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SLOW COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup – Loaded with fresh vegetables, beans, pasta and cozy rich flavors of tomato and herbs, this healthy minestrone soup is naturally low fat, yet it’s packed with protein and fiber!

top down view of a bowl full of freshly made best slow cooker minestrone.

This minestrone recipe has been one of my family’s favorite soups for as long as I can remember! Filled with vegetables, beans, and pasta, it is naturally low in fat and oil free making it a hearty yet healthy vegan soup recipe.

This easy slow cooker soup recipe requires just a bit of chopping the veggies in the morning, then you can let it simmer away in the crock-pot until dinnertime.

A squeeze of lemon at the end adds a little acidity to make all the flavors pop, and then you’ll wilt in some fresh spinach just before serving so that it stays green and vibrant rather than disintegrating into the soup.

top down view of veggie broth being poured into slow cooker with ingredients for best minestrone soup.

Ingredients You’ll Need

In this Italian minestrone recipe, we’ll be slow-cooking a variety of vegetables in a crockpot creating a flavorful clear broth soup that’s hearty and delicious.

Here’s everything you’ll need:

  • Onion
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Zucchini
  • Green beans
  • Spinach 
  • Kidney beans
  • Cannellini beans
  • Garlic
  • Tomatoes 
  • Pasta 
  • Herbs 
  • Veggie broth
top down view of slow cooker minestrone soup ingredients added to a crockpot and ready to cook.

How To Make Slow-Cooker Minestrone Soup

Cooking soup in a slow cooker is so easy, you can set it and forget it with a just a few easy steps and 10 minutes hands on.

  • Add all the ingredients, except for the spinach and pasta, to the bowl of your slow cooker, ending with the broth and water. Give a good stir.
  • Turn on HIGH and cook for 4 – 5 hours, or LOW and cook for 7 – 8 hours.
  • 30 minutes before the soup is done, add the spinach to the slow cooker.
  • While the soup is finishing, cook the pasta and add it to the soup when ready to serve. Remove the bay leaves.

Can I make minestrone soup on the stovetop? Yes, this Vegan Minestrone Soup is made on the stovetop and is super easy to make, and is ready in about 30 minutes.

top down view of slow cooker filled with freshly cooked easy minestrone soup.

Tips For Your Best Minestrone Soup

  • Change up the veggies: The ingredients for this Italian minestrone soup can be changed up with the seasons using what is available. Add other seasonal veggies such as corn, potatoes, winter squash, peas, parsnips, cabbage, kale, etc. Use frozen veggies when applicable.
  • Make it gluten-free: Use gluten free pasta for a gluten free minestrone soup.
  • Vary up the herbs: Change up the herbs using fresh or dried. Herbs such as Italian seasoning and herbs de provence are great. Individual herbs, dried or fresh, you can use include: oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram and parsley. Basil is a popular herb for minestrone.
  • Add vegan sausage: Toss in some vegan sausage, diced or sliced for extra hardiness and protein.
  • Cook the pasta separate, if it’s cooked in with the soup it becomes mushy and extremely unpleasant. For best results, cook the pasta ahead of time or 30 minutes before the soup is ready. You’ll be very happy to have firm pasta instead of mush!
top down view of a ladle holding up a scoop full of best minestrone soup from a slow cooker dish.

How To Store Leftovers

  • Refrigerator: Leftovers can be kept for 5 – 6 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
  • Freezer: This soup is freezer-friendly and freezes well for 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link), leaving 1/2 inch head space for expansion. Let thaw before reheating. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock bags or containers.
  • Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Alternately, reheat in the microwave using 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until warm. It makes a great meal prep for the week with homemade vegan cornbreadno knead bread, or naan on the side for soaking up the juices.

Serving Suggestions

I like to garnish my soup with parsley, a squeeze of lemon and twist of fresh cracked pepper. Here are a few of my favorite sides:

side angle view of a bowl filled with slow cooker minestrone soup.

More Veggie Soup Recipes

If you try this slow cooker minestrone recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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EASY MINESTRONE SOUP (SLOW COOKER)

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5 from 7 reviews

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup Recipe – Loaded with vegetables, beans and pasta, this minestrone soup is made even easier in the slow cooker!

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 5 hours
  • Total Time: 5 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 – 6 1x
  • Category: Soup, Entree
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: Vegan, Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 zucchini, cut into half moons
  • 1/3 lb. green beans cut into 1 inch pieces, about 1 1/2 cups
  • 34 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (14oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (14oz) cannellini or northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes, with juices
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 23 bay leaves
  • generous pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
  • 45 cups vegetable broth or water (or combo)
  • big handful of fresh spinach
  • 1 cup pasta (small pasta such as elbow, shells, mini penne or rotini)
  • mineral salt & pepper to taste

Optional garnish

  • lemon, juice of
  • fresh chopped parsley

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker, except for the spinach and pasta, ending with the broth last. Give a good stir and cook:

  • HIGH for 4 – 5 hours
  • LOW for 7 – 8 hours

Add spinach during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Cook the pasta according to package directions, adding to the soup once it has finished cooking. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Serve with squeeze of lemon and parsley overtop. Pairs great with Artisan Bread!

Serves 4 – 6

Store: Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 – 5 days. To freeze, place into freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months.

Notes

Vary up the seasoning with 1 or 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or herbes de provence. Other dried herbs that would work include thyme or rosemary. Fresh herbs are great too!

Recipe adapted from Food Network.

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21 Comments

  1. I felt like this recipe had no flavor and was extremely bland.

  2. I really want to make this for my family but my husband hates beans. If I didn’t include them would you recommend replacing them with anything or would I just omit them completely? Do you think the recipe would still turn out? It looks delicious, thank you!






    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Great question, Sonya! You can make the soup and omit the beans. You might like to add a cup or two of fresh or frozen peas instead. They are a good source of plant-based protein. Or, if he likes lentils, add a can of those instead (rinse them before using them or use them right from the can with all the flavoring they have). I hope that helps. Enjoy!

  3. I made this recipe for the first time 4 weeks ago and it was a hit. I have made it every week since then as I LOVE to have it on hand for meals. It’s the best minestrone I’ve ever had and I’ll be making it for the rest of my life!






  4. Great recipe, delicious on a cold fall or winter day with some nice bread. One thing, the cooking time, above the ingredients list says that the cooking time is 3 hours, however this is definitely at least a 4 hour recipe as mentioned later in the recipe.






  5. Silvia L Kantor says:

    Absolutely delicious! My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Thanks for sharing, Silvia – so glad you both enjoyed the recipe! Cheers :)

  6. So easy! I’ve noticed that so many veg slow cooker recipes require cooking the veggies before putting them in the crock pot… For me, it just defeats the purpose and I might as well make it on the stove in those instances. But this recipe lets you throw everything right in (except the pasta) and go about your day. I followed the recipe pretty much to a T, except I used kale instead of spinach because that’s what we had on hand. Thank you so much for this recipe! This will be a regular meal at our house.






  7. Great soup, and so easy! We loved it, thanks!






  8. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

    Thanks for sharing, Christina! I’ve updated the recipe to add the bay leaves, and I’ve added an extra hour overall to the cooking times!

  9. Christina says:

    The flavor of the soup was good. I love all the veggies. Great tip to cook the pasta separately. Next time I will make it in a Dutch oven so I can sauté the carrot, onion, and celery. I had the soup in the crockpot for 4 hours on high and those veggies did not seem to cook down enough for me.

    The bay leaves- I noticed that they are in the blog post, but not the ingredient list! Almost forgot them!

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Thanks for sharing, Christina! I’ve updated the recipe to add the bay leaves, and I’ve added an extra hour overall to the cooking times!

  10. Do you have the measurement for each serving?

    1. Julie | The Simple Veganista says:

      Hi Lisa, I never measured but I would guess about 1 + 1/2 cups for the 6 servings per the nutritional card.

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