This simple and hearty Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup is a warm and comforting hands-off recipe that’s great for meal prep, and your whole family will love. It takes just minutes to prep before the crockpot does the rest of the cooking for you.
The slow cooker is the MVP of mealtime in our house. I try to use it for everything, and soups are a no-brainer. This Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup is one of our family’s favorite dinners (and lunches!) and it comes together in the slow cooker so easily with minimal prep time – just set it and forget it! The best part? It tastes like you simmered it for hours on end. Plus, it gets the whole house smelling savory and delicious.
This Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup is meal-prep perfection since it can be made ahead of time, and prepped in advance. Packed with simple to use store-bought veggies and pantry staples like hearty beans and tangy tomatoes, this hearty soup is full of delicious Italian-inspired flavors, and it’s just so warm and comforting, you’ll want to make it on repeat.
If you like this one-pot crock pot meal, try these other easy and delicious hands-off recipes. We love this cheesy Slow Cooker Pizza Casserole and this warm and comforting Slow Cooker Beef Ramen.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Veggie-Friendly: This minestrone is naturally vegetarian and super easy to customize. Add in any of your favorite veggies or whatever you have on hand. It’s a great clean-out-the-fridge soup.
- Hands-Off Soup: Using the slow cooker, this soup is simple to throw together and no-fuss. Set it and forget it, and we promise it tastes like it simmered for hours.
- Versatile: Packed with veggies and flavor, this soup is filling enough to be enjoyed as a full meal or simple enough to be served as a side dish.
- Perfect For Meal Prep: Make this in advance and serve later for a stress-free dinner for the family, or make it ahead and freeze for a quick and easy weekday lunch. It’s great for prepping ahead and serving at a later time for any meal.
Ingredients
- Diced Tomatoes: Essential in a minestrone. A pantry staple I have on hand at all times.
- Mixed Frozen Veggies: Always keep a bag in the freezer!
- Potatoes: Starchy and hearty, these get creamy and soft once cooked.
- Onion: We like white for the sharp flavor, but yellow works well too.
- Garlic: Freshly minced is always best.
- Italian Seasoning: Use your favorite from the store. Dried parsley and oregano would work well, too.
- Salt & Pepper: Be sure to season generously.
- Bay Leaves: Keep dried on hand to throw into soups and stews.
- Beef Broth: The savory base for the soup.
- Water: Add more to thin out the soup, if needed.
- V8 or Tomato Juice: Tangy and rich tomatoey flavor.
- Red Kidney Beans: Classic to this soup, adds protein and color.
- Cannellini Beans: Creamy and hearty, use any canned white bean.
- Ditalini Pasta: We love this small short-cut tube pasta, but any small pasta shape works well.
Equipment to Use
How To Make Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
1. Place your diced tomatoes, mixed veggies, potatoes, beans, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, bay leaves into your crockpot.
2. Add in beef stock, water, and V8. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or 3-4 hours on HIGH.
3. After it’s cooked, add in pasta and cook on high heat for an additional 10-15 minutes until pasta is tender.
Expert Tips
- Add Pasta At The End: Wait until the soup is almost finished cooking. This will prevent it from overcooking and getting mushy.
- Cut Veggies Uniformly: When all ingredients are about the same size, they’ll cook evenly.
- Use Fresh Herbs: Add these at the end, right before serving for a bright, fresh flavor. Parsley is one of my favorites.
- Adjust Consistency: If the soup is slightly too thick, stir in a ladle of extra broth before serving to thin it out.
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: This is worth the extra step! Do this before adding to the slow cooker for a deeper flavor.
- Serve On The Side: This soup is perfect when served alongside grilled cheese, toasted bread, or a simple green salad.
Variations & Substitutions
- Add Meat: Try ground turkey or Italian sausage for a tasty, bulked up version with meat.
- Go Gluten-Free: Substitute gluten-free pasta for regular pasta. There are so many great options available!
- Swap In Different Beans: Try using chickpeas instead of kidney beans for a slightly different flavor and texture. Almost any canned bean would work great.
- Add Potatoes: Add in diced potatoes to make the soup extra hearty.
- Stir In Pesto: Add a drizzle right before serving for added flavor and a little extra color.
Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Add a splash of extra broth to loosen, if needed.
You can freeze leftovers, too. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months, but we recommend freezing without the pasta, as the texture turns mushy once thawed. Add fresh pasta once the soup is rewarmed on the stove, when you’re ready to enjoy.
Make this soup ahead of time for a time-saving meal. Again, just prepare it and store without the pasta for the best texture. Either store in the fridge for dinner later (or lunch the next day!), or freeze for a future meal.
FAQs
You don’t need to cook the pasta separately, just be sure to add it towards the very end of cooking so it’s not overcooked and mushy. However, if you’re making this soup in advance to serve later, cook the pasta separately and add right before serving. Otherwise the noodles will be overly soft.
Sure, canned vegetables will certainly do the trick, however they might change the overall texture of the soup, as they’re slightly softer than fresh or frozen veggies.
You can either remove the lid and let the soup simmer and reduce slightly for a thicker consistency, or you can add diced potatoes. The starch will thicken the broth. You can also add mashed white beans to give the soup a thicker texture and more protein.
More Comforting Soup Recipes:
Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
Method
- Place your diced tomatoes, mixed veggies, potatoes, beans, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, bay leaves into your crockpot.
- Add in beef stock, water, and V8. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or 3-4 hours on HIGH.
- After it’s cooked, add in pasta and cook on high heat for an additional 10-15 minutes until pasta is tender.