Straight from the DASH Diet Meal Prep for Beginners cookbook! This is sure to be your new favorite slow cooker recipe for any time of year. Sautéing the veggies helps develop the flavors, which means you can cut back on the salt. Plenty of herbs and spices also boost the flavor even further. Canned minestrone has nearly double the sodium of this recipe
Heat oil in slow cooker set to sauté function. Add garlic, onion, celery and carrots and cook for 2 minutes.
Add oregano and salt. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Stir in the stock, diced tomatoes, squash, beans and stir.
Using a piece of kitchen twine, gently tie thyme sprigs and bay leaf into a bundle and toss in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours (or on LOW for 6 hours).
With 20 minutes cook time remaining, remove lid and stir in pasta. Cover and cook for remaining time.
When cook time is up, remove thyme bundle and discard.
Ladle soup into bowls and serve.
Cool and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips ... Add a piece of parmesan rind to soup for extra nutty flavor. Sprinkle with a little grated parmesan cheese before serving - each tablespoon adds about 100mg of sodium so measure out to keep track.