Happy Monday, friends! Fall is officially in the air and the day-to-day schedule is definitely feeling busier. I was very happy to see my friend Courtney Holsworth at A Life From Scratch dusting off her autumn recipes. I made her recipe for Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup with Summer Pesto last Friday for dinner because my crew had to eat in shifts. It was so good, so easy, and totally hit the spot.
What You Need
- 16 ounces mild Italian sausage
- 1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 cup yellow squash, chopped
- 1 cup zucchini, chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated garlic
- 1 diced onion
- 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
- 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
- 1 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup short cut pasta
- Parmesan cheese, to garnish
- Pesto to taste (Costco’s store brand is great)
What You Do
- Brown the Italian sausage and drain the fat. Add to slow cooker along with remaining ingredients except spinach, pasta, pesto, and parmesan cheese. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4.
- Near the end, add the pasta and switch to high (if cooked on low) until pasta is done, roughly 15 minutes or so. Add the spinach.
- Serve soup with pesto and parmesan cheese swirled on top.
AMS hack: Before serving, instead of adding the pasta to the slow cooker, just make it according to the instructions on the package. Then, add pesto to taste. I spooned noodles into the bottom of each bowl before adding the soup on top.
Have a good week!
xo,
This looks amazing! And I have all of the ingredients on hand. Thank you!
Let me know if you decide to make it, Ann!