This soup is more stew like than soup. Part of my family are not fans of soups for dinner. It is a texture issue. They want to chew their meal. So, this is a bit of a compromise. This hearty “soup” is a cousin to minestrone. Thicker than minestrone and with lots of beans and pasta this is a warming hearty meal.
Verdict: This makes HUGE vat of soup. We had enough leftover for 4-5 lunch servings after having 4-5 dinner servings. It was nice to have the leftovers for few days of lunches. You may wish to halve the recipe for smaller families or appetites.
I served this with a basil foccacia as a dipping side.
salt and pepper to taste I added 1 tsp salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 (15 oz) cans beans, drained and rinsed – your choice (navy beans, cannellini, kidney, etc…)
1 cup ditalini pasta uncooked
pesto and Parmesan for toppings, as desired
Directions:
Add olive oil to a large skillet and add in ground beef. Cook until browned.
Place the beef in a slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients except for the beans and pasta.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. 45 minutes to 1 hour before serving stir in beans and pasta.
Cook pasta to your taste. We like it a bit more done so ours was closer to 1 hour in the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaves before serving.
Garnish each bowl with a teaspoon of pesto and a few grates of Parmesan cheese as desired.
On Monday, November 23, 2020, What’s for Dinner Moms? wrote:
> koolaidmoms posted: ” This soup is more stew like than soup. Part of my > family are not fans of soups for dinner. It is a texture issue. They want > to chew their meal. So, this is a bit of a compromise. This hearty “soup” > is a cousin to minestrone. Thicker than minestrone a” >
Thanks! Are your soups overcooked? I think that is the biggest mistake most people make is thinking the soup can cook for hours at such a low heat but in all honesty meat gets stringy and dry or vegetables turn to mush. Hope this works for you!
What's for Dinner Moms? 
Slow cooker // 5 mph
On Monday, November 23, 2020, What’s for Dinner Moms? wrote:
> koolaidmoms posted: ” This soup is more stew like than soup. Part of my > family are not fans of soups for dinner. It is a texture issue. They want > to chew their meal. So, this is a bit of a compromise. This hearty “soup” > is a cousin to minestrone. Thicker than minestrone a” >
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Thanks!
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Sounds like a meal-in-a-bowl. 🌿🍃🌱🍅
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Oh my! This sounds so yummy! ❤
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I have failed at many crock pot soups, but this one looks delicious and easy!
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Thanks! Are your soups overcooked? I think that is the biggest mistake most people make is thinking the soup can cook for hours at such a low heat but in all honesty meat gets stringy and dry or vegetables turn to mush. Hope this works for you!
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I think you are right. I’ll have to pay closer attention when cooking them. Thanks!
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