I hope you're having a wonderful weekend. We're spending it on the soccer field, but plan on coming home to a wonderful lunch of leftover minestrone soup and mini cornbread muffins.
The Ingredients.
serves 6
8 cups beef broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes (whole can, flavored is fine)
1 cup dry beans: I used a combo of pinto, black, lima,--- rinsed in hot water
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup sliced celery
1 tablespoon dried minced onion (or 1 small onion, finely diced)
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup uncooked pasta (to add later, I used brown rice fusilli)
parmesan cheese, optional garnish
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Pour broth into your cooker, and add tomatoes and the beans.
I rinsed my beans in hot water, but didn't soak because of the high volume of liquid in this dish. If you live in a high altitude area, you might want to soak overnight, or do a quick soak by bringing the beans to a boil for 10 minutes, then letting them sit in the hot water for 1 hour.
If you are using any variety of red beans, YOU MUST do this rapid-boil to kill a possible toxin that occurs naturally in red beans.
Add vegetables, seasoning, and thawed spinach. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or until the beans are soft. Add dry pasta, and cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until pasta is bite tender. Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
The Verdict.
My kids love this soup. It's simple, it cleans out the cabinets and the fridge, and it really loads an awful lot of fiber and vegetable-goodness into each bowl. I use beef broth for flavor and color. If you're a vegetarian, use veggie broth, but maybe add a bit of balsamic vinegar or A-1 sauce to amp up the flavor just a tad.
Freezes well---but the pasta will swell. You'll need to thin it a bit with more broth or water when reheating.
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