Hearty Italian White Bean Soup (Slow Cooker) Recipe
This Hearty Italian White Bean Soup is a comforting, wholesome dish perfect for cozy family meals. Made in a slow cooker, it combines creamy coconut milk, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning with tender white beans, fresh spinach, and pasta for a flavorful and filling vegetarian soup.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
Soup Ingredients
- 1 14oz can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes (with Italian seasoning)
- 2 (19oz) cans low sodium white beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 1 cup whole grain or regular rotini pasta (gluten-free, if needed)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional Garnish
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Sauté the onion: Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook it until softened and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. If your slow cooker has a sauté function, you can perform this step directly in it.
- Prepare the coconut milk mixture: While the onion cooks, combine the full-fat coconut milk, minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt in a blender. Blend on high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Combine ingredients in slow cooker: Add the sautéed onions and the coconut milk mixture into your slow cooker. Then add the diced tomatoes, white beans, and vegetable broth. Stir all ingredients thoroughly to combine.
- Cook the soup: Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the soup to thicken.
- Add pasta and spinach: With about 30 minutes left, increase the slow cooker temperature to high if not already on high. Stir in the dry rotini pasta. When there are 5 minutes remaining, add the chopped fresh spinach and stir well.
- Season and serve: Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the soup warm, sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves if desired for added flavor and garnish.
Notes
- This soup can be made gluten-free by using gluten-free rotini pasta.
- For a vegetarian and dairy-free option, omit the parmesan garnish.
- You can prepare the sautéed onion in the slow cooker if it has a sauté feature to minimize dishes.
- Adjust cooking times based on your slow cooker; thicker soups may require longer low cooking.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 4 days and taste even better the next day.
