Slow-Cooker Green Minestrone with Fennel & Parmesan
This vegetarian slow-cooker green minestrone soup is a cozy, healthy, and easy-to-make one-pot meal filled with wholesome greens, fennel, white beans, and edamame. Topped with pesto and Parmesan, it delivers bold flavors and comforting nourishment for any weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- 8 cups unsalted vegetable broth
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 (2-inch) piece Parmesan rind (plus extra shaved Parmesan for serving)
- 1 small bulb fennel thinly sliced
- ½ medium head Savoy or napa cabbage cored and thinly sliced (about 1 pound)
- 2 medium zucchini halved and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
- 1 (15-ounce) can white beans rinsed
- 3 tablespoons pesto
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Combine the base ingredients: In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine the vegetable broth, salt, and Parmesan rind. This forms the flavor-packed base of the soup.
- Prep and add the vegetables: Trim the stalks and fronds off the fennel bulb. Reserve the fronds for garnish and discard or save the stalks for another use. Thinly slice the bulb and add it to the slow cooker along with the cabbage, zucchini, edamame, and white beans.
- Let it cook: Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, allowing the flavors to deepen and the vegetables to soften to perfection.
- Add the finishing touch: Remove and discard the Parmesan rind from the soup. Ladle about 1/3 cup of broth into a small bowl, stir in the pesto, and mix until combined. This adds a pop of herby brightness to the soup.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the soup into six bowls. Drizzle each serving with the thinned pesto mixture, grind fresh black pepper to taste over the top, and garnish with reserved fennel fronds. Finish with a teaspoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of shaved Parmesan, if desired.
Notes
For the best flavor, use fresh, high-quality pesto and don't skip the Parmesan rind for extra depth in the broth.