Homemade Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker}
An easy to make, 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!
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 legal for 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:
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 only 3,018,857 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.
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 expectation of what a minestrone should be for me. The canned stuff was absolutely no good at all. And after researching the interweb 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!
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)
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!
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
- 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.
- 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.
*Please note: the nutritional facts calculated are an estimate based on the ingredients i’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.*
Delicious. I made this soup today and was really happy it turned out fantastic. I added wheat penne and beet leaves. Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup Penny! Wheat penne + beet leaves make this minestrone soup even healthier! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment, really appreciate it! 🙂
Just found your blog today via a friend, and I’m loving the recipes so far! For this recipe, what if I don’t have parmesan rind? Just omit?
Hi Rabia,
Yeah, you can just omit the parmesan rind. Feel free to sprinkle on a little extra parmesan when serving. 🙂
I am making your soup Today! Can’t wait to eat it!
Yay! Enjoy Kat! Hope you love it as much as I do! 🙂
It’s a keeper! Agree about The pesto!!!! Thanks!!
Where do you buy the sundried tomato pesto?
It’s usually in the same aisle as regular pesto at the grocery store. I know Mezzetta makes one, so if you can’t find it in your store, perhaps try Amazon? Hope that helps!
Where can you find the sundried tomatoe pesto?
Should have read all the comments first. Sorry!
It’s okay! Glad you found the answer! 🙂
Made the sun dried tomato pesto – it was easy and made about a cup and a half. Waiting for the soup to finish now but it smells awesome! Thanks for the recipe.
Hope you enjoy the soup, Susan! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
First of all, BEAUTIFUL pictures. Second of all, can’t wait to try this recipe–bookmarked, pinned, printed.
Thanks Chelsea! And Thanks for pinning, printing, and bookmarking. 🙂
Do you think if i start with dry beans that have bean soaked overnight i could just put them in for the whole time?
Hi Linsey,
I think dried beans should work just fine for this recipe. I would suggest adding an additional 1/2 cup of water so the beans don’t soak up all the soup. Also, if your beans are over a year old, I would suggest you cook the beans on low for 6-8 hours. If they aren’t, either high or low is fine.
This is such a beautiful dish! I just wanted to let you know that I have a food photo submission site (Simply Creative Recipes) and I am linking to this post if you don’t mind. You are welcome to submit your photos to my site if you’d like.
This soup was delicious and perfect for a snowy night in Utah
This looks delicious! I just watched the documentary “GMOS OMG” on Netflix and it makes me sad that we think we are eating healthy and we are not…Monsanto is killig us and we don’t even know.
I didn’t even have all your ingredients, and it was still amazing! All 10 of my crazy kids thought it was delish. For the ladies who want to use dry beans, I suggest cooking the beans in water on low in the crockpot overnight alone. Then the next day, drain the beans and start the minestrone recipe like normal. I have ruined batches of soup in the past because the beans either never got soft or I ran out of liquid, etc. Thanks for the new recipe!
I’m so glad the kiddos enjoyed the soup, I didn’t think it would be a hit with children, but so glad to hear that it is! Thanks for the great tip about the beans! 🙂
This soup is in my crockpot now, it smells delicious! Do you boil the pasta ahead or add it dry?
Add it in dry, Lori. It will cook in the crockpot.
Do you have nutrition information for this soup by chance?
This is such a tasty and healthy soup, I love all the veggies and the richness that the pesto adds. One note, it really needs maybe a teaspoon of sugar added to take the edge off the acidity of the tomatoes.
If you cook the pasta in the soup it ends up really thick, I’m going to try cooking and storing the pasta separately this time.
Your recipe for minestrone soup was a delicious as it was easy to prepare. I used frozen Italian green beans and the sun dried tomato pesto truly gives this soup a signature flavor. My family, like yours, devoured it “like it was our job”! Thanks for sharing…and the photos are awesome.
Thanks Michelle! I’m so happy to hear your family loved the soup too! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
I am in love with this soup! This is the first time I’ve ever felt like commenting on a recipe blog, I just can’t get over how delicious it is! I found the recipe because in soups is the only way I can find that my 2 year old will eat his veggies. I’m not usually a fan of zucchini or spinach but they blend in the soup well. My son tasted it and told me “mmm, good!” Now I need to explore your site and see what other gems you have!
Hi Melissa, thank you so much for taking the time to comment. You’ve got me feeling all sorts of special! So happy that you enjoyed this soup! It is so good to know that even the little one was pleased. 🙂
Just made this and it’s super yummy! Thank you!
yay! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Tomorrow night we will have outdoor New Years eve.party with friends and family with the fire going on. Minestrone soup will be on the menu ( no that I plan this)
Cant wait to serve that soup.
Hope it was a hit! 🙂
Do you recommend low and slow or high heat?
What size crock pot did you use? I have a 3 quart but do not think all of this would fit.
Hi Angel,
I usually use a 7 quart, but this soup should be able to fit in a 6 quart slow cooker as well. You can halve the recipe to fit it in your crockpot.
What size crock pot?
I used a 7 quart, Stephanie. But a 6 should also work!
My husband and I love this soup. I am celiac (no gluten) and the biggest thing I have to modify is how to add the pasta. We use GF macaroni, and cook it separately, adding it to individual bowls. I didn’t do this the first time, and the pasta completely disintegrated, and soaked up all of the liquid in the soup. But keeping the pasta separate worked like a charm.
Pardon my ignorance but I have never used sun dried tomato pesto. Do you make it or buy it in a jar? Is there a recipe for it? I’m anxious to try this recipe. Thanks! Marci
Hi Marci. You can make sun dried tomato pesto or purchase it in a jar. Either will work. I used a store bought tomato pesto, I know Mezzetta makes a tomato pesto that’s available in most grocery stores in the U.S. If you can’t find it where you live, try searching the web for a recipe. I haven’t made it myself before so unfortunately I don’t have one to recommend to you. Hope this helps! 🙂
Thank you very much for your prompt reply. I will look for it at my grocery store here in Texas. Have a lovely Valentine’s Day!
I found it at HEB Marci! Its in the same section as the pasta sauces. 🙂 I am on the last step of ours right now! 🙂
What would you recommend re cooking this recipe on the stove? I’d love to cook it in the slow cooker but mine is only half that size and I have company coming over and so I want to be able to make the full recipe?
Could I cook the instruction #1 in the pot and finish it up with step 2 on the stove top? Just with the beans and what not half an hour before serving?
Hi Rachel,
you can cook the soup on the stove, I would just use a large dutch oven or any other pot with a thick bottom. Cook the soup exactly as stated but yours will most likely take a maximum of 2 1/2-3 1/2 hours of cooking before adding in the beans. Stir every 30 minutes or so. Make sure to cook it on medium low to ensure maximum flavor without overcooking the veggies.
This was very good. I added more of the veggies and added potatoes and tomato paste. Fabulous!
Michael@ItalianCuisinesandiego
I made a variation of this soup today (it’s getting cooler in Australia!). Loved it! I made my own beef broth and added the meat from the steak. I also added anchovies for extra flavor. And I followed your advice about the Parmesan and sundried tomatoes – yum! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
So are you saying the pasta will cook within 25 minutes of being in the slow cooker? I was thinking of adding the pasta cooked? Sorry, I’m a little confused about part 2.
Yes, the pasta will cook within the 25 minutes in the slow cooker. Feel free to cook the pasta separately and add it in just before serving but the soup will be thinner than if you had just cooked the pasta in the slow cooker. Hope that clarifies things. Hope that helps! 🙂
I plan on trying your version out tomorrow, thank you! Ever since I learned about parmesan cheese rinds and figured out where to find them, I put them in all my slow cooker soups! Just a suggestion that you may want to add in a comment at the end to remove the rind and bay leaves from the soup before serving…
Where on earth would I find just a parmesan cheese rind? Never heard of that. Sorry to be dumb about this.
Hi Diane that’s not dumb at all!
You can find parmesan cheese rinds at your local grocer (or anywhere they have big wheels of parmesan that they cut up and sell in smaller pieces). Most cheesemongers will sell you the rinds at reduced rates or even give them to you for free (Whole Foods has done this for me in the past). I buy my parmesan from Trader Joe’s and several other grocery stores that sell parmesan with the rind attached. It looks kind of wavy and inedible, that’s the rind!
Hubby voted this my best soup ever, and my girl twin ate two HUGE bowls. (Her brother wasn’t fussed, but can’t please everyone, right?)
2 out of 3, i’ll take it! 🙂
I can’t wait to make this.
Do you have the nutritional info per serving?
Unfortunately I don’t have the nutrition information calculated. But myfitnesspal.com is a great site to calculate nutritional facts for recipes if you’d like to do that!
If you get the my fitness pal app go to more, my recipes and foods, click the little plus button, and then click on “add from the web” you can just paste the link to this recipie there and it will calculate everything for you!
Molly, thanks for sharing how the myfitnesspal app can import recipes from the web. I had no idea and it’s a game changer for me. THANK YOU!!
I went on the Mezzeta website and could not locate the sun dried tomatoe pesto. Maybe discontinued? Want to make this, this week. Your recipe looks really good. I like to try different ones.
I did find it on Amazon and ordered it. It was free shipping.