Vegetable Soup Explosion--Slow Cooker Version

for the love of veggies's Note:

This soup was created on a lovely Saturday morning in June. Birds were chirping, the sky was bright and blue, and I was craving vegetables like a mad woman! The veggies in this soup are complimented by an assortment of herbs and spices and homemade vegetable broth. There are lots of onions in this soup...mmmm... Use a food processor to speed up preparation time. Cook time includes maximum time in slowcooker. Use a large 6 quart slowcooker to ensure all the veggies and pasta will fit!

• Total Time: 8 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 8 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 6

Yield: 3.0 quarts

• 1 1/2 cups red onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup bell pepper, chopped (any color)
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 large celery rib, chopped
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen green bean
• 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 small russet potato, diced (small pieces)
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups vegetable broth (preferably homemade)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
• 1 dash red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup shell pasta (or any other small-shaped pasta)

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients, except for pasta, to slow cooker in order above.
2. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
3. One hour before soup is done, add pasta.
4. Variations:.
5. This soup is extremely versitle.
6. You can substitute almost any vegetable in this recipe for another and still get great results.
7. For a richer soup, replace the water with broth for a total of 6 cups liquid.
8. Substitute rice or wild rice for pasta.
9. Add beans (red, black, or lima).
10. The first time I made this, I used wacky-mac pasta, which is an assortment of different colored and shaped small pasta. It adds a nice color and variety to the soup.
11. Some of the water cooks out and is absorbed by the pasta. Add more halfway through cooking, if desired.
12. As is, this recipe makes about 6 two-cup servings.

Reviews

[ellie_]

This was okay and great for a low cal/low fat dinner. I used fresh oregano and fresh tarragon instead of the dried -- and maybe I didn't use enough. Thanks for posting.

[SmoochTheCook]

Glad to know I'm not the only one who craves veggies to such an extent! :D This is a delicious way to serve them up! Thanks so very much!

[Dreamer in Ontario]

Delicious! Thanks for posting. I love that it can be combined in my crockpot and ready to eat whenever my family is