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two bowls of soup in front of a slow cooker
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5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup

Enjoy a big bowl of Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup loaded with big, robust flavors and perfect with a side of crusty bread.  Made with cannellini beans, coarsely chopped kale, chunks of sweet Italian sausage, lemon juice and pesto in Swanson® Chicken Broth, this easy, hearty, comforting soup is perfect for busy, chilly days.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time6 hours 40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 261kcal
Author: Amy Nash

Ingredients

  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup basil pesto
  • ¼-1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
  • 8 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (or Great Northern or Navy beans)
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 bunch kale, roughly chopped with stems removed
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice + 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Prep the vegetables by chopping the carrots and onion, and mincing the garlic cloves.
  • Add the chopped vegetables to a large slow cooker along with pesto, red pepper flakes, and Swanson® Chicken Broth. Cover tightly with lid and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
  • Remove lid and add in sweet Italian sausage, breaking it up into small bite-size chunks.  Stir in kale, rinsed and drained cannellini beans, and lemon juice and zest. 
  • Cover again and cook on high for another 30-45 minutes until sausage is cooked through and soup is hot.
  • Serve with Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.  Leftover soup can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes

Optional:  If you happen to have a Parmesan cheese rind, throw that in the slow cooker with everything else.  It adds wonderful flavor, but it's not absolutely necessary for this soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 1366mg | Potassium: 491mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 4345IU | Vitamin C: 41.7mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1.5mg