Crock Pot Tomato Basil Bean Soup
Make this soup in a crock pot while you are out during the day and come home to a steaming meal. In the summer, use garden fresh basil, spinach, onions, and tomatoes to create a flavor that can only be described as divine.
In the winter, use canned tomatoes along with fresh ingredients and make this fabulous vegetarian soup on cold nights to keep warm.
Prep time: 10 min; Total time: Two days
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 c. diced tomatoes with juice (or 1 can)
- 4 c. vegetable broth (or 2 cans)
- 1 c. kidney beans (or 1 can, rinsed and drained)
- 1 bay leaf (optional)
- Large handful fresh basil
- Large handful fresh baby spinach (optional)
- 3 tbsp. parmesan, grated (optional)
- Pasta, cooked (optional)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Boil your dried beans in water for 5 minutes the night before. Discard the water and then soak your beans (in new water) overnight. Change the soak water once while beans are soaking and discard soak water before beginning to make your soup.
In the morning, toss beans, onions, garlic, olive oil, broth, bay leaf, and tomatoes in your crock pot on low.
At dinner time, make pasta in a separate pot. Then add pasta, basil, and spinach to your soup. Garnish with fresh ground pepper and parmesan cheese.
Tips
This soup is packed with superfoods: tomatoes, spinach, and beans. To add another superfood, serve
your soup with warm whole grain bread (or choose whole grain pasta).
My favorite types of pasta to use in this soup are small noodles, such as farfalle (bowties) or macaroni. Or, you can serve it with brown rice, barley, or orzo.
Try using other kinds of beans, such as cannelini, Great Northern, or lima beans.
Add whatever kinds of vegetables you have in your kitchen. Try adding additional herbs, too (parsley would taste great!).
Canned beans, canned tomatoes, and vegetable broth all contain high amounts of sodium. If you can, use dried beans and fresh tomatoes to cut minimize the sodium content of this soup.
Provide feedback on this recipe