Whoever discovered beans gets a big fat medal of appreciation from yours truly. They’re just incredible. Incredible and cheap. And so is this Slow Cooker White Bean Soup. This soup is thick, warm, comforting, and flavorful… and cost me LESS THAN FIVE DOLLARS FOR THE WHOLE POT. That, my friend, is the magic of beans.
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What Kind of White Beans Should I Use?
I suggest using navy beans first, because they are creamy and break down easily when cooked, which will give you this nice thick texture in the finished soup. If navy beans are not available, my second choice would be great northern beans. DO NOT use cannellini beans, which are part of the kidney bean family, and require a heavy boil to break down a natural substance called Phytohaemagglutinin, which is a gastrointestinal toxin. The slow cooker does not get the soup hot enough for long enough to break down the toxins in those beans.
Do I Need to Soak the Beans?
Nope! This recipe does not require pre-soaking the beans. Some people claim that soaking beans then discarding the soaking water can reduce flatulence, but I, personally, find no difference. If you prefer to pre-soak your beans, you will need to add less water to this recipe and will probably need less cooking time. I have not tested that method, so I do not have a specific amount of water or cooking time to suggest.
Can I Use Broth in Place of Water?
This awesome Slow Cooker White Bean Soup uses a medley of spices, herbs, and vegetables to make its own flavorful broth right in the slow cooker – no Better Than Bouillon soup base this time around, folks. Of course you always have the option to use broth in place of water if you wish, just be aware that you probably won’t need to add salt at the end of the recipe, as directed below.
Can I Add Meat?
Sure, if you prefer meat in your soup I would suggest adding a ham hock or a smoked turkey leg to the slow cooker with your soup as it cooks. They will provide a wonderfully smoky flavor and will reduce the amount of salt you’ll need to add at the end.
Is This Soup Freezer Friendly?
Yes! This Slow Cooker White Bean Soup freezer beautifully. Make sure to divide it into single portions and chill it in the refrigerator first, then transfer to the freezer once cold. I like to freeze my soups in reusable Ziploc containers, but freezer bags also work great. To reheat either use the defrost function on the microwave, or transfer to a soup pot and reheat over low, stirring often, until heated through.
Love white bean soup? Check out my Chunky Ham and Bean Soup or Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup.
Slow Cooker White Bean Soup
Servings 6 about 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.11)
- 4 carrots (about 1/2 lb.) ($0.30)
- 4 ribs celery ($0.46)
- 1 lb. dry navy beans* ($1.25)
- 1 bay leaf ($0.30)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- Freshly cracked black pepper (15-20 cranks of a pepper mill) ($0.05)
- 6 cups water ($0.00)
- 2 tsp salt, or to taste ($0.05)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic, dice the onion, slice the celery, and peel and slice the carrots. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, and carrots to a large (5qt or larger) slow cooker.
- Give the beans a quick rinse in a colander and then add them to the slow cooker, along with the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, paprika, and some freshly cracked pepper.
- Add six cups of water to the slow cooker and stir to combine the ingredients. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
- After 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, stir the soup and begin to mash the beans against the side of the slow cooker to thicken the soup. Once the soup is thickened to your liking, start adding salt to taste. Begin with 1/2 tsp and add more until the soup tastes flavorful to you. I used about 2 tsp total.
- Serve the soup hot with crackers or crusty bread for dipping.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Crockpot White Bean Soup – Step by Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion, four ribs of celery, and peel and slice 1/2 lb. carrots (about 4 carrots). Mince 4 cloves of garlic. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and 2 Tbsp olive oil to a slow cooker (5 qt. or larger).
You’ll need one pound of dry navy beans or great northern beans. Again, DO NOT use cannellini beans, which are part of the kidney bean family, and require a heavy boil to break down a natural substance called Phytohaemagglutinin, which is a gastrointestinal toxin. The slow cooker does not get the soup hot enough for long enough to break down the toxins in those beans.
Briefly rinse the beans in a colander, then add them to the slow cooker along with 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, some freshly cracked pepper, and six cups of water.
Briefly stir the contents of the slow cooker to make sure all the flavors are distributed, then place a lid on top and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-9 hours.
After cooking on high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-9 hours it will look a little something like this. All the vegetables will have floated up to the top and the beans will have absorbed most of the water. Test a bean to make sure they are very soft. If they’re not yet soft, cook for one hour more (they should definitely be soft by this point, unless your beans are very old. Old beans sometimes do not soften no matter how long they are cooked).
Stir the soup and smash the beans against the side of the pot, which will thicken the soup (or you can use an immersion blender). The soup at this point does not contain ANY salt, so now it’s time to add salt so you can really taste all the different flavors. Begin adding salt, starting with 1/2 tsp and adding more until the soup is flavorful. I added 2 tsp total.
Serve hot with some crusty bread for dipping!
Excellent! Flavorful, creamy, hearty, healthy. I have cholesterol and GI issues so this was perfect! They only 2 changes I made were I used celery powder because I did not have any stalk on hand, and I added leftover chopped up smoked turkey breast that I needed to use up. Fantastic for these cold days and nights we’re having!
SO! Here are some tips for this recipe:
-First! Cook it for 8 hours on HIGH.
-Second! I always add 3 cups vegie or chicken stock and 3 cups water instead of just 6 cups of water, then hold off on the salt till the end to taste.
-Third! You really need to mash up the end result to make it thick.
-Fourth! I usually double the amount of spices I enjoy on this one.
-Fifth! DOUBLE the amount of garlic! Why? Because even if you aren’t Italian there is a little Italian inside all of you screaming for more garlic THATS why!
-And finally Sixth! I am not a veg head so I always add turkey legs or chicken thighs into the cooker and at the end remove the skins and bones and stir all that yummy meat in! Hope this helps!
I thought the seasoning level was great and the broth was great for dipping toasted bread in. Very tasty, however, I had my soup in the crockpot on high for 6 hours and the beans were still not soft. Bought them the day of so they were not old. Tried mashing the beans but that didn’t really thicken the soup either.
I read through the other comments…it seems like alot of people love this recipe. Not sure why…I ended up with a bowl of water with vegetables swimming around in it. The recipe said to mash up the beans and that was supposed to thicken the soup but mine didn’t. Very disappointed and still hungry 😕
Delicious. I added smoked turkey legs and diced red bell pepper. This recipe is a keeper.
I have made this soup almost every week for the past few years and I love it. I have of course tweaked it along the way to fit my taste perfectly. It is a very good base recipe to play with.
I personally always soak my beans although it really isn’t necessary.
Spice wise I use a lot more than indicated and I often add liquid smoke.
Thank you for having enriched my diet over the past years…
This looks amazing! Could canned cannellini beans be used?
Im sure they could, but without trying it first I’m not sure how long to tell you to cook them and how much liquid to add. They’d obviously need to not cook as long as a dried bean and wouldn’t absorb as much liquid. You could always adapt this canned bean recipe to have similar flavors! https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-rosemary-garlic-white-bean-soup/
Delicious! I didn’t have any celery so threw in a couple of potatoes I had on hand. Beans cooked beautifully. Thank you so much, will definitely make again!
This is some good, stick-to-your-ribs soup! Lively inviting golden color, good thick texture (I used the smashing method, not an immersion blender, and it came out fine, although I’m sure a blender would have been faster), and, of course, great flavor! Rich, hearty, and very herb-forward. Next time I might add a tsp of salt along with the other spices, rather than at the end, though – some people do like a little bit extra, but I’ve found that at least a little bit of salt from the get-go is needed to really make the flavors pop.
Delicious. I did you chicken broth instead of water because I had some to use up in my fridge. I completely forgot the olive oil, but it would make it so much better
I want to try this, but I have to ask about the ‘cost’ section, because where are you getting onions for 11 cents a piece and carrots for 60 cents a pound, because I need to start shopping there asap!
We do a lot of our shopping at Aldi and some at Kroger! You can learn more about how we calculate recipe ingredients here. https://www.budgetbytes.com/how-to-calculate-recipe-costs/ Also, this recipe was first posted in 2013 with a slight update in early 2020, so it’s very likely that grocery costs have increased slightly since then. :)
Fantastic!! The whole fam gobbled this up, plus my house smelled amazing. Definitely added to my dinner rotation.
All beans contain Phytohaemagglutinin, but the amounts do differ. Kidney beans have the most, yes, but also navy & northern do have it. So this is not a save recipe, depending on how sensitive someone is this recipe might give them issues. (source: wikipedia links navy beans as a subclass of the common bean, which is also in wikipedia described as toxic if not heated sufficiently).
Whoopdeedo Basil
You can soak your beans for 8 to 12 hours, changing the water every four hours, before you cook them.
Lovely recipe, used lima beans.
So cheap, and so delicious! Thank you for this! It’s a simple but comforting flavor.
It smelled good, but made to the letter it’s just…empty. I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s just mid. But the more I tried to eat, the more I disliked it.
(I may also just not like navy beans which wouldn’t be a fault of the recipe, but this is the first time I’ve had them so it’s hard to say.)
I would suggest at least some of the water be chicken broth, and maybe use fresh rosemary. Onion was a little overwhelming so maybe use a smaller one.
Usually people are a little more brutal with their additions and opinions in the comments so I checked for common changes but everyone seemed to love it. But I appreciate the recipe nonetheless. It may just not be for me
I agree with this 100%
The onion and garlic completely overwhelm the spices in the dish. I’m trying to stick to vegan recipes right now but this was begging for a crispy bacon topping or something. I don’t know how I’m going to get through the massive batch this made but I wish I’d read this comment sooner.
Can’t wait to make this- can I use great northern beans? Google isn’t giving me a straight answer! TIA!
Yes, that will work. :) Check the second paragraph of the blog post for our other recommendations, as well.
Would it be okay to leave out the olive oil?
You could, but that will affect the flavor and mouthfeel of the soup.
This recipe is amazing!! We added chunks of smoked ham and a little bit of cayenne pepper to spice it up and it’s a new staple in our house! So good!!
Could I double the recipe? Would the cooking time be the same in the slow cooker? Thank you!
The cooking time will probably increase because it will likely take longer for the larger volume to come up to a simmer. But without testing, I can’t say for sure how much time would need to be added.
I’ve made this recipe a number of times and it’s become a cold winter staple. Couldn’t be easier to make and freezes well. Love it!!
So good! I used Great Northern Beans, added some tomato paste, omitted the salt and instead used Better than Bouillan vegetarian no-chicken base after partially blending with an immersion blender. I used recommended amount of herbs and also added some parm rinds and a hit of lemon juice at the end for some zip. Cheap, filling, delicious, nutritious, and easy! 🎉🎉🎉
I cooked this on the stove and added a 6-ounce can of tomato paste. Omitted the salt and added Mari Gold Vegan Swiss Vegetable Bouillon Powder.
Delish!
An immersion blender also works well instead of smashing the beans against the side!
Great, especially for winter. Have made this many times
Hi, do the beans need to be soaked overnight? And can I use vegetable stock instead of water?
Hi Glenda. You can use vegetable stock instead of water as long as it’s low sodium. If it isn’t low sodium you will need to adjust the level of salt. As for your other question this is our answer from the blog post:
Do I Need to Soak the Beans?
Nope! This recipe does not require pre-soaking the beans. Some people claim that soaking beans then discarding the soaking water can reduce flatulence, but I, personally, find no difference. If you prefer to pre-soak your beans, you will need to add less water to this recipe and will probably need less cooking time. I have not tested that method, so I do not have a specific amount of water or cooking time to suggest.
I tried this recipe today, all I can say is, “Excellent”
I used Better than Bouillon vegetable stock in the six cups of water and added 3 tsp of tomato paste to the soup (at the beginning) for color and flavor. It made a very tasty, very popular soup. I’ll make it again.
I can’t remember if I’ve commented on this before, but I’ve made this so many times and so I feel the need to leave 5 stars and say it’s one of my favourite recipes I’ve found on this site, which is saying something! I usually serve it with bread from the shops but today I made the soda bread also from here, and it went great together. Thanks so much.
Forgot the rating!
Can I use canned beans instead?
Hi, Amy! I’m sure with some tweaking (like adding less water & stirring in the beans near the end of the cooking time), canned beans could work in this recipe — but since we haven’t tested it this way, I am hesitant to say you will have equally successful results in the slow cooker. Mostly because canned beans are almost fully cooked when they come out of the can, so you don’t really need the crockpot! I’d suggest pivoting to one of our similar recipes that call for canned beans & doesn’t require the slow cooker:
https://www.budgetbytes.com/easy-rosemary-garlic-white-bean-soup/
https://www.budgetbytes.com/chunky-ham-and-bean-soup/
~Marion :)
Hi. You can disregard my original question. The Alubias Blancas in my pantry are akin to a navy bean. Hooray!
Hi there. I want to make this soup, but I have a bag of alubia blanca beans, which are cannelini. Could I just hard boil them for 10 minutes and then use them in the recipe as written?
One of my favorite soups ever! And leftovers freeze beautifully
Happy New Year
Omg, so good! When I was a kid, I loved Campbell’s bean with bacon soup. This reminds me of it in a big way. Delicious!
Can I do this on stove top? If so, would I adjust the liquid and how long would it take?
Hi Vanessa, you can do this on a stovetop in a dutch oven. However, as we have not tested it, we cannot give you an accurate time frame and liquid amounts. XOXO -Monti
This is one of my go to recipes during soup season. It’s such an easy thing to throw together on Sunday and eat for lunch all week!
I am really enjoying these recipes! I purchased the slow cooker meal plan & every meal so far has been a fun new discovery. I’m huge on flavor – so like others, I would describe this as initially bland. However, I always adjust seasonings with nearly every recipe I cook. So I suggest adding more and more until you like the flavor. I’m sure I added 3-4x as much, but I don’t mind doing that. Also, I really love when other posters mention how they turned a slow cooker recipe into an InstantPot recipe. One user suggested 30 mins cook time + 5 minute release. The beans were a little on the firm side when I did that, so I added another 6 minutes & then did a quick release. That was was better for me. :)
Lastly, someone suggested adding ham – that sounds like an amazing addition!
I cooked as written for 9 hours on low and was so happy with the results. My SO needs to cut back salt severely so I didn’t add at the end. I understand others may find this ‘bland’ but I find it’s an absolutely great hybrid recipe. He can eat it as is (adds pepper to taste) and I can add some salt to my taste. As another commenter said, this is a a base to work from so adjust to your tastes. As is, this is absolutely perfect for my SO who has specific needs but deserves a tasty and healthy meal!
Great base recipe! I added approximately one tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon Beef, some cayenne and topped with hot sauce.
Added a Ham Hock. Have my fingers crossed.
Can I add a Ham Hock/
That would be delicious!
Hi – can I add ground chicken sausage? If so, would I brown first? Thank you!
You can definitely add that! Yum! And you are totally right! Browning the sausage meat first will help give it a lot more flavor. But more importantly, since the soup is cooked on low heat in the crockpot, you’d need to at least partially cook chicken or other poultry products first before adding them. Raw poultry products need to be cooked on high in the crockpot for safety purposes, but cooking everything on high would likely reduce the other ingredients to mush without shortening the cooking time (and since we haven’t tested it ourselves, I don’t have any specific suggestions for this method!). ~ Marion :)
Making this again tonight, looking forward to a bowl in the morning. I reduce the beans to 1 1/2 c. dried, and up the water to 8 cups, adding in 1 Tablespoon Mushroom Better Than Bouillon, oil my crockpot with EVOO, high setting 10 hours. I haven’t had an issue with crunchy or hard beans. I play around with the spices/seasonings. 1/2 teaspoon salt, not 2 t. Can add more salt when the soup is done, if needed. Good base recipe.
Delicious! I followed the ingredients as listed in the recipe but changed the cooking time and temperature. I placed the soup on high setting on my slow cooker before I went to bed and by lunch time the next day it was cooked through. No crunchy beans – I didn’t soak the beans overnight either. It simply has to cook for a longer time on high.
I agree with the others in this being bland. After reading the reviews i tripled the garlic and seasoning. So like aroung ! tbl-2 Tbl of Rosemary and 2tsp of paprika etc. Used low sodium veg broth and it was bland initially. Agree after 4 hrs the navy beans were a bit crunchy. So on it went for another 1.5 hr on high and added about 1 Tbsp of salt and some garlic powder at the end. I used about 1/2 c of heavy cream, pureed half the the soup, and 1 T of corn starch to make it a creamy soup. Next time i may just throw in extra onion etc. Ran out of my smoke flavoring liquid so i couldn’t add that but i would next time.
For others reading this. Most recipes online are very basic seasoning wise. Everyone has different taste buds and i would highly suggest seasoning extra with all of the recipes.
I use this rule of thumb for skinny taste website too.
Always add to taste folks and look at all recipes as basics to follow. I always come back to this site bc it’s just great easy to follow recipes.
I soaked the beans overnight before cooking, but unfortunately even with the cooker on high for 5-6 hours, they still didn’t seem done. I ended up basically pureeing the whole soup to mask the texture, which turned out “just okay.” I used chicken broth instead of water, so perhaps the salt in that was the issue? I love Budget Bytes, but I don’t think I’d try this recipe again.
I’ve had the same issue. I’ve made this recipe twice now–the first time I did not soak the beans and found them undercooked and crunchy. The second time, I did soak them overnight, but they ended up much the same texture. Does anyone know what the issue might be?
I used 1/lb Great Northern beans. Soaked overnight. Followed the recipe with exception being only added 2 cups water and cooked on low from 8p-6a. Beans were completely cooked and soft.
Old beans will not get tender no matter how long you cook them. Check the expiration date on the package of beans.
Made the recipe exactly as written. Pretty bland and flavorless.
This was delicious and super easy. After reading some reviews about the beans not being soft enough, I soaked them in water overnight. Texture after 8 hours on low was perfect. I used chicken broth instead of water. It smelled so good while cooking and the flavor didn’t disappoint. Next time I am going to add a little ham. First recipe I tried from this site, I will be coming back!
So delicious and smoky! Threw together in a few minutes. Can’t wait to have it tonight with q crusty loaf of bread. Now, I have to resist further testing for hours, not sure how I’ll manage!
Beth, this looks similar to something that used to be on the website and isn’t anymore. I have read that you keep a pdf of all of your recipes, so hope you still have what I’m looking for. You had a really good slow cooker recipe, sort of like this one, but you added at some point in the cooking time two italian sausages, I think. If this rings a bell please send my way. Hope you have it and thanks in advance. It was very good!
Hi Sue! Yes, we keep pdf versions of anything removed from the website. That being said, I did not have a slow cooker recipe with Italian sausage. :( That must have been from another website. Sorry I couldn’t help!
Oh no! Thanks for getting back to me, I’ll keep looking.
Hi Sue,
Are you possibly talking about Beth’s ZUPPA TOSCANA recipe?
It calls for 1/2 lb. hot or mild Italian sausage.
My now-grown kids LOVE this soup.
A craving for a good Bean soup brought me here. While the prep was super easy I think I’ll use a veggie broth instead of water next. The way the recipe is now it has no flavor unless you add salt…and more salt. Another tip 4 hours on high in reality is 8 hours on high. The beans will not be done after just 4 hours on high. Other than that this is a pretty good recipe. I’ll definitely try it again with those adjustments.
Based on the wording in the recipe… was I supposed to leave the lid on the entire time and only stir at the end? I’m hoping I didn’t ruin anything by stirring occasionally if I was supposed to let the steam build up or anything like that.
In general, you don’t want to remove the lid at all while using a slow cooker. It can drop the temperature within the pot and then it can take a while to heat up again. If something needs to be stirred while it cooks, I make sure to include that in the instructions (although I can’t vouch for other recipe writers). :)
I would suggest using cooked beans instead of dried. I had this soup on high for 4 hours expecting for it to be done at dinner time, but the beans were still very hard. I let it cook on high for another 4 hours (after having to make something different for dinner) and they still are not mushy soft. The flavor is okay but not outstanding. Overall I’m disappointed.
This recipe was absolutely delicious! My favorite part about this recipe: it was very easy! I will definitely make it again! Thank you budgetbytes.com!
This soup seemed exactly like what my family usually eats. Unfortunately, I will not be making this again. It was not good at all. Nobody liked it and we ended up throwing out the leftovers. It was tasteless and the texture was gross. An unfortunate miss.
We thought this tasted good, but the dry navy beans didn’t get cooked enough, even though we went an additional 3-4 hours on low. I wonder if our slow cooker has too low a temperature?! We haven’t had a problem with things like this before. Anyway, we might do an hour or two on high first next time.
I made this recipe twice and it is absolutely delicious! The second time I used 4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth and 2 cups of filtered water and added 1 lb of Cajun andouille sausage. I will definitely make this again! Thanks so much BudgetBytes.com!
I add a few Parmesan rind pieces to the cooker at the beginning and then also sprinkle Parmesan cheese on the finished soup and that adds nice flavor. Also added a few potatoes.
Ok, admittedly we substituted some different beans based on what we had handy (Anasazi beans for Navy) but this recipe was absolutely delicious. We used TJ’s smoky paprika and it had a wonderful, meaty, sweet, and smoky flavor (even though it’s vegetarian/vegan!) We also topped bowls with a bit of aged cheddar that we had left over from a cheese plate, and that was a real treat.
I love the idea of this recipe and even added cubed butternut squash. I was so disappointed after setting it to cook on high for 5.5 hours and then another 2 hours on high that the beans are still crunchy. The smell and flavor seem goos but it is inedible.
What’s it like introducing ham into this?
Ham would probably be awesome in this. I would just toss it in with everything else in the beginning.
Hello can I sub black eyes peas? I live in Australia and can’t find navy beans anywhere!
I want to make tmr, please let me know! Thank you!
You can definitely make a similar soup with black eyed peas. It will be different, since it’s a different bean, but this is a basic bean soup that can be made with a lot of different beans. :)
Made exactly as written and then just added a tsp or so of salt and topped each bowl with crispy bacon. Served with buttered crusty rolls. No regrets and will absolutely make again!
This was a very easy recipe to make. However, it was very bland. I even added lemon hoping to enhance the taste. No luck. Will not make this soup again!
It’s entirely possible that you did not add enough salt. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made a recipe and thought it was bland, added salt, and all of a sudden it was quite tasty!
It was very bland for me. I used vegtable broth instead of water and up to 3 tsp of salt. I don’t know what I might have done wrong. The soup smelled absolutely amazing and the beans were very tender and soft. I tend to be one to enjoy milder tasting things, but honestly I couldn’t taste much. Great base soup, just needs more flavor. I might try again with more seasoning, since it is so cheap.
I’m planning to cook this recipe tomorrow for lunch. Is it possible to use white kidney beans in a can? That is all I have.
This method is designed for dry beans, so you’d need to change it up quite a bit for canned beans, which are already cooked. I suggest checking out this recipe for Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup, which uses canned white beans. :)
I’ve made this recipe before it’s always been delicious I don’t quite think though I have enough beans so I did take one can of canola and microwaved it for 15 minutes which made them soft then mushed them as a Thickener turned out just great! Although I do prefer dry beans.
Would great northern beans work in this recipe if navy beans aren’t available?
Yes :)
Any recommendations about freezing the soup? I’m trying to stock up my freezer for the season and I haven’t tried freezing soups yet.
Luckily, soups are super easy to freeze! Just cool it in the refrigerator first, then transfer to the freezer and you’re good to go!
I tried this recipe as an instant pot version by cooking with pressure on high for 30 minutes and quick release. It turned out really good! The beans were fully cooked and easy to mash at the end to get that thicker consistency. I ended up adding a bit more of the seasonings just for personal preferences but overall great recipe!
My beans were hard as a rock and I cooked them for 9 hours. Is there a trick you left out?
This could be a sign that your beans were stale. Stale beans don’t soften. It’s a bummer when this happens, and I am sorry that you didn’t get to enjoy the fruits of your labor!
This was yummy and so easy! I used pinto beans, and felt it needed a flavor boost at the end so I added miso paste, soy sauce, a dash of worcestershire sauce and some trader joe’s umami seasoning. A dash of hot sauce or red wine vinegar before serving ties it together! I know it seems like I tweaked it a lot but haha but it’s a really good base recipe that gets super creamy as it cooks.
I love homemade soups. My mom made the best soup. Of course I didn’t pay attention and have to learn on my own. Bean is the best.
Not sure what I did wrong by using the exact same Kroger navy beans mine never softened:( I’ll have to try again.
I followed this recipe to the letter and it was awful. I have to be the only human on the planet earth that can mess up beans.
I added a cube of boullion and then left the recipe 100% the same. It was delish. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it otherwise.
this was alright but with some mushrooms it really had umami
Is it okay to substitute broth for the water?
Yes, but you may need less salt at the end, depending on how much your broth contains. :)
Would have been nice to earn us about cannelini beans up front before I dumped everything into the slow cooker …
The very first paragraph after the introduction is dedicated to telling you which type of beans to use, under the heading “What kind of white beans should I use” with a warning about cannellini beans in bold text. Furthermore, the recipe specifically lists navy beans in the ingredient list, with an asterisk to a note at the bottom that again warns in bold about using cannellini beans, in case anyone still considered using a different type than what is listed in the recipe.
Made this tonight and was amazing. The only thing I changed was I added a leftover smoked turkey leg in at the 2 hour mark and added some diced up meat from the leg at the 7 hour mark. Was full of delicious smokey flavor.
YUM. That sounds perfect!
Can you use canned beans? I have a bunch of canned Cannellini beans to use up.
This one is designed for dry beans, but you can try this white bean soup that is designed for canned beans: Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup. You can easily add more vegetables to make it like this one, if you’d like.
Can I use canned navy beans?
This recipe is specifically formulated for dry beans, but here is a super easy white bean soup that uses canned beans: Easy Rosemary Garlic White Bean Soup
This looks so delicious and I would love to try it, but unfortunately I don’t have a slow cooker available. Is it possible to make this recipe using a dutch oven or normal soup pot? (Maybe in the oven?) Thanks!
Yes, it can be done on the stove top (or probably in the oven), but I’d need to test it before giving cooking recommendations. You might try Googling “slow cooker to stove top conversion” or “slow cooker to oven conversion” to see if there are general recommendations that you can use as a guide.
I just made this on the stovetop. Soaked the beans overnight, added all the other ingredients, brought it to a boil and simmered it for about 3 hours. Delicious!
Made this a few times over the years. I skip the oil and use rosemary and thyme from my back yard garden. Navy beans are available in the grocery bulk-bin for an even dollar a pound, so this ends up being about 33 cents a two-cup serving. I freeze the soup in two-cup containers and thaw one out the day before I plan to use. In the morning I heat it up nice and hot in the microwave and put in a hot food thermos (heat by running hot tap water in it while the microwave is going) and take to work with me. Really nice having a tongue-scalding hot lunch for only 33 cents instead of going through the trouble of standing in line and paying $5, $10 or higher at the local eateries. At the end of the day I can take off sooner because I don’t have to take time off for lunch.
In the summer of 2014 I went on a week-long business trip to Houston and packed some spices and a pound of beans. When I landed I bought a crock pot at the Target down the street for $20 and made this soup in my hotel room. I didn’t even have to fill out a food expense report when I got back home. I didn’t eat out, and I spent only $20 for food that entire week.
The low price is nice, but I think even better is that it is so liberating to not be dependent on others for food while traveling or at work. Very nice as I am also a vegetarian.
I want to marry you Brian! Lol..(Don’t tell my husband) You are in inspiration to most males on this planet! Kudos to you!
What?! I’m shocked that people like this.
I’m not sure why. My entire family loves this soup. I usually add something to make it spicy, but the flavors are great. It’s a perfect winter soup.
The recipe doesn’t mention that the veggies have to be sauteed before putting in the slow cooker, it just says to add the veggies to the slow cooker. Please advise on whether you did or did not saute first. Thank you.
You do not need to saute the vegetables before putting them in the slow cooker.
Made this yesterday, enjoyed it! Topped it with oyster crackers, shredded cheddar cheese, sriracha sauce, green onions, and sour cream. Love this page!
Delicious! I added 1 ham steak and I used canned white beans, rinsed. The best bean soup ever!!! Thank you for the recipe…
This was an awesome recipe! I added some bell pepper as well as some mushrooms, which really beefed it up. And I used vegetable stock in place of water because I had some on hand. Yum! I am vegetarian, and my meat-eating boyfriend loved this one too. Filling and delicious. Thank you! Will definitely be making it again.
Can you use canned beans?
Can you use any other beans for this cant seem to find just white beans.
Pinto beans would work in a pinch!
Hi! I have a large bag of dry great northern beans I’d like to use in place of the navy beans. Should I pre-boil them first for 10 minutes as you recommend for cannellini and kidney beans?
Yes that would be an okay swap!
This was very good, but I think you have to do something to prep those beans. Otherwise you’re looking at some…”discomfort.”
I grew up in the South and had lots of beans. My Mom and Grandmother taught me to soak the beans and then change the water. They said that cooking the beans in the soaking water would cause lots of gas. I’ve found that using the Instant Pot and cooking the beans straight away causes that gas. When I cook beans or have dried beans in a recipe, I pre-soak.
By the way, I added the bell peppers and sweet potatoes to the recipe and it came out hearty and fantastic! :)
Yum! Happy to hear it Tanisha!
Would it throw the recipe off if I added a sweet potato and green bell pepper?
My families favorite bean soup. I add a splash of liquid smoke. So yummy!!!
Would it throw the recipe off of I added a diced sweet potato and bell pepper?
I don’t think so! Let us know how it turns out.
Hi Beth,
I’m confused about the use of olive oil for this recipe. I see it listed as an ingredient but not mentioned in the instructions. Do you recommend sautéing the vegetables in olive oil first or just adding them into the pot? Thanks!
Hi Judi! You use it in step 1) Mince the garlic, dice the onion, slice the celery, and slice the carrots into thin rounds. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, and carrots to a large (5qt or larger) slow cooker.
Olive oil?.where does it say to use it?
Hi Charles! It’s in step one when you are sautéing the veggies :)
Actually, you don’t saute the veggies in this recipe, do you? I had to go back and look at the recipe on the computer after I printed it out because I didn’t see where the olive oil was used, either. Turns out that when I printed the recipe the right hand edge of the instructions hadn’t fit on the printed page! So where the first line of the instructions says ‘add olive oil, garlic, etc’, my printed recipe didn’t show the olive oil. Further down it cut off the cracked pepper and further still, it didn’t say to put the lid on the pot for the cooking process. Maybe the recipe was meant to be printed landscape instead of portrait.
Changed all water to half vegetable stock and didn’t change anything else and this is bland. Less than bland, actually. I’m not sure what can fix this and keep it vegan.
I’m sorry to hear that Matt. I’m happy to walk through the recipe with you further if you’d like, you can shoot me an email at support@budgetbytes.com
Could this be done using an instant pot?
I haven’t tried this with an Instant Pot, but I would try the bean setting, plus a little extra time just to make sure they are very soft and mashable.
Yes, I do it all the time. 35 mins on high pressure with quick release. I double the spices but that’s maybe just my tastes
Thanks for sharing Melissa!
Reading through all the comments I made a few adjustments and it came out the way I wanted it to. Thick, hearty, and delicious!! This is a keeper, thanks for sharing. These were my “small” adjustments to your wonderful recipe…. 1) soaked the beans 3 hours before starting. 2) used fresh thyme and fresh rosemary (doubled the rosemary). 3) doubled the carrots 4) added lentil 5) added chicken soup powder base 5) added 1 pan fried chicken breast shredded at the end.
For the mirepoix do you have an estimate in cups vs. half lb/bunch? I freeze my mirepoix in cups ever since you suggested it so I’d love to just pull some out from the freezer that’s ready to go!
That would probably be about 4 cups worth of mirepoix. :)
Can I just cook this on the stovetop?
Yes, I’m sure it’s possible, but I haven’t tested the stove top version so unfortunately I can’t offer specific instructions.
I cooked mine on the stovetop, took me about 1 hr with beans that had been soaking all night. I didn’t mush my beans but they were definitely cooked and soft!
Good to know!
Mine came out very bland, didn’t have much taste.. I followed the recipe exactly?
I was wondering something. If I wanted to add some barley to this, how much would you use? and if you did add some would you need to adjust the amount of water used? it seems once I find a good recipe I just love to tinker and tweak it. I guess there are worse hobbies, right?
I love those ideas! Unfortunately I can’t predict how much to use or how much broth you’d need without testing it. If you decide to experiment, do let me know how it turns out! And I think that’s a GREAT hobby. ;)
This reminds me of the bean with bacon soup I used to love . . .before I became vegetarian. I added 2 Tblsp of liquid smoke to this and 1 Tblsp of maple syrup. They were great replacements for ham/bacon in this soup. I did cook mine a little longer, taking my cue from the cooking time required with the black bean soup on this website . . .which is also a bowlful of perfection!
This was way better than I thought and soooooo easy! I did need to add more liquid toward the end and I cooked it on high for about 6 hours and the beans were perfect. This is a keeper!
My non vegetarian husband also loved it but said it would be even more amazing with some ham.
Can I use canned beans instead of dried?
You would need to make quite a few adjustments to use canned beans, unfortunately, and I haven’t tested a version of this recipe using canned beans so I can’t give exact instructions.
I love this recipe. I just added two additional cups of water because I like more broth. And because I had some deli ham in the fridge I diced a couple of slices for additional flavor. I will definitely make this again!
The first time I made this soup, the beans were not as tender as I expected (I suspect my Crock Pot runs a little cool). The second time around, I cooked the soup on low for twelve hours. I also added a diced potato. All I did was stir the soup a few times, and it was perfect. :)
Can I use great northern beans instead of navy?
Yes, that should work fine. :)
Okay, I just threw all of this in the crockpot. I didn’t have rosemary so substituted savory. Also didn’t have smoked paprika so I looked that up and found that you can substitute regular paprika and add a little cumin to give it a smoky flavor. I hope I didn’t ruin it by making these substitutions. It smells good tho!
I have made this recipe twice now. I simply love it :)
Hi I love this recipe and make it often! Do you know what would be the conversions for cooking in an instant pot?
No, unfortunately without testing it I’m unable to offer specific instructions. I think my first try would be to use the bean setting and just add more time from there if needed.
This came out really good after 23 minutes on the Instant Pot bean setting!
My beans never really softened or soaked up the liquid. Will old beans do that? I usually check dates on grocery items but didn’t on this bag. It has been in the crockpot for over 24 hours and beans are starting to soften. The flavor of this soup is very good so I would be willing to try again with a different batch of beans. Question: does evoo have anything to do with the beans softening? I accidentally left it out.
It is mostly likely the age of the beans or it could be the mineral content of your water. If you have hard water, particularly with a lot of magnesium and calcium, it can prevent them from softening. Adding a bit of baking soda can help soften the water, if that is the case. The EVOO should have no effect.
Should I soak my beans overnight before making this? Also, would pinto beans work too?
Nope, you don’t have to soak using this method. :) And yes, pinto beans would also be great (I make a “not” refried beans recipe that uses this slow cooker method and it’s awesome!)
I made this today in my instant pot on the slow cooker setting. I followed the directions to a T but set the heat to normal instead of low for 8 hours. I was nervous that the onions wouldn’t be soft without sautéing. Well, 8 hours later I try a bite, the beans are harder than they should be and didn’t really smash as much as they crumbled, and the onions were mostly still crunchy. The flavor was great but the texture was not pleasant. Next time I’ll be sure to sauté the onions and soak the beans before cooking in the slow cooker.
Do you soak the beans before added to the slow cooker? M.
I did not soak the beans. :)
When you say “4 stalks celery (1/2 bunch)” do you mean 4 ribs or 4 full stalks?
The “1/2 bunch” note confuses me. :\
Thanks!
4 ribs, which is about a half bunch. :)
This just didn’t turn out well for us at all. It didn’t thicken at all, and was lacking much flavor, even after adding salt at the end. This was especially disappointing as we’d just recently also made the Vegetarian 15 Bean Soup recipe, which was amazing. The only thing I can think of is that maybe we should have increased the cook time and/or turned it up to high when doubling the recipe. Still, we regularly double the recipe for your Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Chili, and that does just fine with 8-9 hours (and is actually one of our favorites!).
I’m not sure if something went wrong with this particular batch or what, but it was a bit of a bummer, precisely because the other vegan soups and stews have been hitting it out of the park.
This turned out really bland, even with using homemade veg broth instead of water. There just isn’t a lot of flavour so if I made it again I’d have to add something more to it. Other soups from this site have been great so this one was disappointing.
Would great northern beans need to be boiled before adding them to the soup?
No, this one is designed for dry beans, so you can add them in without boiling. Just don’t use kidney beans or cannellini, which always need to be boiled to break down a natural toxin they contain.
Made this soup this morning in my crockpot.
Prepped it last night threw it all in right before i left for work this morning at 6am came home at 3pm to my house smelling wonderful.. only thing i did was added lentils. And half a cup of V8 low sodium juice
Will definitely be making again
Just made this overnight for my lunches. Delicious! I did substitute chicken broth for water and added half the salt. I also added leftover cubed ham from thanksgiving. Will be adding to our favourites list!
Delicious soup, made it a few times. My kids like it. I add a cube or two of boillon for extra flavour. Thanks!
Love this soup! It is definitely a staple for me. I double the spices as I like a little more flavour, and add 1-2 potatoes (I find makes it creamier) and bacon if I have it. It works nicely in the Instant Pot as well, same recipe just do on the Bean/Chilli setting after briefly sauteeing the onions and garlic
would you alter the recipe if a canned white beans are used?
Yes, unfortunately it would need quite a bit of alteration because the canned beans will not absorb any of the liquid or flavors that the dry beans do, so it would take some trial and error to rework the recipe to use canned beans.
I just made it with canned beans! Instead of slow cooker I did it on the stovetop. Sautéed all the veggies with the spices first. Added 3 1/2 cups of veggie broth. The added 2 cans of white kidney beans. Then simmered for 10mins.. slightly mashed up everything and it tastes amazing!!
https://www.happy-mothering.com/02/recipes/slow-cooker-navy-bean-soup/
Looks like this lady copied your recipe word for word, except uses broth instead of water.
Looks like you originally posted in 2013? Hers in 2016.
Pinterest brought them both up for me.
Thank you for the heads up! Unfortunately the ingredient list in recipes can not be copyrighted, only the instructions, and it looks like she wrote her own instructions. :( Not cool, but technically legal. I appreciate you looking out!!
I just made this soup and it is delicious. However, I must admit I did dice two slices of bacon and near the end of cooking I also added some chunks of kielbasa.
Are there other kinds of beans that you could use if you don’t have white beans? would some pinto beans or maybe small red beans work just as well?
Thanks.
I think pinto beans would be pretty tasty!
Thanks for the info. I have this thing where I try to use up what I have in my cupboards before I go buying new stuff, otherwise the state of my pantry gets…hm…….crowded.
But my bag of beans says its least three years old. will there be any problems cooking it? it will cook all day, but I’ve heard that old beans take longer to cook until soft or tender.
Sorry for all questions but beans are not something I have much experience in.
P.S. I love the website & all of the wonderful recipes.
Hi Elizabeth, Yes, sometimes old beans never soften, no matter how or how long they’re cooked. :( I think at three years you definitely run the risk of that happening. Unfortunately there is no clear expiration date for things like this and it can vary quite a bit. You never know for sure unless you try, and the risk of losing all those other ingredients is probably much more costly than just replacing the beans.
Can you add some potato to this? I mean, it doesn’t really need it,. But I happen to have some sitting in my fridge and I need to use them up.
Yes, I think that would work nicely. :)
I made a double batch of this soup (exactly as the recipe states) and added just 3/4 tsp of salt and it tastes amazing! My husband loves it too! We froze part of it for later. Love this!
Is there anything better than coming home in the evening to dinner ready in the slow cooker? I don’t think there is. I really enjoyed this recipe! Another winner from Budget Bytes. I did make some adjustments, and they worked out well.
1. I soaked my beans overnight, so I cut some liquid out. I generally reduce liquid by 1 cup per lb of soaked beans and it seems to be about the right proportion.
2. I used Great Northern beans instead of Navy.
3. I used Better than Bouillon broth instead of water (4 cups broth +1 cup water instead of 6 cups water).
4. I omitted the oil.
I doubled the recipe, which fit in my 6 qt cooker. I prepped everything the night before and put it in the slow cooker, except for the soaking beans, and put it in the fridge. In the morning all I did was drain and rinse the beans and add them. I cooked for 10 hours on low (increased time due to doubled volume and cold liquid to start). It was perfect! I just had to add a little salt at the end and mashed some beans with my potato masher. I really liked the smoked paprika; it gave it just a hint of pleasant bbq smokiness. YUM! This is going in my rotation for sure!
Hello! Thank you for the recipe. I don’t have a slow cooker but DO have an Instant Pot. Would you mind telling me if any adjustments will need to be made?
Thank you!!
I haven’t tried this with an Instant Pot, but I would try the bean setting, plus a little extra time just to make sure they are very soft and mashable.
Hello, I am writing because of the fear mongering you did with the Cannellini beans. They do not have that phytohemagglutinin in them. Only the red kidney beans have them. You can verify what I’m saying in many places on the internet that have studied those foods and provide the lectin breakdowns. One thing I want to point out is that Cannellini beans are superior to navy beans or great northern beans for people with Gastro-Intestinal problems. They have been found to be very helpful for people with IBS as it soothes the intestines. Please study things before you pass out erroneous information. Here is helpful information regarding the interations with the various blood types. http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/typebase5/T5.pl?93 and here is information regarding the phytohemagglutinin: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3813071/
Hello, this looks delicious but I don’t have a slow cooker. What adjustments are needed to make this in the stovetop?
Thanks!
there’s a comment about adding a potato but I don’t see that in the recipe?
also if I soaked the beans overnight do I need to boil them first? hope not cuz I didn’t.
Oh yes, you’re right. I was confusing this recipe with another one. I answered his comment based on the fact that cashew milk is probably not an adequate substitute for potato in any recipe. I used unsoaked beans for this recipe, so if you soaked yours first you will probably need to use less water in the slow cooker.
Hello! Can you substitute canned beans?
Thank you!
Not without making a lot of other changes, unfortunately.
I used 4 cans of navy beans and it was yummy
Delicious! I subbed in 4 cups of vegetable stock & then 2 cups water for the 6 cups of water, made exactly as above otherwise.
Make this soup!
I’m not sure what happened here. I love this site’s recipe for split pea soup and just tried making this with very average results. The rosemary overtook the rest of the ingredients and it just came out so bland, even after the last minute addition of salt. I tried to find a version that didn’t include ham and thought this was it, but I think I’ll have to keep searching. It just didn’t taste the way I thought it would.
Tried this over the weekend. I made the recipe exactly as described. Both my wife and I absolutely love it. It is incredibly satisfying and filling. I wouldn’t change a thing. It will be in the slow cooker rotation.
This is a delicious soup! It has become my favorite breakfast!
Is it okay to use nothern beans instead of navy beans?
Yes, you can do that. :) Northern beans tend to break down a little less than navy, so you may need to smash them a bit more against the side of the pot to thicken everything up.
Will Cashew Milk substitute for a potato? I have everything, but that~
I’m really not sure, that’s quite a difference between the two ingredients.
I don’t see potato in the recipe?
I am thinking that rosemary is very strong and that is why some are saying it was too much because their was such a small amount in this recipe. I for one am not fond of rosemary. What is that part about soaking or not soaking if using broth. I don’t understand about that. Could you please let me know what that is about. I want to make your recipe, sounds delicious. Thank you.
People are used to soaking beans before they cook them so they have asked if that is necessary, but for this slow cooker method you don’t need to. :) If you want even more flavor in your soup, you can use vegetable broth in place of the water.
If I soak the beans over night, do you think I could use some vegetable stock?
Yes, if you soak the beans overnight, you can use vegetable stock in the slow cooker instead of water. Just be aware that you’ll need less vegetable stock than the amount of water I used, since your beans will have already absorbed quite a bit of water while soaking.
How much less vegetable stock?
That’s the tricky part. Unfortunately I can’t guess, I’d have to test the recipe to find out. I don’t know exactly how much water the beans absorb over night. :(
I used 4 cups vegetable stock & 2 cups water, came out perfect.
Great soup! I soaked the beans overnight and also added some chickenless bouillon to the mix. This soup was outstanding! I will definitely be making this again!
Made this recipe last night and this morning added some left over jasmine rice and bought some veggie chicken strips! Now making vegan biscuits and dinner will be marvelous! !!
I’m amazed at the comments stating that there was too much rosemary in this recipe or that the beans were tough after cooking or that there was not a good flavor.
This recipe is a total winner in our family: I couldn’t even taste the rosemary, the beans were perfectly soft and cooked (I did boil them for about 10 minutes first before adding to the slow cooker), and the flavor was terrific. This is definitely my go-to recipe for white bean soup ~ many thanks for posting!
Warning: Mever cool beans in a slow cooker unless pre soaked for a minimum of 8 hours and boiled for 10 minutes. Waitrose Haricot Beans
I was excited about this recipe but have to say that I made a batch – ready this morning – had a small bowl for breakfast and have had the runs all day. Definitely used navy beans. Washed the beans and the veggies. But yikes! I guess navy beans are not for me.
How can you rate a recipe as 1 star when it’s a self-proclaimed personal issue. It’s not the tecipe’s fault that your body can’t handle beans.
I’m sorry. I am not sure what went wrong but it tastes like awful and rosemary. If I can’t fix it, I’ve wasted a whole crockpot of food that was meant to be our dinner. But there’s no way my girls or husband will eat it as is. I actually put less rosemary than the called for amount but it still dominates the dish. Not sure how I’m gonna counter it 😢 I gave it two stars because I appreciate the effort it takes to plan stuff like this out and put it on a website, but otherwise I’m really sorry, it’s just awful.
Delicious! No changes made to this recipe I found it to be delicious!
Has anyone tried this recipe using canned Navy beans?
Turned out very well! No issues. Cooked on high for about 4 1/2 hrs. Seasoned to my liking. Very easy and simple 👍.
I cooked in the crockpot for 7 hours and my beans were still hard. Not edible. I’m so disappointed!!! 😢
Hi Brittany,Try it again and do these two things: (1) Soak your beans overnight first and (2) do not add any salt until the soup if otherwise ready to serve. What happened to you happened to me the first time, but now (with these changes) this is one of my absolute favorite recipes. It has something to do with where you live/altitude or some science-y thing like that…all I know is this is an easy, cheap, delicious recipe, so give it another try this “new” way. Good luck!
I’ve cooked with beans for years. My suggestion is to pre-cook your beans for a while on top of the stove before adding to the crockpot. Also, it could be your beans were old and therefore very dried out. I’m going to try this method for a bean soup today and will post a comment at the end of the day!
Thank you for this recipe!! My husband and I, along with our 4 kids, ranging in age from 6-13, all loved the soup! I try to cook without oil, so I omitted the oil. I thought 2 tsp of salt was just perfect. Also added a 1/2 tsp of Liquid Smoke to add a little smoky flavor but I’m sure it was not necessary. Turned out to be a great meal- thanks again.
Have made bean soups for ages. Just looking to try using the crock pot. Looking forward to trying some different spices too. Thanks.
I desperately want to love this recipe. I made it a couple of years ago, and threw out the entire batch. I’ve finally decided to try it again, since it cooks beautifully, and is sooooooooo easy! This time I sauteed the onions first, and used 4 cups stock and 2 cups water. I found that despite adding all that stock, it still needed 2 tsp salt to make it tolerable. Anyone have any hints? I’m leaning towards maybe reducing the rosemary, since I found it a little overpowering, but I’m unsure of what to replace it with.
you could try Thyme or Italian seasoning I think those would give a nice flavour.
Turned out good! I sauted the veggies first, then added to the crock pot with some beans I had briefly boiled earlier since I didn’t soak them over night. I guess this missed the point of a crock pot but the last time I made baked beans with this batch of Navy beans it took way too long…
Is it possible in a pinch to use canned beans? If so, how does this affect cooking time?
As a broke college student who subsists mainly on soups, this looks divine and is absolutely getting made into a week’s worth of dinners.
Yes, one pound of dry beans is roughly the same amount as three 15oz. cans of beans. You’ll also need to reduce the amount of water, probably by half (that’s just a guess, though, since I’ve not tested this recipe with canned beans). The long cooking time isn’t needed for canned beans because they are already cooked, but you may still want to cook it for the same amount of time to let the flavors meld.
Oh my goodness, so delicious and so easy! The only thing that could have this better was if I had nice crusty rosemary bread to go with it… the soup itself was absolutely delightful!
Up till now, I’ve really liked all of the recipes I’ve tried from this site, but this was a disappointment when made exactly according to the recipe – it was the blandest soup I’ve ever made. I added a lot more salt (double the original amount), which gave it more flavor without tasting salty. Also added some liquid smoke, more thyme, and some oregano. With the extra seasoning, it was okay.
It was easy enough to do that I would actually give it another try – but using vegetable broth or bouillon instead of plain water, and lots more seasoning. I have a vegetarian in the family, otherwise I would make it with chicken broth and/or ham. It didn’t occur to me until later, but I have Bacon Salt, which is vegetarian and might have given a boost to the flavor.
I did not have any problem with the beans getting soft, and I have very hard water. Using old beans is much more likely to be the problem with the beans not getting soft.
The soup is delicious! I followed the recipe to the “t.” You can definitely taste all of the spices! I bought some bread rolls to dip into the soup! I also love how budget friendly the meal is! Overall, it is yummy!
I’ve never done this in the crock pot (yet), but I’ve been cooking beans regularly for many years, since I was the sole parent of my now 16-year-old and we were on the WIC program. We received dry beans, and they handed out the “Bean Cook Book”. So, I learned how to cook them, because that’s what we had! Turns out, they weren’t as scary or difficult as I imagined. :)
You can totally use cannellini beans for this, you just have to soak, rinse (thoroughly!), and replace the water first. Be sure to do this, though, or your gut will pay for it. I always do the “quick soak” method but then let them soak for longer than suggested. I do the full 8 hours even after boiling them for a few minutes. It seems to make them softer this way, and I never have to mash them when cooking – they just thicken up the broth toward the end on their own. Makes pinto beans great for mashing too, and I also add salt to the soak water (it adds a lot of flavor, and you rinse this water out before cooking anyway, so I use a lot of salt in this step.)
Seriously so easy and delicious that I have made this twice in the past few weeks!
So glad I found this recipe. Fast dinner on cold winter nights. We put it over rice it’s good. Thank Youss
Absolutly delicious and nutritious!
I don’t think I’ve ever commented on a recipe before but I had to this time… I LOVE this soup. It is now a staple in my rotation. The smell of it cooking all day was incredible. I didn’t have smoked paprika on hand so I just used regular and it was delicious!! Thank you so much for this, it is just what we were craving during a huge snow storm. I will definitely be checking out your other recipes.
I can’t find dry navy beans anywhere! Is there a decent substitute?
Hmm, if you can find any type of small white bean other than cannellini (they need to be boiled stove top to break down their natural toxin), you should be good.
I have had this in my crockpot for 8 hrs in high. The beans are still hard ( presoaked them overnight) soup is thin. Followed recipe to the letter-what could be wrong??
Same happened to me! So disappointing.
The person that said it was bland probably put too much water.
Love this soup soo easy to make. thank You
My kid likes to make this when it’s his turn to cook. He doubles up on the garlic and rosemary from our garden and adds a can of crushed tomatoes. We look forward to eating it every week.
Are Lima beans in that same bean family? If I use dried Lima beans should I boil them first??
I don’t believe they are, but I’m not sure lima beans have the right texture or flavor for this soup.
Great recipe! I’m not a salt person but recipe definitely needs some salt! I also would love to know the nutrition facts!
Made this twice already really good with a lot of flavor for us. I would like to know the nutritional facts please, it’s a keeper. Thanks
I saw Your recipe and about to make it thanks for the information
I just made this overnight and had it for lunch. It was really easy and alleviated a lot of stress to know I’d have a good soup for the next couple of days with 95% of the cooking basically being done in my sleep.
I added a little extra Thyme and Smoked Paprika, because I tend to like things more heavily seasoned. I may add some turmeric next time to give it that golden color.
I also added quite a bit of salt, since I like things to be fairly savory. I wish I had crusty bread, but stale saltines were fine.
Thank you!
This soup looks delicious. Wondering if I can use canned navy/small white beans instead of dried beans? Thanks!
If you do that you’ll need much less liquid (since they won’t absorb it like dry beans) and you won’t need to cook it nearly as long. You could probably do it on the stove top in about 30 minutes.
I really would like to know the number of calories per serving without meat!! I am assuming 3/4 cup servings!
I really liked it, but I went overboard with the fresh ground pepper!!
Very disappointed in this soup, as it was very bland and lacked body. Like eating beans and veggies with water. I am now in the process of trying to doctor it up with bacon, liquid smoke, herbal vinegar and whatever else I can find to try to make it passable. Wish I could have said it was good, but had to be honest.
Add more spices, I guess. Mine turned out really good. I was out of rosemary so I used ‘Penzeys Spices’, Italian & I added garlic power, as my 5 garlic cloves were old…………………
Oooops Penzey’s garlic POWDER, again Penzeys, Italian Herb is : Hand-mixed from: oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme and rosemary.
Navy bean soup was easy to make and delicious. I didn’t add salt because the smoked spiral ham that I added wad salty enough.
I’m gonna use great whit northern beans instead and gonna pre soak over nite and use my crockpot with a boneless almost 2 lb turkey ham and no veggies any suggestions in this recipe or use a completely different one to go by?
You’ll probably need less liquid if they’re pre-soaked.
Grocery store did not have the dry beans so I used 4 cans drained, rinsed navy beans. I used chicken bouillon granuals mixed with 3 cups water instead of the 6 cups water since I wasn’t cooking dry beans. Brought it to boil on stove, reduced heat and simmered 20 mins. (Mashed beans like recipe stated). Great flavor :) and done in less than an hour total time this way.
I just have to say, I LOVE this recipe. I make it about once a month, and it lasts me a whole week of lunches! I also got my roommate obsessed with it. To make it a bit more filling I use chicken broth, and also add chicken apple sausage (occasionally andouille) for some protein.
Thank you for this amazing website, and thank you for this recipe!! I will just say my roommate tried cooking it on high and the beans didn’t cook, so I’d recommend you take the full 8 hours on low!
CAN I COOK THIS ON THE STOVE, AND IF SO, FOR HOW LONG?
THANK YOU.
I really can’t say without testing it.
My daughter really loved this recipe! We added more rosemary and seasoning to this recipe but every day that I packed this in my daughter’s lunch container, she would come back with it empty! Some of the things I did differently were: I soaked and sprouted my beans and then only added 5 cups of water instead of the six cups of water. Near the end I added some veggie broth concentrate instead of salt. This was 4 year old approved! Thank you for the great recipe!
I followed everything except I used great northern beans and didn’t have rosemary. Definitely great and veggie flavorful. And so cheap! Seriously a lot of food for the cost. Definitely feel others comments about the need for tomatoes or tobasco but don’t have any. This is a great recipe for extra veggies and just always keep bags of beans around!
The Slow Cooker White Bean Soup is absolutely DELICIOUS!! I soaked the beans overnight, so the beans are tender. I added some bacon fat and dried chicken granules, then cooked the soup on low for seven hours. I added some cooked andouille sausage to the soup for added protein and baked some corn bread muffins on the side. Since I’m living alone, there’s plenty of leftovers for the next several days. I will definitely make this soup again. Thank you, Beth!! :-)
I don’t understand about the beans. How would they have been boiled for 10 min if you put the in dry?
If you use navy beans, as suggested, you don’t have to worry about making sure that they boil for ten minutes. Cannellini, on the other hand, need to be boiled and a lot of slow cookers don’t get quite that hot, so they’re not suggested for this recipe.
Looks like a great recipe! How can I convert it for my instant pot?
I haven’t tried making a bean soup in my Instant Pot yet, so I probably can’t give any advice there. :P
anyone try it in the instant pot yet?
I’m trying it today in my IP, planning on just pushing soup button. Did you try it?
We love this recipe! This soup shows up frequently on our weekly menu. My husband can’t get enough of it, and even the baby loves it! I sometimes add liquid smoke or lemon juice for a little something extra. It’s a great simple recipe, and I highly recommend you try it!
I want to use bean that I sprouted . They are frozen now ( I put it in the freezer after I sprouted ). How does that effect he cooking time ? ( I am not sure what type of beans those are , it looks like white beans but it had like a Speckled pattern on it )
I’ve never cooked with beans that are sprouted, so I’m not sure how they’d work in this recipe.
Thanks meant for offering such wonderful written content.
Good recipe- would have been better with a can of tomatoes!
I’ve made this before, following the recipe as is, and was surprised by how flavorful it was without chicken or vegetable broth. I made it again today but with a Greek twist: I added 1/2 tsp ground toasted cumin seeds, 1 tsp Greek seasoning mix, 1 cup of cooked rice, and the juice of about 1/2 lemon (to taste). So, so good. It was great with some homemade Kalamata olive bread. Thanks for another recipe staple!
Almost like my mom’s bean soup. She used the veggies but she didn’t add so many spices, just pepper garlic, a whole onion (removed at end of cooking) and a little olive oil. At the end of cooking she added salt and brown sugar served with oven fresh drop biscuits, makes the yummiest meal :)
I accidentally added the salt with all the ingredients. Will this cause the beans not to cook?
It should be okay. The newest word on beans is that it’s not salt that prevents them from softening, it’s acidic ingredients. Or, if the beans are really old, they’ll never soften.
Can You use chicken broth instead of the water? Would it make a difference in taste at all I wonder?
Yep, that’s definitely an option and it will add a lot of flavor. :)
White beans have been my husband’s favorite way of using them for a side dish or just a plate full of beans—add some vinegar, salt ,lots of pepper and a little cream(if you have it), but not necessary..Makes a meal out of them and loves them each time he has them…
Can you add red potatoes to this recipe?
You probably could, but it will make it very thick! :)
Flavorless and required a lot of doctoring.
ADVICE TO OTHERS: BEANS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRESOAKED SINCE THEY TURNED OUT HARD!
This recipe was really good!
I made it because it seemed easy and quick, and I had all the ingredients. But to be honest, I was expecting something quite bland and not very tasty. But then, when the 4 hours had passed and I went to stir the stew and mash the beans, it smelled great, and it tasted even better! To spice things up, I added a bit of Tabasco sauce to the served portions.
That’s two recipes from this site in a row that give really delicious and practical meals – thanks for sharing!
I love this soup! It is in my regular meal rotation. I use white great northern beans instead, because I prefer their taste. I also dislike rosemary, so I use less of that and more thyme. And omit the olive oil.
8 hours on low and the beans are still quite firm. What do I do?! :(
I’m not sure if it will help now, but you can try adding a teaspoon or two of baking soda. Some commenters have said that helps. I think it depends on the mineral content of your water. :(
Insanely easy soup! Seriously — I’ve never made such a delicious soup that required such little effort. Everyone thought it was delicious and I didn’t have to spend the entire day in the kitchen so thank you!!!
Very nice soup. After the first time I cooked this I had to really increase the amount of seasoning. I do like heavily seasoned food, so for a normal person the original recipe might be good enough. Also I had to add more liquid to make it more of a soup instead of a solid.
I have a bag of pinto beans. Has anyone tried this with pinto beans? Still good?
Your bean soup looks delicious, the same as I remember from my youth.
The main difference is my dad made our soup in a Pressure Cooker..
Would you make any changes to your recipe if it was prepared in a pressure cooker?
Thank you very much
Jay
Hi Jay,
I actually just got my first pressure cooker the other day, so I’m not well versed in converting slow cooker recipes to pressure cooker. I’m sure it’s pretty easy, though!
Hmmmm. Good basic recipe but I found I needed a lot of additions to make it taste to my liking. I added two veggie bouillon cubes, a handful of chopped parsley, a can of fire roasted tomatoes, 1/8 cup of Bacos, a tsp of liquid smoke, some extra paprika and garlic powder, some cumin, and some cayenne. Now I think it is very good!
So…. you give your own recipe 3 stars?
Ha you’ve got jokes “Ted says”.
Saw this recipe on pinterest it was so delicious!!! I put it for 4 hours on high. Next time I will add some smoked beef. I am Serbian and we have a soup that tastes just like this it’s called “Pasulj” only thing that was missing was the smoked meat.
Thanks for sharing!
I thought this recipe was wonderful! I was amazed that I could put unsoaked beans into a slow cooker and 4 hours later have tender, rich, flavorful beans. Such a delight, one of my favorite recipes of yours yet. I’m so happy I discovered your website, you have a great healthy esthetic, and lots of vegetarian food. I really trust your recipes at this point! I will be purchasing your book soon or possibly adding it to my christmas wish list this year. Thank you!
Thanks so much for this recipe, I intend to make it this weekend. I make bean & veggie soups a lot since they are like comfort food, but I never thought to mash the beans slightly to get the thicker texture! I can’t wait to try this!
One comment – can you please put a “Print Recipe” link somewhere so I can print just the recipe and maybe 1 photo, rather than the whole blog? If you already have this somewhere, I didn’t find it…
Hi Sandra, You can find the print button on the recipe card just below the little photo (to the right of the “save” button with the heart). I hope that helps! :)
I found the Print Button and made this over the weekend. Unfortunately this was a “no” in my household. My fiance found it too sweet with too much thyme (apparently he doesn’t like thyme at all I’m learning), and he wished I put chicken in it (would have been great to add). Not sure why it turned out so sweet and what could be done about it, maybe add an acid like vinegar? I will have to tweak this to taste when making in the future.
Hmm, yes, maybe a little vinegar and a touch more salt. The sweetness probably came from the carrots.
Made this recipe twice before and loved it. I do have a question though. If you didn’t want to use fresh garlic (its too strong for me sometimes) and use garlic powder, how much would you use to equal 4 garlic gloves?
Thanks
Hmm, I don’t know what the exact equivalent would be (because they kind of just have different flavors), but I think I would try 1/2 tsp for this recipe.
Hi Beth. I made this soup last weekend. The flavors are amazing!! One problem: my beans didn’t cook!! Not sure what I did wrong, but I want to figure it out, because it was so good. 8 hours in the crock pot on low, beans weren’t cooked, 2 more hours on high, still not done. Put in my dutch oven, 2 more hours on the stove, still not done!! Help!!!
I’ve never had that problem myself, but there’s been quite a bit of discussion about it in the comments. Apparently there are a few things that can cause beans to not cook through. If the beans are too old, surprisingly, they may never soften. The mineral content of your water can also cause problems. Some people have said that adding a teaspoon of baking soda to the water helps, but I’ve never tried that.
Thanks Beth. I will definately try again. Good info on the beans :))
my slow cooker is smaller than what you suggested, it’s 4 quarts. Should I cut the ingredients in half?
Hmm, my slow cooker was only about 1/2 to 2/3 full, so it might fit in a 4qt. I’m really not certain, though.
As I had never tried this recipe I followed pretty much as written (had no garlic so used garlic powder for example, but no major deviations). Put the slow cooker on high and about 4 hours later had a delicious, hearty soup!!!! Even the 4-year old liked it! The only work was the prep. Will definitely serve this again! Thank you!!!
this was the most disgusting soup. what a waste. do yourselves a favor and DO NOT make this.
what if you pre-soaked your beans? I soaked my dry beans overnight, do I need to adjust the amount of water in the recipe? It looks delicious, can’t wait to make it :)
You probably will need a little less water. I’d try four and see if that covers the beans. You’ll want it to cover the beans by at least an inch, I’d think, and then keep an eye on it just to make sure there’s enough water in there as they start to swell.
Thank you for the Phytohemagglutinin info. I have been crock potting beans for 15 years and don’t know how I’ve never poisoned myself. After utilizing this recipe, I will be 8 hours older and a little bit wiser…
You can put them in the Crock Pot add water to cover! Set all night! Then drain Water out before you cook! They well be less gassy!
my husband, our 6 kids and myself LOVE this recipe! I modified it slightly like I do with most recipes, but still so good! I will say we were all tooting heavily for a couple of days. But so worth it lol. I added ham
Is it okay if I could use vegetable broth for the bean soup? Thanks, Beth!! :-)
Yes, you definitely can. :)
I added bacon and then chopped up two cajun rubbed, roasted chicken breasts to this recipe.
Awesome.
That sounds so good, and you gave me an idea!! :-)
Could I substitute 16 bean mix for the beans in the crock pot or would those have to be boiled for 10+ minutes? I love your blog, you make my family think I can cook.
I’d definitely make sure it gets boiled because some of those beans might be in the same family as kidney beans.
Thank you! I boiled the beans and this soup is awesome, it didn’t even need cheese or sour cream.
This recipe is incredibly easy and delicious. I couldn’t believe that all I had to do was chop, toss, and go to bed. Woke up in the morning feeling not like P. Diddy, but like someone who had discovered a new love for slow cookers. Thanks Beth.
This was terrific! I followed the recipe exactly, except that I added about a teaspoon of curry just for fun. I was amazed at how well it turned out with such little effort. Thank you!
Hi Beth. I would love to make this, but I don’t have a slow-cooker. Think I could make this or a version of this on the stove?
Yes, it will just need to simmer for a few hours. I haven’t actually tried it, so I can’t offer any more specifics than that, unfortunately.
Whenever I’m stuck on what to cook your website is my go-to cookbook.
I wanted a lazy/easy + cheap meal; this recipe delivered! It’s great for those hot summer days when turning on the oven is too much to ask.
The soup was a success. I woke up this morning to a wonderful aroma filling up my apartment. My husband really enjoyed it, he liked it so much he took some for lunch and extra to share with a co worker. I did replace some of the water with chicken broth though, looking forward to making it again.
I needed some more flavor and texture so I added boiled potatoes and mixed in some of my favorite salsa. So good!
I loved this soup. Used Great Northern White Beans, 6 cups water, 4 chicken bouillon cubes, one 8 ounce can of tomato sauce, all the veggies and spices listed in recipe. Used less salt due to bouillon. Half way thru I put in one bunch of chard leaves. V good. Great with cheese toast.
Followed this recipe and it turned out amazing! So much food for very little money. Served it with crispy garlic bread and hot sauce. Glad I found this site.
I used Chia Seeds to thicken the soup instead of mashing the beans. The health benefits triple. Very good soup.
Awesome! I make so many thing’s with Chia because of it’s amazing health benefits, my kids love it. May I ask how much chia you added? Does it matter if they are white or black? Thank you
This recipe is super easy and delicious. I use 4 cups veggie stock or broth to add and 2 cups of water, then omit the extra salt at the end. the broth adds a bit more flavor…but it’s also great with using water only.
Love this recipe!! Do you have nutrition info for it somewhere? Thanks!
My Dad doesn’t like onions. He refuses to eat them. What’s a good substitute for onion to bring out the savory flavor that it adds to so many foods?
Leeks have a slightly oniony taste. Has he tried those? Otherwise, garlic has a similar effect, just stronger. Sometimes I do just garlic instead of garlic AND onion.
Hey Beth –
Can I use canned navy beans (i.e. pre-cooked ones)?
Thanks!
Yes, but you need to reduce the liquid by a lot because they won’t absorb it like the dry beans will. Cut the liquid by about half.
This turned out surprisingly well. I say “surprisingly” because I’ve been working to eat healthier and most of the recipes I’ve tried (from elsewhere) have been total duds.
The soup itself came out tasting really good before putting salt in (about 3 hours on high for me is all it took in my Instant Pot). I’m working to eat the absolute least amount possible, so I started with 1/2 tsp and that did the trick. I’ll be adding some oyster crackers and Sriracha of course!
Your site is very well done and I bought your book as well. I’m excited to try some of these other recipes.
One question I have on this soup recipe – what does the oil do for it? I’m a cooking novice so I’m just curious.
It just adds a little bit of body to the soup. It’s hard to explain, but without it, the soup can be thin (tasting, not thin texture) or light.
Ah OK – that makes sense. I’ve made a few salt, oil, and sugar free recipes recently, and besides being completely bland of course, they were also missing something else I couldn’t quite figure out. Perhaps that bit of oil makes all the difference. I was surprised that so few ingredients came out tasting so good.
Gonna try this tomorrow for the Super Bowl. What do you think of dicing some potatoes in it? Will soaking the beans prior have negative effect?
I think potatoes would be awesome in this. If you presoak the beans, you may not need to add as much liquid to the soup because the beans will have already absorbed some.
If I wanted to use cannellini beans, is a 10 minute boil all I need to make sure they’re ok? Soak? Anything else?
Soak helps, but yes, you need to make sure it gets a hard boil for at least ten minutes.
Hey Beth!!! I wanted to throw all this in the crockpot tomorrow morning but I don’t have enough navy beans….what about black turtle beans? Thanks!!! I love your blog!! :-)
Yes, they will work (and probably taste great) but just be aware that your soup will turn very dark black. :)
Thanks Beth! It turned out great. My eight year old daughter could not get enough! Thanks so much for your recipies, you are my go to blog.
Made this tonight and it was pretty good! The reason I’m giving it four stars is because I made it with four cups chicken stock and two cups water. I think with only water it would have been bland. Looking forward to trying your a number of your other recipes, too!
So it came out okay with the chicken stock? I was wondering about that, since there was the warning about adding salt too soon and toughening up the beans. I make a very similar recipe with a mix of thyme, garlic powder and lemon pepper as seasonings, and a bit of salt to taste as well, but I’m never a good judge as to when to add them. I just wait till the beans are almost soft.
CeLisa,
Yep, it was just fine with the chicken stock. :) The beans were very soft, but I think they’re supposed to be with this recipe. If you like them a little sturdier, you could probably cook it for less time with the stock.
Hope that helps!
Hi Beth, so glad I came across your site. Love the easy directions and follow along photos. I made this recipe over the weekend and it was incredible. Came out exactly like you said it would. My husband raved and has already asked me to make it again.
Oh btw, I used 4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water instead.
I’ve made this soup probably close to 10 times. I always use chicken broth. I’ve loved it every time. I’ve never been sick. I love making this for my lunches.
Made this soup tonight and it just tasted…blah. After a whole day in the crock pot the beans weren’t soft enough so I put everything in a Dutch oven and cooked them another half-hour or so. Tried adding all sorts of seasoning and still…totally blah. Guess we’ll avoid any gastro issues since the beans did get boiled at least 25 minutes, but I won’t be repeating this recipe again.
DO NOT USE – Please remove or adjust this recipe. If followed exactly this is literally poison. We all got severe food poisonning last week from dry beans cooked in a slower cooker on low as this receipe suggests. Apparently many beans contain natural poison – insecticide that disintegrates at high temperatures (rapid boiling), and increases in concentration at low cooking temperatures, such as low setting in slow cooker. As it turns out, this info is all over medical sites – just google “bean poisonning”. Here is FDA guidance on that too. Nasty-nasty staff. Took 3 days to come back to life!!!!
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/…/ucm071092.htm
If you google this, it’s for undercooked red beans. YOU didn’t cook whatever to the proper temperature.
Thanks for sharing this recipe! This big batch should get me through a week of lunches. Here’s to being debt free in 2015!
Just made this today, SO delicious! I did the quick soak method with my navy beans, since I had time today to baby the soup on the stove instead of my crockpot. The beans were perfect! I didn’t have smoked paprika just regular paprika so when my daughter thought it was a bit bland (although delicious!) we just doctored it with a bit of rubbed sage, increased the thyme and a touch if Italian seasoning..really rounded out the flavor! Can’t wait to make this again with the smoked paprika tho’. My entire family enjoyed it, which is amazing since they differ on their opinions of beans. This one is now going to be in my rotation! Thank you!!
Made it tonight. Delicious! Great, hearty soup. Thanks!
This soup was delicious.
Hi!! This looks great! Just to reiterate- you put the navy beans in dry?? No soaking?
Correct. Some people have had issues with them softening, but I think that’s due to the mineral content of their water. I had no problems. :)
I used 4 cups veg broth,2 cups water…tasty!
Thanks for this! I actually did it in a pressure cooker in less than 1/2 hour! First, I did dried white northern beans for 15 mins to cook them, then I added the other stuff and pressure cooked for another 5 minutes. I think adding a few tbsps of vinegar and oregano and some veggie stock and tomato sauce makes it even nicer!