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Easy Slow Cooker Sausage and Bean Soup Recipe

Easy Slow Cooker Sausage and Bean Soup

A hearty crockpot soup made with sausage, white beans, vegetables, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. It is an easy six-serving meal with rich flavor and very little hands-on preparation.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 6 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 1 pound Italian sausage or smoked kielbasa
  • 1 medium Medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 medium Carrots, sliced
  • 2 ribs Celery ribs, sliced
  • 3 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 15-ounce cans Great northern, cannellini, or navy beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 14.5-ounce can Diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 4 cups Chicken broth or stock
Seasonings
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 leaf Bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon, plus more to taste Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
Optional Finish
  • 2 cups Chopped kale or fresh spinach
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh parsley, chopped

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. If using bulk Italian sausage, crumble it. If using kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut it into bite-size slices.
  2. For deeper flavor, brown the sausage in a skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, then drain excess fat. This step is optional, and smoked sausage can usually be added directly to the slow cooker.
  3. Add the sausage, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, drained and rinsed beans, undrained diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, kosher salt, and black pepper to the slow cooker.
  4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended.
  5. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in chopped kale during the final 20-30 minutes, or add fresh spinach during the final 5-10 minutes.
  6. Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper before serving. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if desired.

Notes

Browning sausage adds deeper flavor and helps prevent a greasy soup, although it is optional. Use canned or fully cooked beans for this quick recipe. Do not add dried kidney beans directly to a slow cooker unless they have been properly boiled first. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat gently until hot.