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Slow Cooker Tuscan Bean Soup Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 112 reviews

This Slow Cooker Tuscan Bean Soup is a hearty and flavorful dish featuring tender white beans, fresh vegetables, garlic, and Tuscan kale, simmered to perfection with Italian seasoning and optionally enhanced with savory Tofurky Italian sausage. A comforting and easy-to-make soup that warms the soul, served best with rustic bread and garnished with fresh herbs.

Ingredients

Scale

Beans and Vegetables

  • 1 pound dry white beans (Great Northern, navy, or cannellini)
  • 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

Seasoning and Additional Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • Ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 large bunch Tuscan kale, roughly chopped

Optional Ingredients

  • 1 14-ounce package Tofurky Italian Sausage, sliced and cooked in a pan (optional)

For Serving

  • Fresh herbs for garnish
  • Rustic bread for serving

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Beans: Sort through the dry white beans to remove any debris or stones, then rinse the beans several times in cool water to clean thoroughly.
  2. Combine Ingredients in Slow Cooker: Place the rinsed beans in the slow cooker along with diced carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning. Pour in 6 cups of boiling water to cover all ingredients.
  3. Slow Cook the Soup: Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 10-12 hours until the beans are tender and beginning to soften.
  4. Add Seasonings and Tomatoes: Remove the lid and stir in the salt, ground black pepper to taste, and the undrained diced tomatoes. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes on LOW or 1 to 1½ hours on HIGH until the beans are soft and flavors are melded.
  5. Add Greens and Sausage: Just before serving, stir in the roughly chopped Tuscan kale and add the cooked sliced Tofurky Italian sausage if using. Allow the greens to wilt slightly in the hot soup.
  6. Garnish and Serve: Garnish the soup with fresh herbs and serve hot with rustic bread for a hearty and satisfying meal.

Notes

  • Cooking times vary depending on the type of beans. Larger varieties like Great Northern and cannellini take longer to cook than smaller navy beans.
  • Pre-soaking beans is optional except for cannellini and kidney beans which benefit from soaking or boiling prior to slow cooking to ensure safety and softness.
  • Cannellini beans should be boiled for 10 minutes then soaked for 30-60 minutes before adding to the slow cooker to avoid digestive issues.
  • If beans are already soft after initial cooking, add tomatoes and greens and serve immediately as the heat will wilt greens enough.
  • This recipe can also be adapted for pressure cooking (Instant Pot) following manufacturer instructions to reduce cooking time.

Keywords: Tuscan bean soup, slow cooker soup, white bean soup, vegetarian soup, kale soup, Italian seasoning soup, Tofurky sausage soup, healthy slow cooker recipes

Find it online: https://topreci.com/slow-cooker-tuscan-bean-soup-recipe/