Crockpot Minestrone

I use my crockpot often, and perhaps the only thing better than having a nice dinner made for me without much effort is the meal itself. I equate crockpots with delicious, warm, comfort-food type meals, especially soups and stews, and this Crockpot Minestrone from SweatTea in Texas was just right for a chilly evening.

The only change I made to this was my vegetables. I knew I wasn't going to be using celery for anything else that week, so I was hesitant to buy a whole bag. I actually found a package of veggies and seasons in the produce department that was specifically sold together for soups. It contained celery, onions, carrots, parsnips, and other various items that I no longer remember. It was perfect; I used that instead of what is listed below.


Ingredients

• 4 Cups of Tomato Juice (I used Spicy V-8)
• 1 Tbs Dried basil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp each Dried Oregano & Black Pepper
• 1 1/2 Cups of sliced Baby Carrots
• 2 Celery Stalks, chopped
• 1 8oz pkg of fresh/sliced Mushrooms
• 3 Garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 small Onion, chopped
• 2 14oz cans of Diced Tomatoes
  
• 1 14oz can of Northern Beans
• 1 1/2 Cups of uncooked pasta
• Shredded Parmesan

Mix all ingredients except pasta & cheese in a 4-5 quart Crockpot. Cover & cook on low for about 7-8 hours or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the pasta. Cover & cook on high for about 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan.