Ingredients:

  • 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
  • 2 stalks celery, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 6 cups high-quality vegetable broth
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 oz) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 large Parmesan cheese rind (approx. 2-3 inches)
  • 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
  • 1.5 cups zucchini, diced into half-moons
  • 1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup ditalini pasta, uncooked
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach, packed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

  1. Prep the aromatics. Dice the yellow onion, slice the carrots into rounds, and chop the celery. Note: Keeping these uniform in size ensures they all finish cooking at the same time.
  2. Combine the base. Place the onion, carrots, celery, minced garlic, and tomato paste into the slow cooker insert.
  3. Add the liquids and beans. Pour in the 6 cups of vegetable broth, the crushed fire roasted tomatoes, the kidney beans, and the cannellini beans.
  4. Season the pot. Add the dried Italian seasoning, sea salt, black pepper, and the Parmesan cheese rind. Note: Submerge the rind completely in the liquid to maximize flavor extraction.
  5. Begin the slow cook. Cover and cook on Low for 5 hours and 30 minutes, until the carrots are tender but still hold their shape.
  6. Introduce the fresh vegetables. Stir in the diced zucchini and green beans during the last 45 minutes of cooking. Note: This prevents these softer vegetables from becoming a mushy mess.
  7. Add the pasta. Pour in the 1 cup of ditalini pasta. Cover and cook for an additional 20 to 30 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the broth has thickened slightly.
  8. Wilt the greens. Turn off the slow cooker and stir in the 2 cups of fresh baby spinach. Note: The residual heat is enough to wilt the spinach in about 2 minutes.
  9. The final brighten. Stir in the 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and remove the Parmesan rind.
  10. Taste and adjust. Give it a final taste; you might need an extra pinch of salt now that the pasta has absorbed some of the liquid.