Slow Cooker Tuscan Bean Soup
This easy, Italian-style white bean soup is loaded with vegetables and leafy greens. Making it in the slow cooker takes only a few minutes to prep in the morning, and it’s ready in time for dinner. Plus, the house smells fantastic as it cooks!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry white beans (see notes below)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 large celery stalks, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 6 cups boiling water
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, roughly chopped
- 14-ounce package Tofurky Italian Sausage (optional, sliced, and cooked in a pan)
- Fresh herbs for garnish
- Rustic bread for serving
Instructions
- Sort through and rinse the beans several times in cool water. Add to the slow cooker along with the diced carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaf, and dried herbs. Add the boiling water.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3–4 hours, or LOW for 10–12 hours. Remove lid from the slow cooker and add the salt and pepper, and diced tomatoes. Let cook for another 30 minutes on LOW, or 1–1½ hours on HIGH, or until beans are soft.
- Before serving, stir in the chopped greens and sausage, if using. Garnish with herbs and serve with a slice of bread.
Notes
- Different types of beans will vary in the time needed to adequately cook and soften. Larger beans such as Great Northern and cannellini will need much longer than smaller navy beans.
- If using Great Northern, navy, or another type of white bean (besides cannellini), the beans do not need to be presoaked but can be if desired. It doesn’t change the cooking time significantly. (I do not presoak except for cannellini and kidney beans. See next note.)
- For a quick presoak when using dry cannellini beans, add them to a pot of unsalted water and bring to a rolling boil for at least 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow beans to soak for 30–60 minutes, then drain and rinse. The beans will now be ready for the slow cooker. Cook the beans until soft and creamy. Eating undercooked red or white kidney beans can cause severe digestive illness in some people.
- If the beans are already soft after the initial cooking time, add the tomatoes and greens and serve immediately. The hot soup will warm the tomatoes and wilt the greens enough.
- This soup can also be made in a pressure cooker such as an Instant Pot. Cook for the recommended time listed in the manufacturer’s instruction booklet.