Gnocchi Minestrone with Italian Sausage (Made in a Slow Cooker)

This gnocchi minestrone recipe switches out the pasta that is typical in minestrone for soft and pillowy gnocchi - small Italian dumplings made with potatoes, flour, eggs, and salt. 

Minestrone is an Italian pasta, bean, and vegetable soup in a tomato-y broth. There are lots of variations depending on the part of Italy it is from. Plus, every family in every region always has their "secret recipe" version. 

Ticinese Minestrone

This Ticinese minestrone is from the Swiss canton of Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland. It's hearty, filling, and nutritious. 

While every Ticinese home cook has their version of minestrone, common threads in the recipes seem to include beans, smoked bacon (and bacon rind to flavor the broth), savoy cabbage, sun dried tomatoes, and a combination of arborio rice with potatoes. 

Minestrone Napoletana

This minestrone Napoletana is loaded with lots of spring and summer vegetables. Plus, it's so delicious and it makes it easy to get a day's worth of veggies in one bowl. You will feel so virtuous! 

Minestrone includes fresh vegetables, along with some legumes and either pasta, rice, or both. Plus, there is usually some pancetta, olive oil, or lardons. 

Homemade Minestrone Soup

This recipe for homemade minestrone soup creates a hearty and warming bowl of vegetables in a delicious vegetable broth. The soup is delicious the day it is made, and even better the next day, when all of the flavors have a chance to meld.

This soup recipe as written is really tasty, but you can customize it to make it your own. While I used this vegetable broth as a base for the soup, you can use store bought vegetable stock, or even water to make this soup.