Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup with Kale
Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup with Kale, an inexpensive, hearty, and delicious soup that’s loaded with fresh vegetables and nutritious legumes. This bean soup is a perfect choice for the slow cooker!
Cozy sweaters, Ugg boots, candles, and a warm bowl of soup. I’m talking about fall.
While I’m not fond of cold climates, I can appreciate the transition from sweltering summer days to cool, crisp fall evenings.
What’s great about cooler evenings?
All the meals that you probably haven’t made since the previous winter – casseroles, baked goodies, and of course, soups! Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup with Kale is my latest fall favorite!
I mentioned in my last post, Sautéed White Beans with Tomatoes & Garlic, how my husband and I are trying to eat more of a Mediterranean Diet and all that that entails.
In doing that, I took my new healthy principles and a bag of 15 Bean Soup and created a soup that’s even better for you, plus, it’s made in a slow cooker. Win-win-win.
What is 15 Bean Soup?
It’s a bag of dried legumes and a seasoning packet (more on that packet later) that makes an easy start to a multi-bean soup.
The bag says it contains 15 of these varieties:
(northern beans, pinto beans, large lima beans, yelloweye beans, garbanzo beans, baby lime beans, green split peas, kidney beans, cranberry beans, small white beans, pink beans, small red beans, yellow split peas, lentils, navy beans, white kidney beans, and black beans)
15 Bean Soup comes in both “original” and “Cajun”. It doesn’t matter which one you get since we are tossing the seasoning packet.
Ingredients needed for this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Bag of 15 Bean Soup
- Ham hocks
- Onion
- Garlic
- Celery
- Carrot
- Kale
- Seasonings – bay leaves, dried thyme, smoked paprika, poultry seasoning, salt, pepper
- Broth
In making 15 Bean Soup with Kale as healthy and nutritious as possible, I ditched the included seasoning packet and created my own healthier seasoning blend.
I also tossed in ham hocks for a smoky flavor, added some soup essentials like onion, garlic, carrot, and celery, and also added the superfood, kale.
One, I love kale in soups because of how its texture holds up, but also because it’s an easy way to eat a wonderfully healthy vegetable that you may not like in its raw form.
The result is a delicious, comforting soup that is also incredibly good for you!
Why did I toss the included seasoning packet in the trash?
That little packet (as of this writing) includes the following unwanted ingredients: sugar, dextrose (a type of sugar), and artificial flavors.
Not only is sugar an unnecessary ingredient in soup, it’s the #1 ingredient in the seasoning packet!
There’s also no reason to add dextrose and certainly no need for artificial flavors!
How long is bean soup good for?
Once cooled, store soup in an air-tight container and use within 3-4 days.
You can freeze 15 Bean Soup in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. The beans will absorb liquid, so you may need to add liquid when reheating.
Do I have to soak the beans overnight?
Yes. It is recommended that you soak the beans overnight.
This will help ensure that your beans are fully cooked.
Can I make 15 Bean Soup vegan or vegetarian?
This soup can be made vegan/vegetarian by replacing the ham hocks with a little liquid smoke.
You can also use a little smoked salt instead of regular salt.
Looking for more soup recipes? Here are some favorites:
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
- Slow Cooker Sausage Chickpea Soup
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
- Italian Chickpea Vegetable Soup
- Slow Cooker Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup (shown below)
- Slow Cooker Lemony Chicken & Barley Soup
NOTES:
- It doesn’t matter whether you get the 15 Bean Soup in “original” or “Cajun” since we are throwing away the seasoning packet.
- Totally optional, but I love the texture of this soup when I take a fork and mash some of the beans!
- It is said that cooking kidney beans in a slow cooker can be toxic. To get rid of the toxins, the beans need to boil for at least 10 minutes (Eating Well), which is why this recipe calls for cooking the soup on “high” and not “low”. If it makes you more comfortable, soak beans overnight, then boil them on the stove for at least 10 minutes before making the soup in the slow cooker.
Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup with Kale
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker 5 quart or larger
Ingredients
- 1 20oz 15 Bean Soup throw away seasoning packet, see "notes" for kidney bean safety
- 2-3 smoked ham hocks
- 2 ribs of celery sliced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- salt & pepper to taste
- 6-7 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- hot sauce optional topping when serving
Instructions
- Sort through dried beans, remove any debris. Soak beans overnight.
- Drain and rinse soaked beans and place them in slow cooker. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the kale, that will go in later. Give everything a stir. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or until the beans are tender. During last 30 minutes of cooking time, remove ham hocks from slow cooker. Pick off any meat you can find and add it to the slow cooker along with the kale. Discard the ham hocks.
- Optional - I like to take a fork and mash some of the beans in the soup. It makes a lovely texture! Feel free to add some of your favorite hot sauce. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
I also have a fun Facebook group for us foodies to share recipes and talk about food. I’d love to have you! Request to join HERE. Cheers!
I made this last night and we all loved it
I made it last week it was so good