Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• Onions

  Raw

  2 ½ cup, chopped or 400g

• Carrots

  Raw

  1 cup chopped or 128g

• Celery

  Raw

  1 cup chopped or 101g

• Garlic

  Raw

  1 tbsp or 9g

• Chicken broth

  Soup, canned, less/reduced sodium

  4 cup or 960g

• Pasta sauce

  Spaghetti/marinara, ready-to-serve

  2 ⅔ cup or 685g

• Kidney beans

  All types, mature seeds, canned

  1 ½ cup or 384g

• Tomatoes

  Red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice

  1 ⅔ cup or 400g

• Bay leaf

  Spices

  2 tbsp, crumbled or 4g

• Poultry seasoning

  Spices

  1 ½ tsp or 2g

• Spinach

  Raw

  4 cup or 120g

• Zucchini

  Summer squash, includes skin, raw

  2 ½ cup, sliced or 283g

• Whole wheat pasta

  Dry

  12 oz or 340g

Directions

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine onions, carrots, and celery. Microwave for 3 minutes to soften.
2. Transfer the softened vegetables to a slow cooker. Add garlic, broth, pasta sauce, beans, drained tomatoes, bay leaves, poultry seasoning, and pepper. Stir well. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 3½ hours, depending on your slow cooker's settings.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package instructions and set aside.
4. One hour before the soup is done, add zucchini. Alternatively, microwave chopped zucchini for 2-3 minutes and add to the soup along with cooked pasta and spinach. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and adjust seasonings if needed.
5. To serve, ladle 2 cups of soup into each bowl and top with grated parmesan cheese if desired.