Description
Time to cozy up with this hearty Italian white bean soup made right in the crockpot! With a creamy coconut milk and sun-dried tomato base, it’s loaded with white beans, pasta, and spinach for a wholesome and satisfying Italian-inspired dish. Vegan and gluten-free friendly, it’s perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained of oil
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 28oz can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
- 2 19oz cans low sodium white beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 1 cup whole grain or regular rotini pasta (gluten-free, if needed)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the onion until softened and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. You can also do this step in the slow cooker if it has a sauté function.
2. Meanwhile, in a blender, add coconut milk, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and salt. Blend on high until smooth.
3. Add the onion and coconut milk mixture to the slow cooker along with the diced tomatoes, white beans, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
4. When there is half an hour left on the timer, turn the heat to high (if it’s not there already) and add in the dry pasta and stir.
5. Stir in the spinach when there are five minutes left on the timer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
6. Serve warm, sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil if desired.
Notes
For an extra smooth and creamy base, blend the coconut milk and sun-dried tomatoes in a high-speed or mini blender.
Chopping the spinach makes it more subtle and kid-friendly, though adding whole baby spinach works just as well.
The soup thickens as it sits, so consider adding extra broth before serving if needed.
If preparing ahead of time, cook the pasta separately and add it just before serving to avoid it becoming mushy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Soup, Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 434
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 555mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 12g
- Protein: 19g
- Cholesterol: 0mg