Description

This Crockpot Ground Beef Minestrone Soup is a cozy, hearty meal loaded with tender ground beef, colorful vegetables, beans, and pasta simmered low and slow in a rich tomato-beef broth. It’s a true set-it-and-forget-it dinner that fills your kitchen with incredible aroma and your bowl with classic Italian-inspired comfort.

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, with juices
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups beef broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 cup small pasta (like ditalini or elbow)
2 cups fresh spinach
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Instructions

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, until fully cooked and no longer pink. Drain excess fat and transfer the cooked beef to the crockpot.
Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, diced carrots, diced celery, and diced zucchini to the crockpot with the beef.
Pour in the diced tomatoes (with their juices), kidney beans, and beef broth. Sprinkle in the dried oregano, dried basil, and a generous pinch of salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the vegetables are tender and flavors have developed.
About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the small pasta and fresh spinach. Cover and continue to cook on HIGH until the pasta is al dente and the spinach is wilted, 20–30 minutes.
Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, topped with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

Use lean ground beef (90% or higher) to keep the soup from getting too greasy and reduce skimmed fat on top.
If the soup thickens too much after adding the pasta, stir in an extra 1–2 cups of broth or water until it reaches your desired consistency.
For a deeper flavor, you can sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in a little olive oil after browning the beef before adding them to the crockpot.
Season lightly with salt at first and adjust at the end; different broths and canned tomatoes can vary widely in sodium.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6–8 hours (or 3–4 hours on HIGH)
Category: Soup, Dinner
Method: Slow Cooker / Crockpot
Cuisine: Italian-American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
Calories: 320 kcal
Sugar: 7 g (approx.)
Sodium: 750 mg (approx., varies by broth and tomatoes)
Fat: 12 g (approx.)
Saturated Fat: 5 g (approx.)
Unsaturated Fat: 6 g (approx.)
Trans Fat: 0 g (approx.)
Carbohydrates: 34 g (approx.)
Fiber: 7 g (approx.)
Protein: 18 g (approx.)
Cholesterol: 45 mg (approx.)

Keywords: crockpot minestrone, ground beef minestrone, slow cooker soup, hearty vegetable soup, pasta soup, easy weeknight dinner