Crock Pot Vegetable Minestrone

This is such a great recipe and it only takes about 15-20 minutes to get it going in the crock pot.  Very low in fat and calories too which is always a plus!

Crock Pot Vegetable Minestrone:
12 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp vegetable bouillon dissolved into 4 cups warm water
• 4 cups no salt added tomato juice
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped zucchini
• 1 can (14.5oz) no salt added diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14.5oz) no salt added diced tomatoes w/ garlic, basil & garlic
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1-2 Parmesan rinds* (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup (6oz) multigrain rotini

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except rotini into a 4-5 quart slow cooker.
2. Cook on low 7-8 hours or until vegetables are cooked.
3. Stir in pasta and cook on high for 15-20 minutes or until pasta is cooked.  Top each serving with parmesan cheese, if desired.

Nutritional Info:
Cal 104, Fat .3g, Sodium 518mg, Carbs 22g, Fiber 4g, Protein 4g

*I save all of my Parmesan rinds in the freezer.  They make a great addition to soups and stews - just add them in and remove them before serving!