Slow Cooker Minestrone ( My Own)

Ah the slow cooker. What a glorious piece of culinary technology. It's great for the modern family on the go. Just throw some yummy goodness in and let magic happen. When you come home and remove that lid... oh what sorcery.

Traditionally minestrone is a vegetarian soup but I used chicken broth for the base. It is served with toasted bread. Tonight I served it with garlic bread.

3 cans of low sodium Chicken broth
1 can of red kidney beans (rinsed)
1 can of green beans (rinsed)
1 can of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 calabash or grey squash
1 zucchini
1 large onion (sliced into half moons)
3 stalks of celery (diced)
3 carrots (diced)
4 cloves garlic (smashed and minced)
2 tbsps of 21 seasoning salute from Trader Joe's
1 cup of dry pasta (use a solid pasta, speghetti will fall apart)
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan for garnish

Prep time: 20-25 minutes (depending on how quick you are with the veggies)
Cook time: All DAAAY!!!

Place all veggies into the slow cooker and add the garlic. Add tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes into the pot. I mixed it up before I added the chicken broth. Add chicken broth. Add seasonings, salt and pepper and mix the soup together. About 15 minutes before serving add dry pasta to the soup. I didn't want mushy noodles that is why I added it at a later time. Portion out soup and sprinkle Parmesan on top.

Optional: Serve with bread. Dip it the soup...

Enjoy!

~Caroline