One of the great things about any bean soup is that you can make it with a protein, or you can make it vegan. I made mine without meat, and it’s bursting with summer flavors. Of course, it makes a ton, so you can freeze individual portions for fast meals when you don’t have time to make a healthy meal.
How to:
- For the beans
A bag of dry beans – I tried Cranberry (or Roman) beans for the first time; they’re a slightly different flavor than beans I’ve used before, and I love them. You could also use Great Northern (white) beans, red kidney beans, or add some Garbanzo beans (chickpeas). Or use a mix!
Enough water or broth to cover the beans in your slow cooker/crock pot or Dutch oven.
Handful of dried basil, a little less oregano and rosemary – it seems to take more herbs for slow cookers than in a Dutch oven, so use according to your cooking method.
Salt & pepper
Set the slow cooker to high, and cook the rinsed beans for several hours, until tender.
2. For the veggies (and italian sausage, if you’re adding meat)
Sautee onion and garlic until tender, and add to the beans.
Add a can of fire roasted, diced tomatoes.
Slice and sautee a few zucchini until tender-crisp, and add to the beans.
Rough chop a bunch of spinach, and stir it into the pan with the zucchini at the last minute, just until wilted.
Other add ins: frozen corn, cooked carrot slices, cooked Italian sausage, shredded parmesan cheese for topping.
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