A light, veggie-packed soup that simmers all day in your slow cooker—perfect for using up summer produce with zero stress in the kitchen.

When the weather’s warm, soup might not be the first thing you crave—but hear me out.

This Slow Cooker Summer Minestrone Soup is not the heavy, winter-style stew that sits in your belly like a rock. This one is brothy, bright, full of colorful summer veggies, and surprisingly refreshing. And when I tell you it practically cooks itself? I mean it.

One summer, I had a fridge full of produce from the farmer’s market and no energy to meal prep. I dumped it all into the slow cooker with beans, herbs, and a little pasta... and magic happened. The kitchen smelled amazing, and dinner was DONE with zero effort.

Serve it with crusty bread or a simple side salad, and you’ve got a nourishing meal that feels good from the inside out.

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 medium carrots, sliced

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 1 zucchini, chopped

• 1 yellow squash, chopped

• 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

• 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes

• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini or navy beans, drained and rinsed

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp dried basil

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• ¾ cup small pasta (like ditalini or elbow)

• 2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• Optional: grated Parmesan for serving

Instructions

1. Load the slow cooker: Add onion, garlic, carrots, celery, zucchini, squash, green beans, tomatoes, beans, broth, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.

2. Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until vegetables are tender.

3. Add pasta: About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the pasta and spinach or kale. Let cook until pasta is tender and greens are wilted.

4. Finish: Stir in lemon juice just before serving to brighten the flavor. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

5. Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan if desired.

Tips & Substitutions

• No pasta? Use quinoa or brown rice, or skip it for a lighter soup.

• Make it hearty: Add leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked ground turkey for extra protein.

• Use what you have: Bell peppers, corn, or peas all work great here—clean out that fridge!

• Storage: Keeps beautifully in the fridge for 4–5 days and freezes well too.

Why I Love This Recipe

This soup is everything I needed during my overwhelmed mom years—easy, nourishing, and flexible.
It’s my favorite way to use up random veggies before they go bad, and it feels like a reset after a weekend of takeout or BBQs. Light, flavorful, and full of goodness.

Nutrition (per serving)

Serves 6

• Calories: 260

• Protein: 10g

• Carbs: 39g

• Fat: 6g

• Fiber: 7g

• Sugar: 6g