Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

makes 8 - 10 servings

1 cup dried great northern beans, rinsed and picked over

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 white onions, chopped fine

4 small to medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28-ounce) can organic whole peeled tomatoes, roughly crushed by hand

8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

2 cups filtered water

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (plus additional for garnish)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, seeded, and sliced 1/4 inch thick

1/2 cup elbow or small shell pasta (regular or gluten-free)

freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

1. Add the beans to a large pot and cover with 1" of water. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain the beans and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.

2. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots, and cook until softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and cook until nearly all the liquid has cooked off, about 10-12 minutes. Then stir in the broth, water, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then carefully transfer the soup to the slow cooker.

3. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours, or until the beans are tender.

4. Add the chopped zucchini to the soup and cook until tender, about 10-20 minutes. If you do not plan to eat the soup all in one sitting, cook the pasta separately. If you are cooking for a crowd, add the dried pasta to the slow cooker and cook until tender, 20-30 minutes. (I used a gluten-free quinoa-based pasta, which I cooked separately on the stove top.) If you cooked the pasta separately, add the cooked pasta to individual soup bowls, then spoon the soup over the pasta, and stir to combine.

5. Garnish with additional fresh-chopped basil and freshly grated Parmesan before serving.