Hello there, Slow Cookerers, and Happy Wednesday!!
I hope you are staying cozy, wherever you are. It is CRAZY cold out there!!
Here is a fantastic Minestrone Soup recipe that is customizeable for your own tastes
--- you can add meat, any of your favorite vegetables, pasta, beans, --
you name it!
Minestrone Soup
More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow page 130
serves 6
8 cups broth (my favorite is beef broth. If vegetarian, stick with veggie)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh diced)
1 cup dry pinto, black, or lima beans, rinsed in hot water (or 2 cans of your favorite beans, rinsed)
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 small onion, diced (or 1 tablespoon onion flakes)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup dry pasta (to add later)
Parmesan cheese for garnish
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour the broth and tomatoes into your slow cooker. Add the dry beans.
[Since I live at sea level and because this is such a small amount of beans, and because they are not red, I did not soak or pre-boil the beans. If you know that you have trouble softening beans in your pot or where you live, you may want to soak overnight or use canned beans.]
Add the vegetables, Italian seasoning, and drained spinach.
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the vegetables and beans are bite-tender.
Stir in the raw
pasta and cook on high for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until pasta has reached desired tenderness.
Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
The Verdict.
Delicious and hearty. If you'd like to add lean ground or diced meat, you may certainly do so. This soup freezes and reheats quite well, although the pasta will break down a bit on you during the
reheating process.
Enjoy!!
Happy Slow Cooking and stay warm!!
steph
If you are looking for ALL of the recipes on the site, listed in Categories -- This is the Table of Contents for the website.
have a great day and consider yourself loved and hugged.
xoxo steph
