(Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup is an old recipe that has been removed from the site, but I am leaving this printer-friendly version here for people who may have been fans of the recipe. This is soup that starts with dried beans cooked all day in the slow cooker; see the end of the recipe for how to modify for canned beans.)

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. dried small white beans (see notes)
  • 1 onion, chopped into fairly small pieces
  • 1 T finely minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. ground rosemary or dried rosemary, crushed
  • 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
  • 6 cups  chicken broth
  • one 14.5 oz. can petite dice tomatoes
  • 14 oz. pre-cooked sausage, cut into half-moon slices (see notes)
  • 4 packed cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
  • freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Pick over the beans, removing any broken ones, and add beans to the slow cooker.
  2. Chop onion, mince the garlic, and crush the spices with a mortar and pestle (or meat mallet) and add to the slow cooker.
  3. Add the chicken stock and diced tomatoes to the slow cooker and start to cook on low.
  4. Cut the sausage in half lengthwise, and then slice it into half-moon slices.
  5. If youโ€™re going to be cooking this while youโ€™re not home, add the sausage now and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the beans are nicely softened.
  6. If you will be home, I would cook the other ingredients about 5 hours and then add the sausage. It will work either way, but the sausage will be softer if you add it for the entire cooking time.
  7. When beans are done to your liking, chop the spinach, turn the slow cooker to high, and cook about 30 minutes more.
  8. Serve hot, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on the stew if desired.
  9. See NOTES for how to make this soup with canned beans.

How to make Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup with Canned Beans:

  1. Use three cans white beans (and the liquid in the can) to replace the dried white beans.
  2. Cut the turkey Kielbasa, chop onions, mince garlic, and crush dried herbs as described above.
  3. Add the canned beans with liquid, cut sausage, onions, garlic, and herbs to the slow cooker with the chicken stock and canned tomatoes.
  4. Cook about 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.
  5. Add chopped spinach (and turn to high if cooking on low) and cook about one hour more.

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