#1,076: Crockpot Paleo Minestrone Soup

This soup is wonderful!  I loved it and ate it almost every day for lunch and maybe once or twice for breakfast too.  It's super easy to put together and cooks really well in the crockpot.  This is a great make ahead meal!  This may even be on my menu again this week for lunches too!

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Yellow Sweet Potato, diced
1 cup Carrots, diced
2 Celery Stalks, diced
2 Zucchini Squash, diced
2 Shallots, diced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
28 oz Chicken or Vegetable Broth
28 oz can Diced Tomatoes w/ Juice
½ cup Frozen Spinach -or- 1 cup packed Fresh Spinach, chopped
2 Bay Leaves
2 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Parsley
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
¼ tsp Sea Salt
1-1/2 lb Ground Pork Sausage

Place the olive oil in the bottom of the crock pot.  Add the prepared sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, zucchini, shallots, and garlic to the crock pot. Pour in the chicken (or vegetable) broth. Add the entire can (including juice) of diced tomatoes. Add the frozen spinach (no need to thaw and drain, just add it frozen). Add in the oregano, basil, parsley, cayenne, and salt.

Stir everything together, add the bay leaved, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 2 hours before the soup is done, brown the ground pork sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Once the pork is cooked through (no pink), add it to the crock pot and mix it all together. Cover and continue cooking until the 6-8 hours is up (I prefer 8 hours). Remove bay leaves before serving.