Posted by Kyron | Posted in Recipes | Posted on 10-02-2008
As the parent of a special needs child I am frequently out and on the road at doctors appointments, IEP meetings and after school special activities. Rachael Ray may be the queen of the 30 minute meal – I’ve become the queen of the 8 hour meal! The crock pot is my hero! I throw a bunch of ingredients in the crockpot first thing in the morning, set the time I want it to cook (typically 8-10 hours) and off I go to only open it up in time to serve dinner to the hungry hordes. Weekly on Sundays I will share some of our family’s favorites.
This week’s favorite comes from Slow Cookers for Dummies
Minestrone Soup
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8 hours on low
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp dried Italian Seasoning
- 1 can (14.5 oz) basil, oregano, and garlic flavored diced tomatoes
- 1 cup finely diced carrots
- 1 cup finely diced celery
- 1 cup finely diced zucchini
- 1 cup string beans, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 1 cup peeled and finely diced potatoes
- 1 tbsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 8 cups water
- 1 can (19 oz) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed in cold water
- 1 ½ cups ditalini (small tube shaped pasta)
- ⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
Directions:
- Spray a 6 Qt slow cooker with vegetable oil cooking spray
- Heat the olive oil in large nostick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, 7 or 8 minutes. Add the italian seasoning, tomatoes, carrots, celery, and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes.
- Place the cooked vegetable mixture in the slow cooker. Add the string beans, cabbage, potatoes, salt, pepper, and water. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Add the kidney beans and pasta 20 minutes before serving. Cook until the pasta is tender.
- Stir in the cheese and serve immediately. (We tend to put the cheese on after we’ve dished it into bowls)
Great with a crusty Italian loaf, sourdough or ciabatta bread
