Christmas Eve Minestrone

I call this Christmas Eve Minestrone because I made it for our family to eat on Christmas Eve for lunch. It was warm and delicious, perfect for any winter day.

Ingredients

• 12 cups chicken stock, homemade or store bought (free range is best), plus water
• 1 (28-ounce) can organic diced tomatoes with their juices
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white (cannellini or navy) beans, drained, OR two cups raw cannellini beans and 2 cups raw garbanzo beans soaked and boiled
• 4 organic carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 organic celery stalks, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 2 bay leaves
• Sea Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 medium zucchini chopped
• 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen organic spinach, defrosted

Directions

In a slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.OR combine all in your stock pot and let cook for 30 minutes to several hours.