Slow Cooking Thursday - Chunky Minestrone Soup

Well, another week has flown right by.  I always say that time is flying but am I the only one who seems to feel that it's going at lightning speed the past few months?  Even faster than usual?

Anyway, here is today's recipe, which comes straight from the blog Repeat Crafter Me.  Now this is a soup I think would be delicious on a cold snowy day.

Chunky Minestrone Soup

- 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15oz can kidney beans rinsed and drained
- 1 15oz can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups cooked Rotini pasta. Boil pasta for no more than 7 minutes.
- 1 cup sliced carrots or throw in a bunch of frozen crinkle cut carrots like I did :)
- 1 onion chopped or a bag of Birds Eye Recipe Ready frozen chopped onions (I keep these well stocked in my freezer).
- 8oz of frozen cut leaf spinach or chopped spinach (I used half of a 16oz bag)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic ( I have a jar of Litehouse freeze dried garlic... much easier to keep on hand and you can use it just like fresh garlic).
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano


1. Combine all ingredients in crock pot EXCEPT for kidney beans, cannellini beans and the rotini pasta.
2. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. I cooked mine for 6 1/2 hours.
3. Add beans and pasta. Cook for another 30 minutes or until heated throughout.
4. Serve and enjoy! Makes about 8 servings.
You can even top it with a little shredded parmesan cheese. Delicious!

If you have leftovers sitting in your fridge and you notice it has absorbed most of the broth. Add more vegetable broth, mix and re-heat.