Italian Minestrone Soup

It seems all we've posted lately is soup or baked goods of some kind.  It must be the "it's almost winter and I better start packing on the pounds to help me make it through" mentality, at least the baked good part of it anyway.  And I guess it's just the warm comfort of soup that I love that has me making a new kind at least twice a week! 

I love this soup because it is made with ingredients I almost always have on hand, it's made in the crockpot (love having dinner ready at the beginning of the day!), and it is so perfectly spiced and wonderful!  You'll be asking for another bowl...trust me!

Italian Minestrone Soup

Recipe slightly adapted from 365 Crockpot

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1 pound lean ground meat (pork, beef, or turkey...I used turkey)

4 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 cup chopped carrots

1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes (or diced)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 box (32 oz.) beef broth

1 cup dried penne pasta

Kosher salt

Brown the meat, mushrooms, onion and garlic on the stove top and drain the fat.  Add the meat to the slow cooker (6 quart size) along with your vegetables.  Add the tomatoes, oregano and broth and then stir to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.  30 minutes before serving, add the dry pasta.  Turn the cooker to high and cook for 30 more minutes or until the pasta is tender.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.