Slow Cooker Recipe for Chicken Minestrone Soup With Pesto

Sunday Slow Cooker: Chicken Minestrone With Pesto

January 3, 2010

With the biggest holidays over and done with, I'm beginning the year with a focus on comfortable, no-frills cooking.

My secret weapon? An inexpensive, ever-resourceful crockpot, which works its magic by cooking vegetables and protein low and slow until they've become tender, and the flavors have married together.

As usual, I've had another overindulgent holiday, so I'm starting off this week with a light, brothy Italian minestrone, studded with chicken and perfumed by pesto. Interested in the healthy recipe? Then read more.

From Woman's Day

Chicken Minestrone with Pesto

Woman's Day Slow Cooker Recipe For Chicken Pesto Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes in juice, undrained
4 cups chicken broth
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 1-in. chunks
1 medium baking potato, peeled and diced
1/2 cup each chopped onion, carrot and celery
1/4 tsp pepper
1 can (16 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed
1 medium zucchini (about 6 oz), diced
1 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed
1/3 cup prepared refrigerated basil pesto

Directions

Mix all ingredients except the cannellini beans, zucchini, green beans and basil pesto in a 4-qt or larger slow-cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
Stir in cannellini beans, zucchini and green beans. Cover and cook on high 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
Spoon into bowls; top servings with pesto.

Serves 6.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 289, Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 76mg, Sodium 827mg, Carbohydrates 27g, Dietary Fiber 6g, Protein 25g

5 Comments

Mel475 3 years 18 weeks

Made this the other night and it was so good! I tasted the soup about halfway through the cooking process and it seemed a bit bland so I added just a little garlic to it but luckily not too much because the real seasoning comes with the pesto - it's a must for this soup! So yummy! I couldn't find skinless chicken thighs so I just used chicken breast and it seemed fine. Next time I make it, I'll probably add a can of red kidney beans since my husband felt like they were a must in a minestrone soup and the only thing missing from this one (by the way, he loves minestrone and was a little unsure of the pesto at first but after one bite, he was in love). This is a great and easy recipe! Thanks Yum!