- 1 cup small pasta shells (I used Ditalini)
- 3/4 cup dried white northern beans
- 3/4 cup dried pinto beans
- 3/4 cup kidney beans
- 1/4 cup minced dried onion
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon Celery salt
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 Bay leaf
- 10 cups water
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1-1/2 to 2 cups chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup of sugar (I always add a bit of sugar to my tomato based soups), this is an optional item.
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Grab a wide-mouth quart mason jar (32-ounces) to layer some of the ingredients shown above. Start with the white beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans. Be sure and watch for small rocks in the beans. Place the pasta in a baggie and place it on top of the beans. Place the seasonings in a small bag and close it. The seasoning bag will go on top of the pasta baggie and under the lid.
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When ready to cook, remove the seasonings, and the baggie with the pasta. Please rinse the beans before placing them in the slow cooker. Set the baggie of the pasta aside. Add 10 cups of water, and the seasoning bag to the beans in the slow cooker. Cook on high for about 7 hours or until the beans are almost tender. Add the diced tomatoes, chopped carrots, pasta, and cook on high for 2-3 more hours. Serve warm with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy.