winter minestrone ~ slow cooker

(*this recipe was inspired from another i found via pinterest.  personally, when i make it again, i will use sweet italian turkey (or chicken) sausage in place of the pancetta.  pancetta is not very flavorful in my opinion and i believe the sausage would add a nice flavor).

winter minestrone
printable recipe
recipe adapted via crave by random house

6 oz pancetta*, diced
1 large yellow onion
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 large stalks of celery, diced
2 large red sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
26 oz can crushed tomatoes, no salt added
4 cups lower sodium chicken broth (swanson's)
4 cups no-salt added chicken stock (kitchen basics)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp store-bought pesto
parmesan cheese, for top

using a heavy bottomed stock pot or preferably, a slow cooker with a stove-top option for browning, brown pancetta (6-8 minutes).  - my slow cooker is a non-stick stove top cooker so i did not use any oil to brown the pancetta or cook the veggies (there was plenty of fat from the pancetta to cook the veggies).  if you're using a pot that is not non-stick, you might want to add some oil while pre-heating.

turn the heat up to medium-high and add the onions, carrots, celery, sweet potatoes, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.  cook until beginning to soften, about another 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

add the tomatoes, chicken stock, beans and bay leaf.  at this point, you can either leave the soup on the stovetop and simmer over medium heat for at least an hour (for vegetables to fully cook) or, transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook over low heat for 4 hours (up to 6) or high heat for 2 (up to 4). don't want those potatoes to get too mushy.

about 20 minutes before serving, stir in the pesto and wine (i did hear my daughter say to her brother as a warning, "i saw mom put green throw up in that."  nice).

drink the rest of the wine.

top with bruschetta (or a nice garlic loaf) and parmesan cheese.

yields 6-8 servings
calories: 326
fat: 9.3g
saturated fat: 3.4g
cholesterol: 15.5mg
sodium: 790mg
carbs: 37.5g
fiber: 8.5g
sugar: 10.8g
protein: 13.1g