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This started out as an experiment, and ended as a soup. I never know what to expect when I throw something in the slow cooker, I wanted to see if I can cook white beans in the crock pot without soaking them first. The answer is yes you can; it took about 3-4 hours on high. But they basically looked like cooked beans in water, not like a thick pot of beans that I imagined so I quickly fixed that and turned this into a great tasting soup.
As a kid, I remember my Mom pureeing all my soups to make me eat them. As an adult, I tend to still like my beans pureed in my soup. You can leave some beans whole as I did to give it some texture, or blend the whole thing, up to you.
My method for roasting garlic is a little unconventional, I peel my cloves before roasting because I prefer not to have to do it after. Completely up to you how you roast your garlic, the end result is the same. If you are pressed for time, and wish to skip the roasted garlic, it will still taste wonderful. I personally think adding them makes it go from good to great.
Note: if you want to make this vegetarian, substitute the chicken bouillon for vegetable.
Tuscan White Bean and Roasted Garlic Soup (Crock Pot Recipe)
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 7 • Size: little over 1 cup • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 241 • Fat: 3 g • Carb: 41 g • Fiber: 6 g • Protein: 15 g • Sugar: 0 g
Sodium: 322 mg (without added salt)
Ingredients:
- 1 lb dry Cannellini beans, rinsed
- 1 head garlic, peeled
- 8 cups water
- 4 sage leaves, plus more for garnish
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp chicken Better Than Bouillon, or cube (vegs us vegetable bouillon)
- kosher salt and white pepper to taste
Directions:
Place beans, 3 cloves of the garlic, water and a few sage leaves in the crock pot; cover and set to HIGH 4 hours, or until beans are soft. Don't add salt.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°. Place remaining garlic cloves in the center of a 7x7 inch square of aluminum foil (photo above is showing half of the cloves, use the whole thing). Cover garlic with olive oil and a little salt. Seal aluminum tightly and place in the oven 25-30 minutes, until garlic is soft and golden. Remove from oven and set aside until the beans are done.
When the beans are soft, add the bouillon and mix well until dissolved, then carefully some of the beans and liquid along with the roasted garlic to the blender. Blend until smooth and pour it back into the crock pot. Repeat with the remaining beans until you get the texture you desire. You can also use an immersion blender if you have one. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
Serve with fresh sage and white pepper on top and if you wish, some whole roasted garlic cloves on top. (I reserved a few)
Makes about 7 3/4 cups.
Looks great, I'll give this a shot. I wonder if I can have this ready when I get home from work if I put the crockpot on low for 8 hours...probably fine, will report back!
ReplyDeleteHi - please don't cook on low until you read the comments below re needing to soak/boil the beans to remove the toxins.
DeleteThis looks fantastic! I've been looking for an inexpensive crock pot dinner and this is perfect! I use your recipes all time for everything from daily meals to entertaining to a starting point for something new and the compliments never stop! Keep up the awesome :oD
ReplyDeleteExcellent, and this is so cheap! The whole thing is less than $5.
DeleteAny tips for those of us who want to make the soup and don't own a crockpot?
ReplyDeleteSoak the beans overnight or using the quick method as instructed on the package, then simmer until tender, same ingredients.
Deleteyou could cook it slow on the stove top covered. Get it up to a boil (on medium) and then cook it on low. After a couple of hours, check and see if they are for soft yet.
Delete* You can find a crock pot at a goodwill, saver, etc. If there is no lid, just use foil to crimp around the edges.
I can't wait to try this. I discovered your site just recently and have made so many recipes from it that you couldn't even imagine. My family loves them and many times they have no clue just how healthy they are. Thanks for adding the variety back into healthy eating. Please, please please keep up the great work! You have a great talent!
ReplyDeleteCirca Style,
ReplyDeletethis would work just fine in a pot. I would recommend soaking the beans first or using a pressure cooker. But the rest of the steps would be exactly the same.
I cannot wait to make this - it looks awesome. Already adding ingredients to my shopping list. :)
ReplyDeleteCould I substitute chicken broth for the water and bouillon?? I love your recipes... Many thanks
ReplyDeleteYes you can, but they say you shouldn't cook beans with salt to avoid them getting tough.
DeleteMaybe what you can do is drain the beans, then add chicken broth and the beans to the blender instead.
I did use chicken broth instead if bouillon + water and it turned out fine. No problem at all.
DeleteI did use chicken broth instead if bouillon + water and it turned out fine. No problem at all.
DeleteThis sounds delicious! Definitely will be giving it a try.
ReplyDeleteThis looks yummy! In a pinch, could I use canned beans and dried sage and just do this on the stovetop?
ReplyDeleteSure!
DeleteThis soup looks wonderful, but please be aware that cooking dry beans in a slow cooker can be poisonous. Dried beans contain a toxin called phytohaemagglutinin which is usually destroyed if boiled in water for 10 minutes. The slow cooker will not kill off this toxin unless they have been preliminarily boiled. Cannellini (white kidney beans) contain some of the highest levels of this toxin.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Deletehttp://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/crockpots-slow-cooking-dried-beans-phytohaemagglutinin/
DeleteIs that so? My crock boils on high so I guess that wasn't an issue.
DeleteWe have cooked dried beans in the crockpot many times with no problems.
DeleteThanks for the FYI on the phytohaemagglutinin. I'm going to make this tomorrow with canned beans. :)
DeleteI found more information from the FDA @
http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/foodborneillness/foodborneillnessfoodbornepathogensnaturaltoxins/badbugbook/ucm071092.htm
The syndrome is usually caused by the ingestion of raw, soaked kidney beans, either alone or in salads or casseroles. As few as four or five raw beans can trigger symptoms. Several outbreaks have been associated with "slow cookers" or crock pots, or in casseroles which had not reached a high enough internal temperature to destroy the glycoprotein lectin. It has been shown that heating to 80°C may potentiate the toxicity five-fold, so that these beans are more toxic than if eaten raw. In studies of casseroles cooked in slow cookers, internal temperatures often did not exceed 75°C.
Roasted garlic and sage sound like a dream combination! This looks so creamy and delicious, not to mention healthy!
ReplyDeleteUses the crock-pot and can be gluten free! I can't thank you enough!!!
ReplyDeletethis looks warming! i also love the use of the crock pot.
ReplyDeleteBOUILLON CONTAINS LOTS OS SODIUM!
ReplyDeleteThe sodium is listed above, it's actually pretty low. Better Than Bouillon also sells a Low Sodium version but the beauty if using theirs is you have control over how much you want to add.
DeleteDo you think I could you Great Northern beans? That's what I have on hand. Thank you
ReplyDeleteSure!
Deleteplease, help me understand the ingredients. what is
ReplyDelete1 tbsp chicken Better Than
Bouillon, or cube (vegs us vegetable bouillon)??
I do not understand.. geo_taylor@comcast.net
In the soup aisle, they sell bouillon cubes to add to soups for quick flavor. Better Than Bouillon is a brand I like, google it.
DeleteI have NEVER soaked my dry beans before cooking them in my crock-pot and they have always turned out perfect. Being from NC, we always use hamhock for seasoning, thanks for a healthier alternate!
ReplyDeleteAs a Hispanic, we too love ham hock in our beans but I usually make them in the pressure cooker!
DeleteLooks delicious!!! Loving the roasted garlic!!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to make this today. I'm going to be adding roughly chopped pimento pepper and spinach after pureeing, but before it's done cooking, to make it something of a Tuscan White Bean Florentine soup.
ReplyDeleteI'll be cooking mine on high. My slow cooker boils at high so that should kill off any toxins.
This looks good! I think I'll try it with rosemary to make it "Tuscan"
ReplyDeleteRosemary would be wonderful.
DeleteWhat beans can i sub for cannellini?
ReplyDeleteAny white beans will work, I love northern beans.
DeleteTomorrow nights dinner :)
ReplyDeleteI made this last night, it was so easy and so good. It also made enough for todays lunch. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI have everything to make this and will be trying it out! Looks delicious!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so hearty and comforting! And it's always a plus when it can be made in the slow cooker :)
ReplyDeleteI love bean soups so will definitely try this one. Because I now live alone and my dry beans tend to be harder than they used to be, I would probably soak them at least overnight before proceeding with the crockpot. Gina, I buy my garlic at Costco in the plastic container, already peeled and cloves separated. How many of those should I roast for this recipe?
ReplyDeleteAbout 8-10
DeleteThis recipe sounds delicious. I went to the supermarket to buy the beans, and saw pinto, navy, limas, but no white beans. It may be that they are not sold in my part of the world (southeastern Virginia)but is there a substitute. I can get canned white (cannilini beans) but no dry ones.
ReplyDeleteAny white bean is fine, go with Navy.
DeleteThis looks so good! I absolutely adore roasted garlic too. I love how you peeled the garlic first as well. I'm going to have to try that for sure. I always feel like I waste a lot of the garlic when trying to squeeze them out of the skins after roasting. I actually can't believe I haven't thought of this yet!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't find sage leaves but I have dried sage in the bottle. How much would you recommend of that? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAbout 2 teaspoons.
DeleteDo i take out the sage leaves after the beans are cooked or blend them as well?
ReplyDeleteYou can take them out if you wish.
DeleteAnyone try this with chicken, fish or shellfish added? Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteGina...do you use a garlic press, or do you typically just dice the garlic? I know this recipe is pureed, but just curious. I don't have a garlic press, and wonder if they are useful? PS - love all your recipes! Can't wait for your cookbook! Cath
ReplyDeleteI use it sometimes, it comes in handy at times.
DeleteWow…this looks so good. I love garlic. This is a very good idea. Probably can try to serve with fish or pasta as white sauce if add some cheese and get thicker consistency. :)
ReplyDeleteMade this tonight and it was so easy! We were a little disappointed with the flavor and consistency, though. I followed the directions exactly but it was too watery and thin. It was a bit bland, too. I'm going to blend in some roasted onion and add some spice to the leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. I wonder what I did wrong...
ReplyDeleteStrange, mine was so thick. My blender is really strong, wondering if that matters? Did you use Better 'n Boullion? I can't see how it was bland if you did.
DeleteMine was thick too. I used an immersion blender. Did you throw in the additional garlic from the oven? That together with the beans made it a nice consistency. I used salt and white pepper to season and the flavor was amazing. This soup and the split pea are my favorites :)
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteAwesome recipe !!! I'll definitely spread the word on www.crockpotking.com! Please whatever you do please keep it comin as far as the recipes.
I made the soup with Great Northern Beans. It was Awesome and so easy to do. Thank you. I've been wanting to incorporate more beans into our diet. This is an excellent way to do it.
ReplyDeleteI just made this with canned white kidney beans and added some crushed red pepper for some heat and some dried basil to it along with a lot more garlic than the recipe called for. It tastes amazing! I absolutely love it!
ReplyDeleteAnyone know how many cans of beans would be the equivalent of 1lb dry beans?
ReplyDeleteAbout 3-4 cans.
DeleteLooks delicious.
ReplyDeleteMade this soup, I think soaking the beans are key. I had a problem with the beans not cooking all the way through, left them in longer. Going to try again, soup did have good flavor
ReplyDeleteThis soup looks delicious! Made it tonight and it didn't turn out how I expected though, which was disappointing. Mine didn't turn out anything like the picture above, and I wasn't a fan of the flavor or consistency :( Totally sad since I absolutely love a nice bowl of soup!
ReplyDeleteLoved the flavor of this soup. The roasted garlic and white pepper really give it such a nice flavor. Mine came out rather thin as well..but definitely worth a second try with extra beans or less water to thicken it up for me. I wonder if it is due to the crockpot temp variances..some steam more leaving less liquid?
ReplyDeleteIf I put the beans on before I left for work, would they be ok on warm for 8 hours? Or do you have another recommendation for a longer time in the crock pot? I have the same Hamilton crock pot Gina does.
ReplyDeleteI made this soup today and it came out great! I made some changes though that I thought some people may. I made it on the stove top may be helpful to some. I used 4, 15oz cans of beans. Because the beans are already cooked(and would not absorb the water), I reduced the amount of broth/water to 6 cups instead of 8, and the consistency was right. Just bring beans, broth sage and garlic to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes before pureeing. To increase the veggies I added wilted spinach and diced roasted red peppers as well. It was delicious!
ReplyDeleteI made this soup last night and I had the same problem with it being too watery. I ended up draining out the beans, adding a bit of the liquid and pureeing it. The flavor was okay but I think it lacked richness because I had to drain out the liquid and lose all the bouillon flavor. I'll try it again with less water to cook the beans in.
ReplyDeleteIs it a problem to cook it on high for more than 4 hours? I'd like to make this for dinner one night but I can't come home in the middle of the day to turn the crockpot on.
ReplyDeleteI saw the comments about not cooking it on low, so I thought maybe it could just cook them on high for 8 hours?
4 hours on high = 8 hours on low. Little-known fact about slow cookers is both settings reach the same temperature, the only difference is how long it takes to get there. (If they didn't, meats wouldn't cook to a safe temperature.)
Delete-Lori
The soup was a little more watery than I thought it would be. Also, I think I need to cook the beans a little longer. After I pureed it with my immersion blender there seemed to be teeny-tiny 'bits' that were beans that seemed chopped rather than pureed. It seemed a little bland too. I did not call it a loss as an overnight in the fridge can give a chance for flavors to develop. Today it was a little more flavorful and thicker. I think it would benefit from a squeeze of lemon. I might try again with more sage and garlic.
ReplyDeleteI made a few recipes from your blog and my family enjoyed a lot of them. I used great northern beans for this recipe and would not recommend. The taste wasn't pleasant even though the texture was just right. Perhaps I'll try again with the Cannellini beans as the recipe suggests.
ReplyDeleteJust made this soup and it's fabulous! I used navy beans and a little more garlic and sage (because I'm just that way) but otherwise followed the directions exactly. So flavorful and so easy!
ReplyDeleteThis site is so great... I've tried a couple of recipes and have a ton more on my list to try. Thanks!
I am making this now and so excited...one question. The sage and the garlic that we boiled...should those get pureed as well? I know we can if we want but I am not sure if it would be too much sage and garlic ... Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI see many comments about their soup being too watery or too thick. It's not because of the recipe. It's the beans. Different beans absorb different amounts of water. The age of the beans influences water absorption too. Since you can use any white bean you'll have to adjust the amount of broth or cooking time as you go. Adding broth with salt in it will slow or even reduce water absorption and make the beans tough and less flavorful. Canned beans won't have this problem since they're already cooked but they cost more than using dried beans.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent and healthy recipe. Adding spinach (or kale,mustard or turnip greens) or sliced mushrooms adds more variety. No limits on this dish. Try something and see if you like it.
Thanks to the author!
Diamondmarco
I made this last night and had it for lunch today. It was excellent. Here is what I did - let the beans soak overnight - I had the time so thought I might as well. Used 6 1/2 cups of water after hearing other reviews. I didn't have fresh sage, so I used dried Herbs de Provence and it was very very good. Otherwise, followed the recipe to a "t". Today I topped it with a bit of kosher salt and chayenne pepper.
ReplyDeleteThis looks absolutely delicious! We are on a huge soup kick right now trying to stay warm in the deep freeze. LOVE white bean soup and the roasted garlic sounds like the perfect addition.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm using canned beans, how much water should I use?
ReplyDelete