and add a bit of extra stock as necessary.
More You’ll Love
Enjoy the deep flavors of this easy slow cooker minestrone soup recipe. It’s made with colorful veggies, perfectly cooked pasta, and a flavorful tomato-based broth.
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Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup Recipe
This Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup is loaded with veggies and perfectly cooked pasta in a rich and flavorful tomato broth. It’s hearty, healthy, and couldn’t be easier to make.
Yields people
Ingredients
- 2 cups onion, diced (white or yellow)
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, cut into 1/4" slices
- 1½ cups cauliflower, chopped into 3/4" chunks
- 1½ quarts chicken broth
- 1 small zucchini, sliced and quartered
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 28-ounce can Italian stewed tomatoes, crushed
- 2 cans kidney beans, drained
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Add Just Before Serving
- 3/4 cup macaroni pasta
Garnish
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large 6-8 quart slow cooker, add the onions, garlic, carrots, cauliflower, chicken broth, zucchini, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, beans, dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover with a lid and slow cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low heat for about 6 hours—until the veggies are tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, drain, and add to the soup just before serving.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with Parmesan cheese before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Storing leftovers: store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
Reheating: reheat in the microwave or in a small pot over medium heat.
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 1077mg | Potassium: 572mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3118IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 3mg
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Crockpot, Easy Weeknight Meals, Fall Recipes, Healthy, Main Dish, Nut-Free, Soups, Spring Recipes, Summer Recipes, Winter Recipes,
