slow cooker pasta e fagioli soup freezer pack

Fish & Seafood

Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup Freezer Pack

Your favorite restaurant soup just got easier and healthier with this freezer-to-crock-pot recipe. If you keep a special bottle of olive oil on hand for stand-out dishes, this is the recipe to pull it out for. The headiness of the fruity olive oil truly elevates the flavors in this Italian meal-prep slow-cooker soup.

Ingredients

2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 pound cooked meal-prep sheet-pan chicken thighs, diced
4 cups cooked whole-wheat rotini pasta
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 teaspoons dried italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt
1 (15 ounce) can no-salt-added white beans, rinsed
4 cups baby spinach (half of a 5-ounce box)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, divided (optional)
2 tablespoons best-quality extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Directions

Place onions, carrots and celery in a large sealable plastic bag. Place cooled cooked chicken and cooked pasta together in another bag. Seal both bags and freeze for up to 5 days. Defrost the bags in the refrigerator overnight before proceeding.
Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large slow cooker. Add broth, Italian seasoning and salt. Cover and cook on Low for 7 1/4 hours.
Add beans, spinach, 2 tablespoons basil, if using, and the defrosted chicken and pasta. Cook for 45 minutes more. Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle a little oil into each bowl and top with cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons basil, if desired.