This easy slow-cooker minestrone is the best you'll ever have

Cooktop Cove: This easy slow-cooker minestrone is the best you'll ever have

By Robin Donovan

There’s nothing quite like a hearty pot of soup for a weeknight meal. A slow cooker makes it unbelievably easy to pull off, even on a busy weekday. Minestrone soup, by definition, is packed with nutritious vegetables and beans. This one also has flavorful sausage. Using potato gnocchi instead of the usual pasta gives it an interesting twist, too.

You can use sweet or spicy sausage here, depending on your personal taste. Buy it loose or remove the casings before cooking. Crusty bread for dunking makes a hearty side for this one-pot meal. The whole family is going to love it.

Slow Cooker Gnocchi Minestrone

10 minutes

7 hours

7 hours and 10 minutes

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 ½ pounds Italian sausage

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 celery ribs, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves

5 cups chicken broth

2 cups tomato juice

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 1-pound package gnocchi

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat two tablespoons of the olive oil in a stockpot over high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until it's cooked through and nicely browned. Transfer the sausage to the slow cooker.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, broth, tomato juice, tomatoes and beans.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

Add the gnocchi to the soup, cover again, and cook for 30 to 60 minutes more, until the gnocchi are tender.

Serve hot, garnished with grated Parmesan.