Sunday, November 30, 2014

Slow Cooker Beef  & Vegetable Minestrone

At the risk of sounding like a whiner, it’s SOO frickin’ cold outside!  I can’t stand these rapid temperature drops-it’s been so hard to properly adjust.  It was way below -20 this morning, and I didn’t want to leave the house.   But, we did anyway and froze out butts off.  I think my only savior was keeping this soup in mind-knowing it would warm me up for days on end! J

The flavor of this soup is incredible-my mum used to make minestrone all the time when I was a kid and I was immediately taken back to her kitchen it when I tasted it.  The basil pesto really brings out the flavor and gives it such a well-bodied flavor.  Plus, it gets me to use my slow cooker-a win in my books!

Slow Cooker Beef & Vegetable Minestrone

Makes 6-8+ servings

INGREDIENTS

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes

¼ cup tomato paste

6 cups vegetable stock

1/3-1/2 cup basil pesto

2 carrots, sliced thinly

4 stalks celery, sliced thinly

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced finely

1 teaspoon oregano, dried

1 teaspoon rosemary, dried

1 bay leaf

1 can (28 ounces) red kidney beans

1 can (19 ounces) white kidney beans

1 pound ground beef, browned

Salt & pepper, to taste

4 ounces whole wheat penne

2 cups green beans, frozen

1 cup corn, frozen

¼ cup parsley, chopped (optional)

Parmesan, for serving (optional)

DIRECTIONS

In a slow cooker, add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, basil pesto, vegetable stock, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, oregano, rosemary, bay leaf, red & white kidney beans & browned beef. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours (6-8 on low). Add the penne, green beans, & corn and cook until the pasta is tender (about 30-40 minutes). Add the parsley & parmesan if using. Serve with bread and enjoy!

Source: adapted from Little Spice Jar