WW Recipe of the Day: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
I first made this yummy healthy slow cooker vegetarian minestrone last April, just as the temperatures were heating up here in Phoenix.
It was delicious, so I'm making it again now while the weather is cold and rainy.
Friendly Slow Cooker Vegetarian Minestrone with Pesto
Brimming with all kinds of good-for-you ingredients, healthy soups like this are just what my body wants as I continue to get back into balance following the holidays.
I love soup and am willing to eat it all year, but am not sure everyone else feels the same way when the temperatures begin to rise here in the desert.
Vegetarian Minestrone Recipe Notes
This colorful slow cooker vegetarian minestrone soup with its rainbow of vegetables is healthy, delicious and vegetarian-friendly.
You can use any multi-colored pasta in place of the rotini.
The directions say to pre-cook the chard stems and onion in a skillet before tossing them into the slow cooker.
Instead, I gave the onions a quick cook in the microwave (affiliate link) to soften them a little, but skipped precooking the chard stems which worked fine.
The addition of pesto at the end really bumps up the flavor. So, if possible, don't skip it. (I love the imported refrigerated pesto from Costco.)
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Vegetarian Soup?
According to my calculations, each generous serving of this vegetarian minestrone has 231 calories and:
5 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
6 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
This recipe will work with Weight Watchers Simply Filling too if you count the olive oil as part of your daily good health guidelines requirement, use whole wheat pasta and count the 2 SmartPoints in the pesto. Enjoy!
Are You Ready To Slow Cook Yourself Slim?
If you've made this Vegetarian Crock Pot Minestrone, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Healthy Slow Cooker Vegetarian Minestrone Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 stalks Swiss chard (about ½ pound) (I used rainbow chard)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cans (14-½ ounces each) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 medium sweet red or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves. minced
- 1 medium yellow summer squash or zucchini, halved and cut into ¼-inch slices
- 1-½ cups uncooked spiral pasta (whole wheat for Simply Filling)
- ¼ cup prepared pesto (omit for Simply Filling)
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 6-Quart.
- Cut stems away from the chard leaves and chop stems and leaves separately. Reserve leaves for adding later.
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and chard stems. Cook, stirring often for 3-5 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a the slow cooker.
- Stir the broth, tomatoes, beans, pepper, carrot and garlic into the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours, or until vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the pasta, zucchini and reserved chard leaves.
- Cook, covered, on LOW 20-25 minutes longer, or until pasta is tender.
- Serve topped with pesto.
Recipe Notes
Source: Taste of Home
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More Delicious Healthy Veggie Soup Recipes for Weight Watchers
Quick & Easy 5-Ingredient Asparagus Minestrone
Summer Vegetable Soup
Slow Cooker Summer Vegetable Soup
Tuscan Vegetable White Bean Soup
Healthy Tuscan Vegetable Soup with White Beans
Simple Garden Vegetable Soup
Simple Healthy Garden Vegetable Soup
Watch how the Domestic Geek makes her own version of healthy crock pot vegetarian minestrone soup - which is perfect for Meatless Monday:
Search for More WW Friendly Easy, Healthy Soup Recipes
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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