Slow Cooker Vegetable Bean Soup
This Slow Cooker Vegetable Bean Soup is proof that sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. You'll love the combination of creamy white beans, colorful veggies, and herbs in this soup! It's perfect for a cold day.
Print
Pin
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 228kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried Great Northern beans, soaked overnight if possible, drained & rinsed*
- 1 1/2 cups sliced carrots (about 3 carrots)
- 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion 1 small onion
- 1 cup diced celery about 2 stalks
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 Tablespoon fresh rosemary minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- Optional garnish: fresh parsley more rosemary, or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Instructions
- Soak The Beans In Advance. Sort through beans discarding any shriveled beans. Rinse the beans in a colander, then add to a large bowl. Cover the beans water (the water level should be 2-3 inches above the top of the beans). Refrigerate and soak overnight when possible, or at least 4-6 hours, for best results. When you're ready to make the soup, drain the beans in a colander and rinse before adding to the slow cooker.
- Combine. Add soaked beans, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, rosemary, sage, and black pepper to the crock of your slow cooker. Cover with vegetable broth and water and stir to combine. Tuck a bay leaf or two into the soup, then cover with the lid.
- Cook on HIGH 4-5 hours for brothy soup and 6-8 hours for thicker, more stew-like soup. (You can also gently mash some of the beans for a thicker soup!)
- Finish & Serve. Remove the bay leaves from the soup and discard. Season with salt. Taste and add additional herbs, salt, or pepper, to taste. If desired, stir in lemon juice or vinegar and garnish with fresh herbs before serving.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator 3-4 days. Or, you can freeze the soup up to 3 months. (Thaw in the fridge before using and keep in mind that the veggies and beans will soften upon thawing.)
Notes
- Choose Your Favorite Texture. If you prefer a more brothy soup, you'll likely only want to cook the soup for 4-5 hours on HIGH. If you want a thicker, more stew-like soup, we recommend a longer cook time--7-8 hours on HIGH. The longer the beans cook, the more they'll break down, which will thicken the soup.
- Beans. We love and recommend Great Northern beans for this soup as our first choice, but other kinds of white beans, like Navy Beans or Cannellini Beans can be a great substitute. We do not recommend black beans, red kidney beans, or other darker beans for this recipe.
- How to Soak Beans (& Why) - Soaking beans beforehand makes them easier to digest, and shortens their cook time. I highly recommend taking the time to do this the night before for the best texture and fastest cook times. To soak properly, first pick through your beans to make sure there aren't any bad ones or stray pieces of rock or sand that can sometimes make their way into dried beans. Then, rinse them in a colander for a minute or two. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with water. (The water should reach 2-3 inches above the level of the beans.) Refrigerate in the bowl for 4-12 hours or so (I leave mine overnight). Then, drain and rinse them, and they're ready to use!
- Forgot to Soak Your Beans? If you forgot to soak your beans, you've got 2 choices: 1) just rinse them in a colander and plan on them taking about 8-10 hours to fully cook in the slow cooker. 2) Take a shortcut. For the quick soak method: place beans in a large soup pot and cover with 2 inches of water (2 inches above the level of the beans). Bring to a boil, and boil for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let them soak for about an hour. Drain and rinse them in a colander, then proceed with the rest of the recipe.
- Try Adding Ham! Have some leftover holiday ham or leftover ham bone? Try adding it to this soup for even more flavor!
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup Soup | Calories: 228kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.2g | Protein: 13.1g | Fat: 0.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Sodium: 108.4mg | Fiber: 12.9g | Sugar: 3.9g | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 123.6mg
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.