minestrone and grilled cheese

I wasn't terribly happy with the slow cooker minestrone. I didn't give the noodles enough time to cook because I was paranoid that they would get mushy like last time. This time I added zucchini and potatoes and used mostly tomato juice with a little bit of water. It came out a little too thick, but I'll just add water later. The sourdough grilled cheese made a wonderful accompaniment.

The recipe below is what my minestrone is based on.

Ingredients:
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
4 cups tomato juice
1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium carrots, sliced (1 cup)
2 medium celery stalks, chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (3 ounces)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups uncooked rotini pasta (4 1/2 ounces)
Shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients except pasta and cheese in 4- to 5-quart slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low heat setting 7 to 8 hours or until vegetables are tender.

3. Stir in pasta. Cover and cook on high heat setting 15 to 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Makes 12 servings

Nutritional Info Per 1 Serving: Calories 105 (Calories from Fat 10); Fat 1g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 940mg; Potassium 430mg; Carbohydrate 21g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 5g

Diet Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Vegetable