Vegetarian white bean soup is the ultimate crock-pot comfort food. It is a healthy and delicious one-pot slow cooker meal made with pantry staples that your family will love!

a white bowl of slow cooker white bean soup with a spoon, napkin and lemons

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This vegetable bean soup is filled with plant-based protein. It has so much flavor yet is made with simple ingredients. A real winning combination!

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🔪Instructions
🍽Serving suggestions
🔁Substitution ideas
Storing
😉Hints & hacks
📖 Recipe

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Crockpot vegetarian white bean soup with labeled ingredients

To make this delicious meal, you will need:

cannellini beans - canned. rinsed and drained
mirepoix - (carrots, onion and celery), diced
Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and fresh ground pepper
lemon juice and zest - of half a lemon
vegetable broth
baby spinach leaves
parmesan rind - to keep this vegetarian, use a vegetarian parm or skip this.
shredded parmesan - if you are a parm lover, the more the better! To keep this vegetarian, use a vegetarian parmesan cheese or substitute such as nutritional yeast.
fresh rosemary sprig - optional
salt and black pepper - to taste

🚀Jump to recipe card for exact quantities and detailed instructions

🔪Instructions

This great recipe just involves a few simple steps:

Preparing your slow cooker

Prepare your slow cooker by coating it in a non-stick agent. Any nonstick cooking spray or oil will work. Olive oil and avocado oil are my go-to coatings.

NOTE: some slow cooker inserts come with a nonstick surface. Use of a non-stick agent is still suggested. However, oil is sometimes recommended rather than spray to protect the longevity of the non-stick surface. Check the manual for your slow cooker if you have any concerns.

Alternatively, you can choose to use a slow cooker liner.

Cooking

Add all ingredients into your slow cooker, other than spinach and parmesan cheese. Stir it briefly to mix all the ingredients together. Place a sprig or two of fresh rosemary on top of your slow cooker's contents and cover.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Once cooked, use tongs to remove the parmesan rind and rosemary from your slow cooker and discard.

white bean soup in slow cooker before spinach is added

If you prefer soup with a thicker consistency, use an immersion blender to partially blend the ingredients in your crock pot. Be careful not to fully liquify it all. This step is fully optional. If are feeling extra lazy - skip it!

If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree some of the cooked beans in either a regular blender or food processor. Just be careful when handling as it will be HOT! Returned pureed beans to your slow cooker and stir to combine.

About 15 minutes prior to serving, stir in grated or shredded parmesan and spinach leaves. Your soup is ready to serve when the spinach has wilted.

white bean and spinach soup in slow cooker after cooking

🍽Serving suggestions

Serve your white bean soup recipe topped with a sprinkling of chopped grated parmesan cheese. If you are fan of spice, top with some red pepper flakes.

A crusty bread, such as sour dough, along with a crisp garden salad make for the perfect sides. We love to serve this soup alongside a whole chicken or some delicious homemade turkey salad or chicken salad.

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a black bowl of slow cooker white bean soup

🔁Substitution ideas

The best part of this delicious bean soup is its easy customization. Here are a few suggestions:

To keep your cannellini bean soup vegan, replace parmesan cheese with nutritional yeast.
Substitute other canned white beans for cannellini beans. White kidney beans, navy beans, or great northern beans are all great options.
Kale or other leafy greens can be used in place of spinach in the easy recipe. The only difference is that kale may take a few more minutes to fully cook.
Frozen spinach is a great sub for fresh spinach. Allow frozen spinach to thaw and fully drain before adding to your slow cooker.
Try adding some different flavors to your soup by swapping out the vegetable stock for chicken broth or beef broth.
To turn up the heat, add some red pepper flakes or a dash of sriracha sauce.

Note: I have only made this slow cooker soup recipe with canned beans. If you try it with dry cannellini beans, please let me know how it went in the comments section below.

Storing

Store your homemade white bean stew in an airtight container or bag. Leftovers of this cold weather favorite will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

If you plan to freeze leftovers, be sure to use a freezer-safe container. Frozen leftovers will last 3 months in the freezer. They are super easy to defrost and reheat - and sooo much better than anything you can buy on a grocery store shelf.

If you love this recipe, please let me know in the comment section below!

😉Hints & hacks

This is one of those slow cooker recipes that is great if your people will be eating at different times. After cook time, turn your slow cooker to warm and everyone can have a hot and filling meal - anytime.
To meal prep this easy weeknight dinner in advance, mix together all ingredients other than the spinach and parmesan cheese. Store in an airtight container or zipper top bag in the refrigerator until you are ready to slow cook.
The perfect way to store leftovers of this slow cooker recipe is in individual serving-sized containers. This makes for easy grab-and-go future meals.
I always recommend the use of a slow cooker liner. Of course, this is an optional step. I like to purchase my liners in bulk for a less expensive per-piece price.
In the market for a new slow cooker? I love mine.
Don't forget to plug your slow cooker in and turn it on! 😏

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