Skinny Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

This Skinny Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup is the perfect way 

to warm your tummy...without adding inches to it! 

I love Minestrone. My high school pal's dad owned an Italian restaurant within walking distance of our school that we frequented back in those days. I always had the Minetrone Soup {plus, like twelve breadsticks...God bless a high schooler's metabolism}. Their restaurant closed a few years later and I was left scouring my mom's red & white checked cookbooks for a good Minestrone Soup recipe because I wasn't through with my Minestrone obsession {we're talking pre-Pinterest, pre-Google days, people...it was borderline archaic}. After perfecting my own little recipe {and my hair flip...ahem, I was the queen of the hair flip and collar pop in the 90s. It was scary, really.}, I ate it all the ding-dang time. Since starting my healthy plan {I really just want to type diet, y'all...but I've been on it for 18 months, so surely we all know I'm committed by now, right?}, I've missed good ol' Minestrone and started working on a skinnier version. Check out my lightened up version of this classic below...it's easy to throw it all in the slow cooker and walk away.

Classic Minestrone really isn't all that unhealthy. In fact, it's pretty good for ya. I just made it to where I can eat the entire pot and not feel guilty. Just kidding. Sort of. {I may have moderation issues, y'all.} A few less potatoes...a few more green veggies. And some spice tweaking. Not a whole lot of difference...I mean, why reinvent the wheel?

Skinny Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

<<<CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE>>>

Ingredients:

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced Italian-style tomatoes
• 1 pound butter gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 large zucchini, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained
• 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, chopped in 1-inch lengths
• 1 leek, cleaned and chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

After spraying a slow cooker pot with cooking spray, add in tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, cannellini beans, green beans, leek, carrot, celery, broth, and Italian seasoning. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until vegetables are tender, but not mushy. Add in oil, salt and pepper. Garnish with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Makes about 8 (1 1/2) cup servings.

Per Serving: 

128 Calories | 4.5 g Total Fat | 4.0 mg Cholesterol | 724.2 mg Sodium | 19.4 g Carbohydrate | 5 g Dietary Fiber | 2.9 g Sugars | 5.6 g Protein | 4 Weight Watchers Points Plus

<<<CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE RECIPE>>>

I seriously can eat this stuff by the truckload. 
It's delicious...I don't miss anything from the original recipe I used to use.

And it's the perfect thing to throw in your slow cooker on these last few days of winter we're in the midst of. The perfect belly warmer-upper.

Neglect your chores like me and don't miss a thing:

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