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A slow cooker filled with minestrone soup featuring macaroni noodles, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, kale, and broth, sitting on a white surface next to a striped towel.
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Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

This easy Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup recipe combines fresh vegetables, beans, and pasta in a rich broth. Perfect for those busy days when cooking feels impossible but you still want something homemade and nourishing - just set it and forget it!
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 25 minutes
Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8
Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
  • 2 medium ribs celery chopped
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid 28-ounces
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups chopped mixed seasonal vegetables potatoes, squash, zucchini, green beans, or peas all work
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 cup small pasta orecchiette, shells, or elbow macaroni
  • 1 can beans (15 ounces) such as kidney, Great Northern beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 cups home-cooked beans)
  • 2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale
  • Additional salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Add the onion, carrots, celery, tomato paste, garlic, oregano, thyme, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, water, mixed vegetables, salt, bay leaves, and black pepper to the slow cooker. Stir well.
  • Cover and cook on Low for 6–7 hours or High for 3–4 hours, until the vegetables are tender.
  • About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the pasta. Cover and cook until the pasta is tender.
  • Stir in the beans and spinach (or kale) and cook for another 5–10 minutes, until heated through and the greens are wilted.
  • Remove the bay leaves, taste, and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
  • Serve hot with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, if desired.

Notes

Slow Cooker Size: This recipe works perfectly in a 6-quart slow cooker. For a 4-quart, you might want to reduce the recipe by about 1/3 to ensure everything fits comfortably without overflowing.
Additional Recipe Tips:
  • If using hearty vegetables like potatoes or green beans, chop them a little smaller so they cook evenly.
  • To prevent pasta from overcooking, you can boil it separately and stir it in just before serving.
  • Use a good stock here, it's a big part of the flavor. 
  • Don't be stingy with the salt when serving this because it adds so much to a vegetable heavy dish. 
Serving Suggestion: I like to serve this with some more carbs like breadsticks or sourdough bread so that we all stay full a little longer.
Freezer-Friendly for Meal Prep: Make a big batch and freeze portions for those nights when you need dinner in a hurry. Just remember to cook the pasta separately if you're planning to freeze - it prevents mushy noodles when you reheat!
Storing Leftovers: Your leftover soup will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors actually get better overnight! Just add a splash of broth when reheating if it's gotten too thick.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 876mg | Potassium: 471mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5993IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg

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