Healthy Slow Cooker Bean and Sausage Soup with Spinach

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Healthy Slow Cooker Bean and Sausage Soup with Spinach is a mouthful to say and a mouthful of flavor- mushrooms, beans, Italian sausage, and Spinach to liven up the dinner table and fill you up. Plus it is made in the slow cooker, so you don’t have to worry about it all day.

Two bowls of soup in white bowls on a wooden background

Healthy Slow Cooker Sausage and Bean Soup with Spinach

Healthy Slow Cooker Bean and Sausage Soup with Spinach is something to get excited about this fine Monday morning! Between the beans and the spinach, I’m sure it has a lot of iron and other vitamins and minerals. I love this soup! I loved that the recipe called for dried beans. Just give them a rinse and sort through them quickly to pick out anything odd (you’ll be shocked at how often you find little rocks in dried beans…), and toss them in. Everything ends up tasting like brothy sausage heaven in the end and the spinach gives it a light fresh pop. It was so good! The kids were a bit critical of the soup, but serve it with a side of crusty bread (my favorite no-knead recipe), and everyone will be happy. Plus it’s healthy. What’s not to love?

America's Test Kitchen's Healthy Slow Cooker Bean and Sausage Soup with Spinach

How could I thicken up the chicken broth for a thicker soup?

A great way to easily thicken a soup is to add a slurry of flour and water and let the soup cook some more to thicken. Since slow cooker recipes take a little longer, add it at least 3o minutes before the soup is done so it has time to thicken up.

What can I serve with this soup?

I love serving breads with soups, including cornbread, because they are great for dipping! Other options include salads, steamed veggies, stuffing, baked potatoes, oven roasted potatoes and/or veggies, and more!

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Top view of slow cooker sausage and bean soup with greens in a white bowl

Healthy Slow Cooker Bean and Sausage Soup with Spinach


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  • Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless This Mess
  • Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6

Description

Healthy Slow Cooker Bean and Sausage Soup with Spinach is a mouthful to say and a mouthful of flavor- mushrooms, beans, Italian sausage, and Spinach to liven up the dinner table and fill you up. Plus it is made in the slow cooker, so you don’t have to worry about it all day.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 ounces cooked hot or sweet Italian chicken sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 46 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 8 ounces whit mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
  • 8 ounces (1 1/4 cups) 15-bean soup mix, flavoring packet discarded, rinsed and picked over
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 ounces (4 cups) baby spinach

Instructions

  1. Microwave the sausage, onion, garlic, thyme, and pepper flakes in a bowl, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Place the onion mixture in your slow cooker. Add the broth, water, mushrooms, dried beans, bay leaves, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, 9 to 11 hours on low or 6 to 8 hours on high.
  2. Throw away the bay leaves. Stir in the spinach and let it sit until slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve right away.

Notes

A 4 to 7 quart slow cooker is the best size for this recipe.

  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 8 hours
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: American

America's Test Kitchen's Healthy Slow Cooker Bean and Sausage Soup with Spinach

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This post was originally published in 2015 and has been updated in September 2019.

This Healthy Slow Cooker Sausage and Bean Soup with Spinach is an easy recipe to put in the slow cooker and make a delicious meal for later, with crisp spinach and sausage to add pops of flavor that you and your body will love.

Slow Cooker Bean and Sausage Soup

About Melissa

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33 Comments

  1. This looks amazing!! Thanks for sharing- I just got a slow cooker (3 months ago!) and have only used it once so far and it turned out meh. I need this book! 🙂

    1. Just your favorite, really any would work, black, pinto. small red, butter, lima… you pick!

  2. I’ve just recently found your blog, and enjoy it very much.
    I love ATK’s Slow Cooker Revolution – have both of their first volumes. I really trust their recipes. And I enjoy watching their two shows on PBS. Thanks for the giveaway!

  3. I don’t know you are aware, but the descriptions on your pins are missing letters – they’ve all been cut short. For instance, when I pinned one it said, “Healthy Black Bean D;” I added the “ip” to the end. This is really odd and I probably should have said something earlier, because I noticed it the first time I entered this giveaway.