Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker} Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

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An easy to make, Minestrone soup recipe that tastes 1000 times better than the Olive Garden’s version! Myminestrone soup is loaded with good for you veggies, like spinach and zucchini. It’s also protein packed with red kidney beans and great northern beans. You’ll be full for hours from this healthy, nutritious soup!

Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker} Recipe | Little Spice Jar (1)


How about I throw a bunch of ingredients (say, veggies, beans, and pasta) into a crockpot and call it dinner?This slower cooker minestrone soup is probably going to be the easiest thing you’re ever going to cook. And the best part? You didn’t even need to turn on the stove!

I wonder if it’s even legalfor me to call this a minestrone soup recipe? It’s ingredients that get tossed into the slow cooker and a few hours later, they come out in the form of a soup.Don’t you just love lunches and dinners like that? This gal right here is a big fan of those kinda meals.

Minestrone Soup Recipe Video:

Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker} Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2)

So guys, I have news. I♥ vegetables. And you already knew that. And now you know it even more.

My hope for you with this soup → that you make this on a really chilly and busy October night. It’s absolutely perfect for those days/nights when you have only3,018,857 things to get done, and the fact that the crockpot is adulting for you and taking on the dinner responsibilities for the evening means you have the 30 minutes you would’ve spent making dinner to do what. ever. you. like.

Real excitement right there. Ideally, that would happen in a big, comfy chair with a good book and a warm blanket. These oh so rare, picture-perfect moments are brought to you by my slow cooker minestrone soup recipe.

Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker} Recipe | Little Spice Jar (3)

Why this is the best minestrone soup recipe:

Shall I dare say my minestrone soup recipe is better than the Olive Garden’s version? Yes, I think I will. Don’t get me wrong; I first fell in love with Minestrone soup at the Olive Garden. It actually set the expectationof what a minestrone should be for me. The canned stuff was absolutely no good at all. And after researching theinterweb until there weren’t any more recipes left to research, I decided to develop my own recipe.

So what makes my recipe unique and so much better? Well, I’ve got a secret ingredient. Any guesses? Okay, I’ll give you a hint. It’s in the picture above. And it’s a red blob. No, not the diced tomatoes, the other red blob.

*Shhh* I’m only sharing this with you because we’re friends. Ready for it?

Homemade Sun-dried tomato pesto!

Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker} Recipe | Little Spice Jar (4)
Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker} Recipe | Little Spice Jar (5)

That super concentrated flavor of tomato pesto is exactly what minestrone soup needs. Plus, the basil, parmesan, and pine nuts in the pesto add such a great, full-bodied flavor to the soup.

Also, since we’re sharing secret ingredients and all, toss in a few parmesan rinds into the minestrone soup. For herbs, I used dried oregano, fresh rosemary (because I had fresh on hand, dried is fine too), and a few bay leaves.

TIP:I should mention that this does make quite a batch of soup. So if you’re planning on making this for weekly lunches, I suggest cooking and keeping the pasta separately. Then you can add some to each serving before reheating.

This slower cooker minestrone soup is exactly what you need to warm up on a chilly evening. I served it with a few slices of baguette, toasted and rubbed down with a garlic clove.

We dipped, we dunked, and sipped, slurped soup (say that 3x fast) like it was our job. Garlic bread pairs beautifully with minestrone soup! It was a good evening. 🙂

Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker} Recipe | Little Spice Jar (6)
Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker} Recipe | Little Spice Jar (7)

Yield: 6-8 servings

Homemade Minestrone Soup (Slow Cooker)

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time4 hours 25 minutes

Total Time4 hours 35 minutes

An easy to make, a minestrone soup recipe that tastes 1000 times better than the Olive Garden's version! My minestrone soup is loaded with good for you veggies, like spinach and zucchini. It's also protein packed with red kidney beans and great northern beans. You'll be full for hours from this healthy, nutritious soup!

Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker} Recipe | Little Spice Jar (8)

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomato pesto (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1 parmesan rind
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup carrots, diced
  • 1 1/4 cup celery, diced
  • 1 1/2 cup white onion, diced
  • 4 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 sprig rosemary (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) great northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 1/2 cups zucchini, diced
  • 1 1/2 cups tubular (ditalini) pasta
  • 1 cup frozen green beans, thawed
  • 2 1/2 cups baby spinach, chopped
  • Finely shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving (or Romano)

Instructions

  1. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato pesto, parmesan rind, vegetable stock, water, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves to a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
  2. Add in red kidney beans, great northern beans, zucchini, and pasta and cook on high heat for an additional 20- 25 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir in the spinach and green beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes until heated through. Serve warm topped with parmesan cheese and garlic toasts.

Have you made this recipe?

If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #LITTLESPICEJAR, I'd love to see what you made!

*Please note: the nutritional factscalculated are an estimate based on the ingredientsi’ve used.If you’d like a more accurate count, please calculate them using the ingredients/brands you’ve used to prepare the recipe.The nutritional info for this minestrone soup is calculated based on 8 servings.*

Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker} Recipe | Little Spice Jar (10)

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Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker} Recipe | Little Spice Jar (2024)

FAQs

What are all the ingredients in minestrone soup? ›

Common ingredients include beans, onions, celery, carrots, stock, and tomatoes. There is no set recipe for minestrone, since it is usually made out of whatever vegetables are in season. It can be vegetarian, contain meat, or contain a meat-based soup base (such as chicken stock).

What is the thickening agent for minestrone? ›

The secret ingredients for the minestrone soup broth are bacon, parmesan and Worcestershire sauce, and a touch of tomato paste which thickens the broth nicely as well has driving home the tomato flavour.

How to make minestrone soup Gordon Ramsay? ›

Method:
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and add the onions, carrots, celery and some seasoning. ...
  2. Add the thyme, bay leaf and bacon. ...
  3. Tip in the borlotti beans and cherry tomatoes, then pour in the chicken stock or water to cover. ...
  4. Add the spaghetti and cook for 10 minutes.
Nov 6, 2023

What gives vegetable soup that depth of flavor? ›

Italian Seasoning: a classic mixture of oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, basil, and sage goes well with almost any fresh vegetables. Bay Leaf: you should only need one for this big batch of soup, a little goes a long way with bay leaves, giving your soup a great depth of flavor.

What are the ingredients in yes minestrone soup? ›

Deliciously crafted with tomato, carrots, potato, chickpeas and pasta, this canned soup delivers a flavor-packed punch.

What is Olive Garden minestrone soup made of? ›

Saute onion, celery, garlic, green beans, and zucchini in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent. Add vegetable broth to pot, plus drained tomatoes, beans, carrot, hot water, and spices. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

How to make minestrone thicker? ›

6 ways to thicken soup:
  1. Blend all or part of it. If you've made a broth with chunks of vegetable in it, such as minestrone soup, then pour the soup through a sieve. ...
  2. Add cream or yogurt. ...
  3. Add flour or cornflour. ...
  4. Use a butter and flour paste. ...
  5. Blend in bread. ...
  6. Add lentils or rice.

What is the best ingredient to thicken soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute.

What are the two main thickening agents in soup? ›

cooking sauce or soup. Arrowroot starch thickens very quickly and it is unnecessary to bring the mixture to a boil for it to work. Cornstarch, on the other hand, requires heating the mix- ture to a boil to fully thicken the mixture and to avoid any “starchy” taste or texture in the fin- ished product.

How to spice up a can of vegetable soup? ›

Herbs: Fresh chives, thyme, or cilantro stirred in just before serving. Spices: Your soup is probably salty enough, but what about simmering a bay leaf in there for a while (don't forget to remove it before serving)? Depending on the soup's flavor profile, you could shake in some cumin or red pepper flakes.

Is homemade minestrone soup good for you? ›

Made with lots of vegetables, greens and various beans, this dish can provide you with super nutrients that slow aging and help you stay fit. Minestrone has always been a symbol of traditional Italian cuisine and the Mediterranean diet. Made with vegetables, greens and beans, it is a super-healthy mixture.

What's the difference between minestrone and vegetable soup? ›

Minestrone soup is unique because it typically includes beans, pasta, or rice, as well as vegetables, and the ingredients are always left chunky (it's never blended), making it a heartier option. Vegetable soups are usually simpler and don't typically include beans or pasta, and you could have a blended vegetable soup.

What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

What spices add depth to soup? ›

"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.

What are the ingredients in Campbell's minestrone soup? ›

This classic Italian soup is loaded with carrots, potatoes, celery, tomatoes, kidney beans, green beans and zucchini with shell-shaped pasta and spices.

What is the most common ingredient in soup? ›

The most common ingredient in soup dishes is onion. Garlic, chicken broth, carrots, olive oil, tomatoes and celery are also common ingredients in soup recipes. For herbs and spices, cayenne pepper is popular.

What are the ingredients in La Zuppa minestrone? ›

INGREDIENTS. Vegetables (56%) (Pumpkin (15%), Potato, Carrot (9%), Green Pea (5%), Onion, Borlotti Bean, Cabbage, Zucchini, White Bean), Water, Tomato Paste (1%), Salt.

How is minestrone different from vegetable soup? ›

Minestrone soup is unique because it typically includes beans, pasta, or rice, as well as vegetables, and the ingredients are always left chunky (it's never blended), making it a heartier option. Vegetable soups are usually simpler and don't typically include beans or pasta, and you could have a blended vegetable soup.

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