Description
Time to cozy up with this delicious Italian white bean soup! Made in the crockpot, this Tuscan soup is made super creamy with a coconut milk and sun-dried tomato base, and bulked up with pasta, white cannellini beans and fresh spinach for a healthy and satisfying Italian-inspired meal perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon 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
- 1 cup whole grain or regular rotini pasta (gluten-free, if needed)
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 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 saute 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. Stir in the spinach when there are five minutes left on the timer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Serve warm sprinkled with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired.
Notes
I like to blend the coconut milk and sun-dried tomato mixture in a mini blender since it makes the mixture ultra smooth and creamy. A regular blender works as well.
Chopping the baby spinach before adding it to the soup makes it more subtle and kid-friendly, though whole baby spinach or frozen chopped spinach can also be used.
The soup thickens as it sits, so you may wish to add extra broth to thin it out before serving.
If making ahead, consider cooking the pasta separately and adding it just before serving to avoid mushiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 434
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 555mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 12g
- Protein: 19g
- Cholesterol: 0mg