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Weight Watchers Friendly Slow Cooker Vegetarian Minestrone Soup - 5 SmartPoints
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5 from 2 votes

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Minestrone Soup Recipe

Colorful, flavorful and bursting with good-for-you ingredients, this slow cooker vegetarian minestrone soup is a winner. The addition of a little pesto at the end is brilliant.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Total Time6 hours 20 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: crock pot minestrone, Italian minestrone without meat, meatless minestrone
Servings: 10
Author: Martha McKinnon | Simple Nourished Living

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 stalks Swiss chard (about 1/2 pound) (I used rainbow chard)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cans (14-1/2 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 1/4-inch slices
  • 1-1/2 cups uncooked spiral pasta (whole wheat for Simply Filling)
  • 1/4 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.

Notes

Serving size: 1-1/2 cups
WW Points: 3
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5 SmartPoints (Green plan)
3 SmartPoints (Blue plan)
3 SmartPoints (Purple plan)
6 PointsPlus (Old plan)
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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1-1/2 cups | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 907mg | Potassium: 372mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3284IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2mg