Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage

This slow cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage is a perfect meal for the fall and winter. It’s filled with healthy vegetables and uses your favorite sausage. Leftovers are even better. 

I received complimentary products from Camellia Beans to aid in the creation of this post for #NationalSlowCookerMonth. All opinions are mine alone. #ad #sponsored

I have a confession to make. I’ve never cooked with dried beans. Never.  I don’t know why I haven’t because I use canned beans in many recipes.  My husband’s favorite chili uses kidney beans, and this recipe for Cowboy Beans has plenty of different kinds of beans.  So when Camellia provided me with a selection of their delicious dried beans, I knew it was time to make a recipe with them and with the slow cooker for National Slow Cooker Month. 

I’m joining several bloggers this week to bring you recipes just for the slow cooker.  It’s going to be a delicious week filled with so much good food. Plus, thanks to our generous sponsors, there will also be a giveaway for you to enter! The list of each day’s recipes from all the bloggers will be at the bottom of this post as is the Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway.

What do you love to make in your slow cooker?  For me, it’s soups or easy dinners like this Beef and Broccoli recipe. 

Let’s talk about this Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage.  If you’ve used dried beans before then you know you need to soak the beans over night before cooking with them.  But what you may not know is something I learned while developing this recipe.  This article from Modern Day Moms explains it well. Simply put, you should soak the beans overnight, rinse them, and then boil them in fresh water for 10 minutes before adding them to the slow cooker.  That little extra step will help the cook time decrease and help to release any toxins in the beans.  The article is very informative.  

That being said, I’ve got more tips for this soup for you.

Tips to Make Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage

I used one pound of Camellia’s Great Northern beans in this recipe. I soaked them overnight, drain and rinsed the beans.  

Then boiled them for 10 minutes, draining one more time before adding them to the slow cooker.

Spicy ground turkey sausage is what I chose to use for this soup; however, you may use any sausage you like.  Mild Italian sausage also is great in this recipe.

Cut the carrots into one inch pieces so that they won’t be mushy when the beans are cooked through.  

If you don’t prefer to use the frozen pearl onion, dice a large onion instead and saute it before adding it to the slow cooker.

*Important to know:  Do not add the canned tomatoes to the slow cooker with the dried beans until the beans are fully cooked. Dried beans can’t be cooked with acidic products like tomatoes or they will take much longer to get soft. I added the tomatoes once the beans were cooked through. Using fire-roasted tomatoes gives the soup an extra touch of flavor, but you can use regular diced tomatoes also.  

I didn’t add the spinach to the soup at the end because I have family members who aren’t spinach lovers.  Simply add how much spinach you wish to your bowl before ladling the soup in.  The heat from the soup will wilt the spinach perfectly. This is also a good tip to keep in mind if you will be having leftovers.  Nothing worse than slimy spinach reheated (IMO). 

My last tip for this recipe is to check the beans around the 4 hour mark to see how soft they are getting.  It only took 5 hours on high for this soup to get done.  Depending on your slow cooker, it could take a bit longer.  

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage

This slow cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage is a perfect meal for the fall and winter. It's filled with healthy vegetables and uses your favorite sausage.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Equipment

• 6 qt. slow cooker

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground spicy turkey sausage (or your favorite sausage)
• 1 lb dry Great Northern beans, soaked, rinsed and boiled (SEE NOTES)
• 3 large whole carrots, washed, peeled, and cut into 1 inch pieces.
• 8 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 large dried bay leaf (or 2 small ones)
• 1 cup frozen pearl onions
• 1 (14.5 oz) can
  
  fire-roasted tomatoes (SEE NOTES)
• fresh spinach, to add to individual bowls of soup

Instructions

• Brown turkey sausage in a skillet over med-high heat. Drain any grease once it's cooked. Add to slow cooker.
• Add in the carrots, beans (SEE NOTES), chicken stock, onions, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and frozen pearl onions to the slow cooker.
• Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, depending on how your slow cooker cooks. Check at the 4 hour mark to see if the beans are soft, if not, continue to cook another hour, or until beans are soft.
• Once the beans are cooked through, remove lid and discard the bay leaves. Add in the can of fire-roasted tomatoes and stir. (SEE NOTES) The tomatoes are added at the end of the cooking time if you are using dried beans. Dried beans cannot be cooked with acidic foods, like tomatoes or the beans will take much longer to cook to become soft.
• Place a few fresh spinach leaves in bowls, and pour soup over. The heat from the soup will wilt the spinach perfectly.

Notes

To properly prepare dried beans for this recipe:

If you've used dried beans before then you know you need to soak the beans over night before cooking with them.  But what you may not know is something I learned while developing this recipe.  This article from Modern Day Moms explains it well. Simply put, you should soak the beans overnight, rinse them, and then boil them in fresh water for 10 minutes before adding them to the slow cooker.  That little extra step will help the cook time decrease and help to release any toxins in the beans.  The article is very informative.  

The tomatoes are added at the end of the cooking time if you are using dried beans. Dried beans cannot be cooked with acidic foods, like tomatoes or the beans will take much longer to cook to become soft.

Monday’s Slow Cooker Recipes

• Cheesy Chicken Pasta Bake by That Recipe
• Beef Short Ribs with Vegetables by Family Around the Table
• Easy Slow Cooker Lady Pea Cassoulet by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Homestyle Pork Roast (Slow Cooker) by Palatable Pastime
• Make-Ahead Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Lentil Soup by Frugal & Fit
• Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Tomato Pasta Sauce by Savory Moments
• Slow Cooker Curried Lentil & Sausage Soup by The Spiffy Cookie
• Slow Cooker Dinner Rolls by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Slow Cooker Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwiches by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Slow Cooker Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Casserole by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Slow Cooker Pinto Bean and Chorizo Naan Bread Appetizer by The Freshman Cook
• Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage by Blogghetti
• Vegan Slow Cooker Chickpea Noodle Soup by Kate’s Recipe Box

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Contest runs 1/20/2020 at 12:00 a.m. till 1/27/2020 at 11:59 p.m. 

The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. Bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Winners have 24 hours to respond once notified by email, or they forfeit the prize and an alternate winner will be chosen. The #NationalSlowCookerMonth bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members living in the household cannot enter or win the giveaway. Entries will be verified. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter giveaway and contest is open only to US residents. 

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Enjoy!