Slow-Cooker White-Bean Soup

(3)
Prep Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
6 hrs 25 mins
Yield:
6 to 8 Serves

There's butternut squash, leeks, and spinach as well as white beans in this hearty, rich, and flavorful vegetarian soup. It's a recipe that proves the slow cooker is as well suited to vegetable recipes as to big pieces of meat.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried Great Northern beans, rinsed

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 3 leeks, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces, and well washed (4 cups)

  • 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

  • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving

  • 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 3 sprigs sage

  • 1 Parmesan rind, plus finely shredded Parmesan for serving

  • 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

  • 1 bunch spinach, trimmed and washed

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

  1. Place beans in a bowl; cover with 2 inches of water. Refrigerate, covered, overnight; drain and rinse. Cover with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat; drain and rinse.

  2. Place beans, oil, leeks, garlic, pepper flakes, squash, sage, and rind in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Add 8 cups water. Cover and cook on low 6 hours. Remove and discard sage and rind; stir in lemon juice and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, drizzled with oil and topped with shredded cheese and pepper flakes.

    white-bean-plated-159-d113096.jpg
    Lennart Weibull

Cook's Notes

Since raw beans can contain toxins, the FDA suggests soaking them overnight and boiling them before slow-cooking.

Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, October 2016

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