Today was the perfect Sunday afternoon to use my trusty fix-it-and-forget-it crockpot. After chopping all the vegetables and assembling the ingredients in the slow cooker, I simply plugged it in and went on with my day. About halfway through, I decided to puree two more cans of beans with a couple ladles of broth, which when incorporated back into the soup gave it a thicker, creamier consistency. In the last hour, I added chopped fresh parsley and several turns of ground pepper, but that was basically it. Otherwise, I spent several hours sitting at my kitchen counter working on report card comments as the sun streamed across the quartz and onto the hardwood floors. Though I was working most of my Sunday, I felt extra efficient knowing that I was cooking dinner while getting other to-do list items done. The result of my effort was well received... Ryan asked for seconds!
Here's the recipe.
Cozy Crockpot Veggie Bean Soup
Ingredients
6 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 1/2 large or 2 medium onions)
2 cups chopped carrots (about 4 stalks)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method
Put all the ingredients into the slow cooker, except for 2 cans of the white beans, the olive oil, pepper, and parsley. Stir to mix the ingredients and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.
About halfway through the cooking time, put the remaining 2 cans of white beans in a food processor, along with about 2 ladles (1 1/4 cups) of broth from the crockpot. Be careful transferring the hot liquid. Puree until smooth and add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil as you process the beans and broth. Once the mixture has reached the consistency of mashed potatoes, add back into the slow cooker and stir to integrate well with the rest of the soup. It should take on a creamy consistency overall.
In the last hour, add coarsely chopped fresh parsley and ground pepper. Serve with crusty bread.
Here's the recipe.
Cozy Crockpot Veggie Bean Soup
Ingredients
6 cans white beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped celery (about 4 stalks)
2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 1/2 large or 2 medium onions)
2 cups chopped carrots (about 4 stalks)
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Method
Put all the ingredients into the slow cooker, except for 2 cans of the white beans, the olive oil, pepper, and parsley. Stir to mix the ingredients and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours.
About halfway through the cooking time, put the remaining 2 cans of white beans in a food processor, along with about 2 ladles (1 1/4 cups) of broth from the crockpot. Be careful transferring the hot liquid. Puree until smooth and add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil as you process the beans and broth. Once the mixture has reached the consistency of mashed potatoes, add back into the slow cooker and stir to integrate well with the rest of the soup. It should take on a creamy consistency overall.
In the last hour, add coarsely chopped fresh parsley and ground pepper. Serve with crusty bread.
