Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

Made with a rich tomato base, fresh vegetables, and tender pasta, Slow Cooker Minestrone is an easy, healthy soup perfect for any day of the week.

Pair this Crockpot Minestrone with a tossed Greek salad and a loaf of Italian Bread for an easy, wholesome family meal.

From the rich broth to fresh vegetables, to the hearty pasta, Minestrone is a light, yet filling soup that is easy to prepare, especially when made in the slow cooker.

This recipe for Slow Cooker Minestrone is as easy as mixing everything together and setting it to simmer low and slow to create a rich broth filled with perfectly cooked vegetables. Even the pasta cooks right up in the broth, making this a one-pot hearty meal.

Notes on Ingredients

• Tomatoes: If you have textural issues with diced tomatoes, replace them with tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes.
• Tomato Sauce: For the BEST flavor in minestrone soup, use your favorite prepared spaghetti sauce or marinara.
• Vegetables: Add any vegetables you like to this soup--chopped zucchini, carrots, green beans, yellow squash, celery, etc--whatever your family likes or you have on hand.
• Greens: I use either cabbage, kale, or spinach as the added greens in the soup.
• Beans: Kidney beans, cannellini beans, northern white beans, and pinto beans all work in Minestrone. Use all of one variety or mix and match.
• Red Wine: Use a dry red wine, such as Merlot or a Cabernet, to add additional flavor and depth. But feel free to omit it.
• Broth: If you don't have vegetable broth and are not vegetarian, chicken stock works just as well in this soup.
• Parmesan: It is traditional to top Minestrone with shaved parmesan but without that addition this soup is vegan-friendly.

How to Make Crockpot Minestrone

• In a large slow cooker, mix together the broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, zucchini, carrots, and green beans with the seasonings.
• Stir in red wine and cabbage if using.
• Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
• Turn the slow cooker to high and add elbow noodles to the soup and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.
• If using fresh spinach or kale in place of cabbage, stir it into the soup once the pasta is fully cooked. Turn off the heat and let the greens wilt into the soup for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Storage

Leftover Minestrone Soup can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To reheat the soup, you may want to add in a splash of additional stock to thin out the broth, as the noodles will soak it up as it sits.

You can also freeze leftover Minestrone in an airtight container, leaving 1-inch of space for expansion. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat on low heat in a saucepan, adding more broth if needed.

More Delicious Soup Recipes

• Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
• Tortellini Soup
• Vegetable Beef Soup

If you tried this Crockpot Minestrone, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.