I know so many of you are fighting cold weather and stuffy noses, so I thought I would share with you a new favorite soup in our house. My friend and student Lynette gave me the recipe because it has been popular with her family. Nothing beats a warm and hearty bowl of soup when you’re not feeling 100% and this one is particularly fantastic since you place everything into a slow cooker in the morning and it’s ready by dinnertime (also great when you’re not feeling 100%.)
People in my classes have been begging me for more slow cooker recipes, especially the dump-and-start kind. If you don’t have a slow cooker, do not fear. I will give you directions for a stovetop version. Whereas I normally prefer to saute aromatic vegetables before using them in a soup or stew since it adds more flavor, in this recipe the extra step doesn’t make much difference. Lucky us! Although the original recipe doesn’t call for it, I prefer to soak my beans to neutralize the phytic acid, a hard-to-digest anti-nutritient. Soaking is optional though, as the slow cooker will easily cook the beans to a creamy softness without soaking.
This was a perfect entree soup for dinner paired with corn muffins and a green salad. More importantly, all my kids, including the picky one, just loved it. I know some people can’t get into the idea of “just” soup for dinner. But I promise this is a hearty one. Beans are loaded with protein and fiber which both help keep you full for longer. There is also a small amount of sausage in the soup (I used chicken sausage) which you can omit if you’re vegetarian or vegan or use your favorite vegan sausage to add a little smokiness to the soup. For a more affordable dish, you can use a small ham hock for flavor instead of the sausage.
In my opinion everything is better, more alkalizing and more nutritious with dark leafy greens. I hope you are finding new and delicious ways to incorporate this food group into your diet. Kale seems to be the “it” leafy green of the moment, that it’s nice to see another leafy green in a recipe. Collard greens are used in this soup, but I’m sure cabbage or kale would be equally delicious here. This recipe is a keeper no matter how you make it!
Slow Cooker White Bean Soup with Sausage and Collard Greens
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried beans, such as cannellini or great Northern, picked through for stones or debris, soaked* for at least 6 hours in cold water and drained
- ½ pound andouille sausage links, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise (I used a 12-ounce package of Applegate Farms chicken apple sausage)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 8 cups low-sodium or unsalted chicken or vegetable broth, preferably homemade
- 1 bunch collard greens, stems discarded and leaves cut into-bite-size pieces (about 8 cups)
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar
- sea salt and black pepper to taste, salt will vary based on what stock or sausage you use
- unrefined olive oil for drizzling, optional
Instructions
- In a 4-6 quart slow cooker (mine is a 6.5 quart and it turned out great), combine the beans, sausage, onion, celery, and thyme. Add the broth and stir to combine.
- Cover and cook until the beans are tender, on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4-5 hours.
- minutes before serving, remove and discard the thyme sprigs and add the collard greens. Cover and cook until the greens are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.
- Drizzle with olive oil, if desired.
Notes
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Came here to say that this is so hearty and delicious! I ended up using 4 cans of rinsed cannellini beans and 13oz of smoked turkey sausage, as well as adding 3 cloves of garlic. Because I had a (larger?) amount of beans, I ended up using an extra tablespoon or two of ACV and a full box (32oz/4cups) of veggie broth, but it worked out perfectly! The collards really make this dish, as does the splash of ACV. Thank you very much, this is helping my sick boyfriend and I recover from a cold. Fantastic recipe.
smoked turkey – yum!! great idea!
Hi Pamela! If I wanted to use canned beans and make this on the stovetop – how long would this recipe need to simmer for? Thanks!!
Just until the onions are tender, usually about 15 minutes. Taste to be sure.
Perfect soup for a chilly night, and the first day of daylight savings time. I used what I had on hand; a turkey broth I’d made and frozen + chicken broth (weird? but it tasted and smelled wonderful). I also used carrots instead of celery, since I didn’t have celery on hand. And three cans of white beans. I could have used four cans, but three was good. I also used spinach instead of collard green. This was another winner!
Yes! Use what you’ve got! Honestly, I mix stock all the time. I especially like to cut the flavor of turkey stock with chicken stock. I love all the swaps you made!
Can you make this with canned beans? When would you introduce them into the process? Thanks!
Yes, you could. I have made plenty of slow cooker recipes where I have used canned beans right from the start and cooked them on low for 8 hours. I don’t think it would be a problem here either.
I made it just like you have it but added a pram rind. Used low sodium chicken broth, and added a little less than half teaspoon salt & full teaspoon pepper. Used publix brand artichoke & parm chicken sausage. Delish!! A new go to!
Adding a parmesan rind is never wrong! Smart move. 🙂