Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Serve this colorful and tasty soup next time your family wants an Italian meal. Or better yet, pack some up for a healthy lunch.

Ingredients

2 cups peas frozen
3 medium zucchini coarsely chopped
3 medium yellow (summer) squash coarsely chopped
1 cup green beans fresh, snapped in 3
5 medium celery stalks, diced
large red bell pepper diced
1 cup carrots chopped
2 15-oz cans kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can cannellini beans (white kidney beans) rinsed and drained 2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes
5 cloves garlic minced
6 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon oregano dried
1 tablespoon basil dried
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped

Directions

Wash and rinse all vegetables. (Washing peas in room temperature water will help defrost them).
Trim the ends on the beans and snap in 2 pieces.
Dice squash, zucchini, celery, red bell pepper and carrots.

Add all veggies to the crockpot.
Rinse and drain all your beans then add to the crockpot as well. Mince garlic and add to the top of the veggies and beans.