Crock Pot Monday: Minestrone Soup

Back to school means back to planning meals and overworking my crock pot! Yesterday I dreamed up this idea to have "Crock Pot Monday" every week...until further notice. Mondays are usually long and tiring for me (especially during the first few months of school). So every Monday I'll be using my crock pot, trying a new recipe, and sharing the results here with you! So many great friends have sent me recipes using a crock pot and I'm dying to try them all!

I know it's still summer and WAY too hot to eat soup...But Jason and I both love minestrone soup and so I had to try this. It was super easy! I decided to add a pound of lean ground beef to the soup to make it a little more hearty. It was a great addition! This stuff is GOOD! It's going to be even better this Winter.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 1 can of rotel
- 1 can of white beans (drained and rinsed)
- 4 cups of chicken broth
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 teaspoons of chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 cup of chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 2 cups of cooked small pasta (I used elbow)
- salt and pepper
- parmesan cheese to top

Directions:
1) Combine broth, can tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
2) Forty minutes before the soup is done, add zucchini.
3) Cover and cook for 30 more minutes.
4) Add cooked pasta and cook for 10 more minutes.
5) Remove bay leaves and rosemary sprig and season to taste.
6) Top with parmesan cheese.
7) Voila!

    Get Cookin'!