Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

"Tasty slow cooker minestrone soup combines fresh vegetables like green beans, zucchini, tomatoes, and spinach with Great Northern beans, dark red kidney beans, and pasta. This classic Italian soup slow cooks to perfection in a well-seasoned tomato broth. This is one of our favorite slow cooker recipes. This hearty, wholesome soup is flavorful and beautiful with a colorful array of vegetables. Peel the carrots so that the bright orange color pops. Food should look pleasing. If you don’t like a vegetable, replace it with something you do. For instance, you could replace the spinach with kale; if so, add the kale about 30 minutes before serving. Resist the urge to lift the lid of the slow cooker. Every time you lift the lid, it adds 15-20 minutes to the cooking time. Remove the bay leaves from the soup before serving. They have sharp edges, and they could pose a choking hazard."