Minestrone
Starting recipes from Slow Cooker Revolution & An Everlasting Meal
Slow cooker time: 9-11 hrs on low or 5-7 hrs on high
Ingredients
The night before:
- 2 cups beans, Great Northern (dry) (= 6 cups cooked)
In the morning:
- 12 cups good chicken broth
- 2 medium onions, minced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- pinch of chili flakes
- parmesan rind
- 2 pc thick-cut bacon (or other cured meat)
In the last 30-45 min:
- 4 carrots, shredded (in food processor)
- 2 zucchini, shredded (in food processor)
- 1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced (we used grape tomatoes cut into thirds)
- 2/3 bunch kale, chopped (or other leafy green)
- 1 Tbs tomato paste dissolved in a bit of boiling water (or to taste)
- 2 tsp Better than Bouillon dissolved in a bit of boiling water (or to taste)
- (herb) salt (to taste)
- black pepper (to taste)
- 1/2 cup minced fresh basil
In the last 15 min:
- 1/2 box small pasta (or less to start with)
At the table:
- grated parmesan
- Soak the beans overnight in 8 quarts water + 1/4 cup sea/kosher salt. Drain and rinse.
- Saute onion & gallic until translucent.
- Combine the beans and all the morning ingredients in the slow cooker and turn it on. Cook 9-11 hrs on low or 5-7 hrs on high.
- Remove and discard the bacon and (if you can find it) the parmesan rind.
- Set the slow cooker to “high”. Add all the “in the last 30-45 min” ingredients in the order listed. I.e., shred carrots and add them, shred zucchini and add it, then cut tomatoes and add them, etc.
- In a separate pot, cook the pasta.
- Once the everything in the slow cooker has softened to your liking, serve in bowls mixed with a couple of spoonfuls of pasta and topped generously with parmesan.