Soup's On

Trying a new soup today, from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker. It's All-Day Minestrone. Now, I know I've had minestrone before but I'm not sure I could've told you what goes in it. I would've guessed beans. This one actually has green beans, yellow squash, and chickpeas. But not cannellini.

I realized as I was prepping it that my knife skills are really improving. This isn't a goal of mine--I'm perfectly happy using my Pampered Chef chopper or food processor--but sometimes I just chop. Today, I chopped and diced everything (though, it's probably all more like "cubed," not being small enough to qualify as minced or diced) before I finished it off with my PC chopper (which I love!). In fact, I probably cut up that onion well enough before I used the mechanical chopper. Mind you, a month ago, I wouldn't have chopped much at all, just cut all the veggies into pieces to fit in the chopper. But practice makes perfect, I guess. Really cooking 5-6 meals a week, sometimes with lunches cooked too, has made me a more relaxed, efficient, and competent homecook. I could always follow a recipe but was turned off by too much prep (or by raw meat, which now there isn't any!). And while I love to bake, the skills just aren't the same. Now I can make scrambled eggs with my eyes closed, throw together a good soup with whatever I have around, and come up with imaginative ways to season yet another pot of lentils. Add to that decently chop vegetables! And I'm liking it. And proud of myself! So come on over and try my homecooking, 'cos soup's on!

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All-Day Minestrone

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-size yellow onion, minced
1 celery rib, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
1-15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 1/2 cups slow cooked)
1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, left undrained
1 medium-size zucchini or yellow summer squash, diced
6 cups stock
sat and black pepper
1/2 cup raw or 1 cup cooked ditalini or other small soup pasta
1/4 cup pesto

Pour the oil in the bottom of the 4-6 quart slow cooked. Add onions, celery, carrot, and garlic, cover, and cook on High while you assemble the reminaing ingredients.

After they've been prepped, add the green beans, chickeas, tomatoes, zucchini, and stock to theslow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on Low for 7-8 hours.

If using raw pasta, about an hour before you're ready to serve, add it to the slow cooker and cover.

Just before serving, stir in the pesto and already cooked pasta, if using.

Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker