*Updated 10/5/21. Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup is the easiest chunky vegetable soup you can make. It's filled with vegetables and beans in a delicious tomato flavored broth. Just toss everything in the slow cooker and it does all the work for you. It's the perfect cozy meal for those cooler fall and winter nights!

Ingredients

This is a hearty Italian vegetable soup that you can make with whatever veggies you have on hand. Here is the list of ingredients I used.

Broth: Chicken or vegetable broth. I prefer to use low sodium so I can control how much salt I'm adding in.

Veggies: Onion, Garlic, Celery, Carrots, Green Beans, and Baby Spinach.

Beans: Canned Dark Red Kidney Beans and Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed. You could also use light kidney beans or cannellini beans.

Tomato: Petite Diced Tomatoes and Tomato Paste. You'll use the whole can of diced tomatoes, including the juice.

Seasoning: Bay Leaves, Dried Parsley, Dried Basil, and Dried Thyme. Season with Salt and Pepper.

Pasta: Use your preferred small pasta. I used elbows, however ditalini or small shells would also be great.

Parmesan Rind: This is optional. Leave this out to make it Vegan. I highly recommend adding in a parmesan rind for more flavor. Topping the soup with parmesan is also recommended, but the parmesan rind infuses the flavor right into the broth while it's cooking. More info on using parmesan rinds.

Step-By-Step Instructions

This crock pot minestrone soup recipe is simple to make and is great for meal prep. Make one big pot and you'll have lunches or dinners for the week.

Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, except the spinach and pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Low heat is always recommended for the most flavor!
When there's about 45 minutes left, remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind and discard. Stir in the pasta and spinach. Continue cooking on low until the pasta is cooked and vegetables are tender.
Taste and season with more salt and pepper, as needed. Serve and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

This soup will make you feel warm and cozy inside! It's absolutely delicious. Here are a few serving suggestions

Serve with some fresh crusty bread. It's especially great for dipping in this soup. Garlic knots or breadsticks also make a great soup side.
Top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Enjoy with a side salad.

To store, refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container or freeze (once cooled completely) for up to 3 months.

More Recipes

Looking for more cozy recipes? Here are a few more you might like!

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

Author: Nicole | Fresh Apron
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 15 mins
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: Soup
Method: Slow Cooker

Print Recipe

Description

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup is the easiest chunky vegetable soup you can make. It's filled with vegetables and beans in a delicious tomato flavored broth. Just toss everything in the slow cooker and it does all the work for you. It's the perfect cozy meal for those cooler fall and winter nights.

Ingredients

Scale

6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 small onion, diced
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup green beans, cut into ½" pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
15 ounce can dark red kidney beans
15 ounce can great northern beans (or cannellini beans)
14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 parmesan rind (optional)
2 bay leaves
1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
½ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup dry small pasta
1 cup baby spinach, roughly chopped

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker, except the pasta and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
When there's 45 minutes left, remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind and discard. Stir in the pasta and spinach. Cook until pasta is cooked and vegetables are tender.
Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. Serve and enjoy!