Crockpot Minestrone Soup Recipe

5 from 6 votes

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An Italian family favourite, this soup is packed with beans and vegetables to make a complete meal. Using a crockpot means you come home and dinner can be on the table in minutes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time8 10

Total Time8 25

Servings: bowls

Author: Marcellina

Ingredients

1 ¾ cup dried beans (see Notes 1 and 2)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion (finely diced)
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped or crushed)
1 cup diced bacon
1 cup water
2 carrots (peeled and diced)
1 potato (peeled and diced)
2 celery sticks (diced)
1 zucchini (diced)
1 cup sweet potato (diced)
3 cups water (extra)
3 cups chicken stock
½ cup tomato puree (passata)
2 bayleaves
1 parmesan rind
black pepper (freshly ground)
½ cup dried pasta (optional, see Note 3)

Instructions

Place the beans into a large pot and cover generously with water. Soak overnight. The next day, bring to the boil and boil continuously for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside for use later.
In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Fry the onion and garlic until translucent.
Add the bacon. Cook until starting to brown.
Scrape onion/bacon mixture into slow cooker bowl.
Return pan to heat, add 1 cup water and stir to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Tip this water along with all the flavoursome browned bits into the slow cooker bowl.
Add remaining ingredients (including the cooked beans) except for pasta.
Cook on high for 8 hours
About 1 hour before the soup is done, add the pasta and stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve with a generous grating of Parmesan cheese

Stove Top Version

Simply fry onion, garlic and bacon in a large saucepan.
Add remaining ingredients (except pasta) and bring to the boil. Skim if necessary.
Reduce heat and simmer gently, covered for 2-3 hours or until beans are tender and lentils and split peas have broken down.
Add pasta in the last 10 minutes.

Notes

Grab an Italian soup bean blend! These vibrant packs typically burst with a variety of beans and lentils, like borlotti, navy, red kidney, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, and a rainbow of lentils (yellow, red, and green split peas).
If you can't find an Italian soup bean blend, pick your favorites! Just be sure to include a mix of lentils or split peas along with your chosen beans for the best textural symphony in your soup.
Any small dried pasta will be fine. Don't add the pasta if you are going to be freezing the soup because the pasta will swell and become mushy.

Should dry beans be cooked in the slow cooker?

For guaranteed peace of mind, give your dried beans a quick ten-minute boil on high heat before adding them to your slow cooker. This zaps any lingering toxins, making the beans safe and delicious.

Of course, there's always the handy option of canned beans. If you're short on time, these are a great choice! My personal favorite combo is a mix of red kidney beans, chickpeas, and white beans, all from 14.5-ounce (400-gram) cans. You can even throw in ½ cup of red lentils for some extra variety. With canned beans, pre-boiling is unnecessary, and you can cut the cooking time down to a speedy 4 hours.

Nutrition