Slow Cooker White Bean and Sausage Soup

This Slow Cooker White Bean and Sausage Soup recipe is so easy, so comforting, and so delicious. It's a jazzed up version of a recipe I saw in a magazine a few years ago. The original recipe was pretty bland, so I put my little thumbprint on it and made it mine by adding some exotic, floral, distinctly Spanish saffron (think paella), some wine, lots of garlic, and a few other flavors that remind me of the beautiful cuisine of Spain.

My family loves this and I love making it - as much as I love piddling around in the kitchen, it's nice to have a few "set it and forget it" type recipes up my sleeve. Serve this Spanish inspired white bean and sausage soup with some toasty bread rubbed with garlic.

Team Slow Cooker?

I have a confession: I used to be kind of snooty about slow-cookers. My dad never used one; In fact, I don't think we even had one in the house when I was a kid. I just always thought overcooked, watery, mushy, drab-colored things came out of slow-cookers.

Phew. I'm so glad I got that off my chest.

White Bean and Sausage Soup

I'm happy to report that my opinion has changed over the past few years and I appreciate my slow cooker much more. Being a busy working mom/student and being away from home for long days of class and work made me appreciate the comfort and reliability of slow-cookers - especially during the fall and winter months. It's so nice to come home to something warm after a long, cold day. And even now, though I work from home and am in my kitchen all day, I still love the smug feeling of multitasking as something cooks away all on its own while I tend to other tasks.

Stovetop if you wanna

I should note though - you could absolutely make this on the stove top if you are piddling around the house and either don't have a slow cooker or prefer not to use it. Just add everything to a large stock pot and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. And if you want to make it even quicker, use canned beans instead of dried.

Not a lot of steps to show, but you know I love some process shots. The most hands on part is browning the sausage, which I highly encourage.

I hope you'll give this slow cooker white bean and sausage soup a try and let me know if you do! Your comments and ratings on my posts help me more than you know! And they make me so happy! Let me know what you think and if you'd like to see more slow cooker posts. xo - Anita

I originally shared this post on November 21, 2014. Wow! And just updated the photos, post, and recipe card on January 6, 2021. 

Slow Cooker White Bean and Sausage Soup

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Full of my favorite Spanish-inspired flavors, this slow cooker white bean and sausage soup is a breeze to make thanks to the trusty slow cooker but is easily made on the stove top as well!

• Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried white beans (such as great northern or navy), soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
• 14 ounces andouille sausage or spanish-style chorizo (NOT Mexican chorizo!), halved lengthwise and sliced ½ inch thick *see note
• 4 cups chicken broth, homemade or storebought
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted if you can find them)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• a pinch of saffron, about ¼ teaspoon
• 1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 4 cups water

To finish

• 4 cups fresh spinach (a couple big handfuls)
• chopped fresh parsley
• extra virgin olive oil
• sherry vinegar
• bread, for serving

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Instructions

To Prepare:

1. The night before you want to make this soup, place dried beans in a large bowl and cover with water and a tablespoon of salt. Leave for 8-12 hours. Drain and rinse before proceeding with recipe.
2. Over medium heat in a large skillet, cook sausage slices until nice and brown.
3. In a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the beans, sausage, broth, tomatoes, onion, garlic, bay leaf, rosemary, saffron, wine and water
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or until beans are tender.
5. Just before serving, stir in the spinach and chopped fresh parsley.
6. Drizzle with sherry vinegar and olive oil for serving and serve with crusty bread

Notes

To bump up the flavor, I always like to brown any meats I'm adding to a slow cooker recipe - but it is optional and I have made this without browning the sausage and it is still delicious! So it's totally up to you.

Soaking the beans really makes a difference and it literally happens while you sleep -  but if you don't want to bother, you can make this recipe with canned beans - just be sure to drain and rinse them well.

• Author: anita | wild thistle kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 hours