Friday, April 23, 2010

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

I have found this soup, and the way it's cooked, to be a life and time saver.  No more standing over the stove stirring in case the bottom of the pot is burning.  All you need is time to prepare and chop the vegetables.  I really didn't time how long I cooked it.  I put it in the pot at about 10am gave it a stir and turned it down to low at about 1pm and added the pasta one hour before serving which was around 6pm.  That's about it.  It doesn't require oil and if you wanted some of your vegies to be a little crisper like green beans and capsicum, save them till last before putting in the pot, it gives a little crunchy texture.  Enjoy!!  This one's for you Kim.


Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup


2 carrots diced
1 red onion diced
3 sticks celery diced
1 zucchini diced
2 potato's diced
1 red capsicum (red pepper) diced
a handful of green beans chopped
5 rashers short cut bacon (without the fatty ends)
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 800g tin chopped roma tomatoes
1 750g tin 4 bean mix (drained and rinsed)
4 teaspoons chicken stock powder
5 cups warm water
1 cup small shaped pasta
salt and pepper for seasoning


Add all chopped ingredients and garlic to the slow cooker pot with the cooker turned on to high.




Add stock dissolved in the warm water, add tinned tomatoes and drained and rinsed tin of beans, give a bit of a stir.


After two hours give another stir and turn down to low.  One hour before serving taste and season with salt and pepper if desired and add pasta.  You may need to add a little more boiling water at this point as the pasta soaks up a lot.  I baked a chive damper to go with this very hearty soup but a crusty loaf of bread works just as well.



4 comments:

Roger said...

Thank you - that's Friday dinner sorted.

Roger said...

Dinner was a success! Thank you - we'll be doing that again.

Lisha said...

Jolly Good!! Glad it worked for you Kim.

Deb said...

except for the bacon this looks so good!