Quick & Easy Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

Hi all – here is one simple, low SmartPoints soup I’ll be puting in the slow cooker soon for Flashback Friday . This amazing fall soup recipe will help you use up all the veggies you have on hand.  This has to be by far the easiest Minestrone soup recipe I’ve ever made in the crock pot.  I love it because there isn’t much you have to do when you get home to get dinner on the table, yet, it tastes like you worked all day making it from “scratch”.

Give this recipe a whirl the next time you need to clean out the fridge and pantry.  I definitely think this would be fantastic with some butternut squash, crunchy carrots and even corn (don’t tell The Husband ~ you know how he is weird about corn in his food LOL).

QUICK & EASY SLOW COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP (print it!)

INGREDIENTS

3 cups beans, soaked or two 15 oz cans beans, drained and rinsed

6 oz lean Canadian bacon, chopped

15 oz can fire roasted, diced tomatoes

4 cups of vegetables – I used what I had in the fridge (celery, zucchini, summer squash, onion, bell pepper, green beans)

32 oz chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

6 oz whole wheat pasta

Sea Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Top with parsley and parmesan if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Combine beans through crushed red pepper flakes in a 5 quart crock pot.  Cook on low all day long, about 8-9 hours.

2.  Turn heat up to high, add pasta and continue cooking another 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked through.  Season to taste, top with parmesan, parsley and enjoy!

Makes 10 servings, about 1 heaping cup each

Nutritional information per serving based on 10 servings, 4 SmartPoints per serving or 100% Simply Filling!

I LOVE serving up my soups with really good, chewy, crunchy bread.  Ever since I met the Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes A Day people last year at The Foodbuzz Fest, I have wanted to give it a try.  I mean, who wouldn’t eat more homemade bread if it only took 5 minutes a day!

I honestly decided that I NEEDED to give it a try when I saw the words ~ Garlic Parmesan Knot ~ I haven’t met a piece of cheesy garlic bread I haven’t LOVED.

I used my Kitchen aid and mixed all the ingredients for their Master Bread Recipe in the book together.  You can see a similar recipe they make online here.

I covered lightly with plastic wrap and let it rest.

2 hours later – like 5 times the size ~ WOW!!!  This is enough to make 4 lbs of bread and can be kept in the fridge from 4-14 days ~ you just take it out when you are ready to use it ~ Awesome!.

I used my Eat Right Precision Pro Food Scale to measure out 1 lb of my dough and “attempted” to roll it into knots.  I made sure to take a picture of the “one” that turned out LOL.

While I let my knots rise for 30 minutes, I whipped up the parsley garlic infused olive oil and added a little parmesan to the topping.

I LOVED the consistency of the bread – it was crunchy, yet, dense with a little chew.  However, I think next time I would drizzle just the garlic infused oil to bake them, then, add the garlic on top AFTER it cooks so you don’t get that “burnt” garlic flavor.

I had visions of recreating THESE ROLLS we had in Florida ~ Not quite the same, but, definitely a good start.  Now I have 3 lbs of bread to practice with LOL.

Have an AWESOME Biggest Loser Day Tuesday!  See you all tomorrow ~ maybe for some daily eats.  I can’t believe the FOODBUZZ FEST is only a few days away ~ woohooo!!!  Can’t wait to see everyone.

Night all!