Navy Bean Vegan Slow Cooker Soup

I’m a real fan of bean soups. This navy bean slow cooker soup has such good flavors and its aromas will fill your house as it cooks. You’ll need a 4-quart slow cooker or larger. I used my 4-quart and the soup filled it to the brim – and I do mean the very top edge. The good news is, the recipe doesn’t expand as it cooks, so a full slow cooker is okay with this dish. This recipe is veganized with the use of vegetable broth. Serve this with a side of crusty bread and a few veggies. We had it with baked new potatoes and steamed broccoli and it was delicious!

GLUTEN FREE OPTION: To make a gluten free version of this soup, make sure your vegetable broth and all spices and herbs are gluten free.

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Navy Bean Vegan Slow Cooker Soup

Navy beans and herbs, onions, carrots and vegetable broth create an aromatic and delicious soup you'll want to make again. This soup is hearty enough for fall and winter, but light enough for summer. The whole family will enjoy it.

Course

Main Dish, Soup

Cuisine

American

Keyword

bay leaf, carrots, celery, garlic, navy beans, onion, paprika, rosemary, thyme, vegetable broth, vegetable stock

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

8 hours

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry navy beans, no soaking needed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 large yellow onion chopped
• 6 stalks celery sliced. I remove the threads, too, before slicing
• 8 ounces carrots sliced and cut into 1-inch or smaller pieces
• 1 whole bay leaf or gluten free bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary or fresh rosemary, or gluten free dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or fresh thyme, or gluten free dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or gluten free smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper or gluten free cracked pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups vegetable broth, low sodium if possible, gluten free if needed

Course Main Dish, Soup Cuisine American Keyword bay leaf, carrots, celery, garlic, navy beans, onion, paprika, rosemary, thyme, vegetable broth, vegetable stock Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 8 hours Servings servings Ingredients 1 pound dry navy beans, no soaking needed 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 cloves garlic minced 1/2 large yellow onion chopped 6 stalks celery sliced. I remove the threads, too, before slicing 8 ounces carrots sliced and cut into 1-inch or smaller pieces 1 whole bay leaf or gluten free bay leaf 1 tablespoon dried rosemary or fresh rosemary, or gluten free dried rosemary 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or fresh thyme, or gluten free dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or gluten free smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper or gluten free cracked pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 cups vegetable broth, low sodium if possible, gluten free if needed

Instructions

1. In a colander, rinse the beans and remove any bad beans or pebbles. Place the beans in a dutch oven or other large pot, cover with plenty of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, add the olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, and carrots to a large (4-quart or larger) slow cooker. Drain the beans, rinse again and look for any bad beans or pebbles to remove. (If you've ever bitten down on a pebble while eating beans, you'll understand taking the extra step to rinse them twice.)

   
3. Add the beans to the slow cooker, along with the whole bay leaf, rosemary, thyme paprika, cracked pepper and salt.

   
4. Pour 4 cups of the vegetable broth over the contents of the slow cooker, stirring carefully to combine everything. Then add the remaining 2 cups of vegetable broth and stir again.

   
5. Cook in the covered slow cooker on low for 8 hours or until the beans are soft. The soup can also be cooked on high for 5 hours. Once the soup is done cooking, find the whole bay leaf and remove it.

   
6. Using a potato masher, smash some of the beans and vegetables to your desired consistency to thicken the soup. Add any additional salt, to taste, or serve with salt on the side. Top each bowl with chopped fresh herbs or croutons.

Recipe Notes

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