Slow Cooker Pesto Minestrone Food

SLOW COOKER MINESTRONE SOUP WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PESTO

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, brown the Italian sausage over medium to medium-high heat. Drain the fat.
• Meanwhile, chop the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic.
• Add the tomato paste, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and dried oregano.
• Saute for about 5 minutes.
• Add the can of Italian tomatoes and chicken broth. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30-45 minutes, until all the carrots are tender.
• Add both cans of beans, the zucchini, yellow squash, and dry pasta. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
• Simmer another 10 minutes, until the pasta is cooked.
• At this point, you can add another cup or two of chicken broth, if you feel like it's not "soupy" enough.
• Turn off the heat and stir in the baby spinach. I like to roughly chop mine so it's easier to eat, but you don't have to!
• Wait about 5 minutes for the spinach to wilt, and then it's ready to serve. Season with salt and pepper. (I actually didn't add any! Sign of a killer soup, right?)
• Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of pesto and a few grates of Parmesan cheese.

SLOW-COOKER VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Add the beans, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, celery, sweet potato, onion, crushed red pepper flakes, Parmesan rind, if using, 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper to the insert of a 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and 4 cups water. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low.
• Stir in the kale, cover and let simmer until just wilted, about 10 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan. Serve with toasted baguette, if desired.
• If using pasta, spoon 1/2 cup cooked pasta into each bowl and ladle the soup on top. Store the pasta and soup in separate containers.

SLOW-COOKER MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Combine the first 13 ingredients in a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until vegetables are tender. Stir in beans, zucchini and pasta. Cook, covered, on high about 30 minutes longer, until pasta is tender. Discard bay leaves. If desired, top with grated Parmesan cheese. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add water if necessary.

EASY SLOW COOKER VEGETARIAN MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat oil in the bottom of a 4- or 6-quart slow cooker on High. Add zucchini, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt, and pepper; stir to combine.
• Pour in vegetable stock, chickpeas, undrained tomatoes, and green beans. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 7 hours.
• Add ditalini and cook for 1 more hour. Stir in pesto and serve.

MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in a stockpot. Stir in leek and onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and garlic; cook for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Pour hot vegetable broth into the pot and stir well. Add bay leaf and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Stir in zucchini and peas. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cover, and let simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Uncover the pot and stir in beans. Let simmer for 10 minutes; stir in pesto sauce and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

VEGETARIAN SLOW-COOKER MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Place beans, carrots and garlic in slow cooker sprayed with cooking spray. Add broth; stir. Cover with lid.
• Cook on LOW 7 to 8 hours (or on HIGH 3-1/2 to 4 hours).
• Stir in pasta and pesto sauce; cook, covered, on LOW 30 min. (or on HIGH 15 min.).
• Add spinach and lemon juice; stir. Serve topped with cheese.

PESTO MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the water, mixed vegetables, broth, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 minutes. , Add the tortellini, zucchini and pesto. Simmer, uncovered, 7-9 minutes longer or until pasta and vegetables are tender.

GREEN PESTO MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, celery and a pinch of salt, and fry for 8 mins until soft. Add the stock with the zest and juice of the lemons, and season. Stir in the orzo and cook for 5 mins, then add the peas and spinach, and cook for a further 5 mins. Swirl though the pesto and season.
• Heat the flatbreads, if using, following pack instructions. Ladle the soup generously into bowls and top with a handful of parmesan. Serve with the flatbread to dip.

MINESTRONE WITH BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except summer squash, peas, macaroni, basil pesto, salt, pepper and cheese in slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours, adding summer squash during last hour and peas, macaroni, and basil pesto during last 20 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

SUMMER MINESTRONE AL PESTO

Steps:

• Set a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat, and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to color, 5 or 6 minutes.
• Add garlic, bay leaf, tomato paste and red pepper. Cook, stirring, for another minute, then add wine, if using, and tomatoes, and bring to a brisk simmer.
• Add 8 cups water and a good pinch of salt and let mixture return to a brisk simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then taste for seasoning. The broth should be well seasoned before the vegetables go in.
• Make the pesto: As the broth simmers, pound the garlic and salt to a paste in a large mortar. Beginning with a few basil leaves at a time, pound basil to a paste, then add parsley leaves and a little salt. Continue to pound until all the basil and parsley have been pounded into a coarse green paste. (Alternatively, many people may wish to make the pesto in a food processor.)
• Transfer to a serving bowl and whisk in olive oil and Parmesan. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set pesto aside covered with a thin layer of oil or with plastic film pressed against its surface to prevent oxidation.
• Add the zucchini, romano beans and pasta to the simmering broth and cook 7 to 8 minutes, until pasta is al dente. Add green beans and cook for a minute or 2.
• Ladle soup into bowls, topping each with a dollop of pesto. Pass more grated Parmesan at the table.

CHICKEN MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except the cannellini beans, zucchini, green beans and pesto in a 4-qt or larger slow-cooker.
• Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
• Stir in cannellini beans, zucchini and green beans. Cover and cook on high 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
• Spoon into bowls; top servings with pesto.