Vegetable Bean Soup

I woke up this morning with a terrible cold and all I could think about was soup. So I decided to rumage through my fridge and pantry to come up with something yummy in the soup category. I took a little inspiration from Fix It Quick: Slow Cooker.

36oz Vegetable Stock
3 medium sized leeks chopped (the whites only)
14oz diced tomatoes, undrained
1medium yellow onion coarsely chopped
3 large stalks chopped celery
1 small head of cabbage chopped
2 medium carrots chopped
1 handful fresh grean beans
some dried rosemary
1 can white beans
1 cup cooked orzo
S&P

I put everything together in the slowcooker, except for the beans and orzo, and cooked it on LOW for 8 hours. Then I added the beans and cooked an addtional 30 minutes on LOW. I cooked the orzo separately and added it at the very end so it wouldn't soak up all the yummy broth.

My husband had 4 huge bowls of this soup. I enjoyed it as well--although my sense of taste is a little off right now thanks to my stuffy nose!!

Minestrone alla Milanese

I made this on Saturday morning for my mom. She still hasn't eaten a whole lot of anything, so I thought this might taste good!

28oz reduced sodeium beef broth
14oz diced tomatoes, undrained
1c diced potato
1c. coarsely chopped green cabbage
1c. coarsely chopped carrots
1c. sliced zucchini
3/4c chopped onion
3/4c. sliced frehs green beans
3/4c. coarsley chopped celery (I chopped some of the leaves up too for flavor)
3/4c water
2T EVOO
1 clove garlic minced
1/2t basil
1/4t rosemary
1 bay leaf
15oz cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Grated Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients excpet beans and cheese in slow cooker. Mix well. Cover; cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add beans. Cover; cook on low an additional hour or until veggies are crisp and tender. Remove and discard bay leaf. Garlish with cheese, if desired.

Recipe adapted from "Fix It Quick: Slow Cooker"