Slow Cooker Northern Bean and Spinach Soup
(123)
  • Minutes to Prepare:
  • Minutes to Cook:
  • Number of Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 cup dried Northern beans, rinsed and picked over NOTE: You must soak the beans overnight.2 carrots, peeled and chopped, (about 1 cup)1 medium onion, chopped, (about 1 cup)2 garlic cloves, sliced1/4 teaspoon black pepperpinch teaspoon red pepper flakes1/2 teaspoon dried oregano1/4 teaspoon dried thyme4 cups homemade or low sodium chicken stock1 cup diced tomatoes, no salt added6 ounces Fresh Express Baby Spinach (about 2 cups packed)6 ounces light kielbasa or smoked sausage, diced
Directions
Place the dried beans in the slow cooker and add 1 quart water. Cover and let soak overnight. (Do not turn on the slow cooker.)
In the morning, drain and rinse the beans
Return the beans to the slow cooker, along with the carrots, onion, garlic, spices, and stock, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the beans are tender.
About 20 minutes before dinnertime, use an immersion blender to puree half the soup. (Or transfer to a blender, and leave the cap off the top but cover with a dishtowel to avoid splatters. This will allow steam to escape as you puree the soup. Return the pureed soup to the slow cooker.)
Add the tomatoes, spinach, and sausage to the slow cooker. Replace lid and cook on high for 20 minutes.

Ladle two cups into each bowl. Serve with crusty whole-wheat bread or place a scoop of mashed potatoes in the bottom of each bowl.
Serving Size: Makes 8 cups; 2 cups per serving.
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Nutritional Info Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 216.5
  • Total Fat: 7.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 26.3 mg
  • Sodium: 590.5 mg
  • Total Carbs: 33.1 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 16.1 g
  • Protein: 18.4 g

Member Reviews
  • SABRINAINDE
     1 cup dried beans = 3 cups cooked, so about 2 cans of beans for the person who was asking. - 9/27/12
  • LUVS2BIKE101
     I make this often, sometimes using chicken instead of the sausage. Excellent! - 9/27/12
  • MYBESTNOW
     Great soup! My men really loved it. The only things I changed were kale instead of spinach, and I added 2 tsp. of Mrs. Dash original table. - 9/27/12
  • CD12947014
     This soup is delicious and there's nothing better than to have dinner almost done when you get home. The only thing I would do differently the next time I prepare this is to chop the spinach before adding it to the soup. - 10/1/12
  • ALICIA214
     Delicious!! For any WW members out there this soup is 6pts + per
    serving, bread etc add extra points. - 9/8/12
  • CMFARRELL36
     Leave out the smoked sausage!
    Have some toast and scrambled or poached eggs beside the soup! - 11/18/12
  • NANCYSGARDENS
     I just can never understand why recipes call for meat based stock. If a recipes that have no meat always called for vegetable stock or bullion, then everyone could eat. I know, just sub, but other people think they always have to put meat stock in food when they cook. - 1/27/13
  • MAY3BRIDE
     Made this tonight with black eyed peas, spinach and JennyO Smoked Turkey Sausage. It smelled so good all day could not wait to eat...worth the wait....real comfort food for a winter's night. - 1/2/13
  • CD13252474
     My husband makes a very similar soup but uses green cabbage instead of spinach. I like the spinach, though. Kale is another awesome alternative! - 11/16/12
  • CVL205
     can use 2 cans of beans - 10/1/12
  • ROSAMARCELLE
     Substituted red lentils so I could make it without the soaking overnight and used quorn pieces instead of sausage and a veggie stockcube to make it vegitarian. It was great. - 1/8/13
  • PATRICIAANN46
     This soup is excellent!!!!! - 9/27/12
  • SKYSPIRIT464
     I think I will give this one a try. You can totally make it vegetarian by using Vegetable Stock, instead of meat stock and leaving out the meat. Beans are high in protein and it should lower the calories . - 1/27/13
  • IMREITE
     used lentils instead of northern beans - 1/20/13
  • NONNAOF2
     This is so satisfying! I love how hearty this soup is, it is great when the cooler weather is upon us! - 9/27/12
  • RETURNTOTHIN
     Think I'll make the base and store in 2 cup servings in the freezer (since I live alone) .... Excited to try! - 1/22/13
  • GREASE31
     I luv this recipe, it sounds just perfect. - 10/17/12
  • BEVIEG41
     This was easy and very good. I added some fresh corn and chopped Serrano Peppers for a bite. - 9/28/12
  • CD13083652
     sounds great & wholesome, will go set it on now, TY for such a great site & fantastic resources.
    Alicia214 - TY for the WW points - 9/27/12
  • CECTARR
     Left out the sausage and it was very good - 1/26/20
  • USMAWIFE
     i love this meatless - 9/27/18
  • KOALA_BEAR
     This soup can be made faster even using dried beans if you first boil water then pour over the beans so they begin to soften faster. Changing the water a couple times will also reduce the gassiness if that helps anyone.
    Can also mash the beans & veggies if no blender handy. Add the tomatoes last. - 10/4/15
  • MTSETTLES
     The photo sold me! Great soup. Gets even better the next day. The only change I made was to omit the tomatoes, so my husband would eat it. I'll be making this soup again and again this winter! - 10/4/13
  • CJYOUCANDOIT
     My husband and I really enjoyed this soup. We used a can of butter beans. I was out of northern beans. The flavor and consistency were wonderful. If you use a blender to puree be sure to do what the recipe says. I did not and had a mess to clean up. - 2/3/13
  • ALIZAHH
     I plan on trying to make this for Shabbat when I need it to cook all night. Can It be made vegetarian as well? I thought of using smoked Turkey. - 10/29/12



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