This recipe for Crock-Pot Tuscan Bean Soup is one that we made at school where my children are learning how to make a healthy and delicious meals. This recipe is full of wonderful Italian flavor not to mention all the healthy vegetables and beans too!
Slow Cooker Tuscan Bean Soup
The key ingredient in this recipe is pancetta, an Italian bacon that is salt cured with various spices. Unlike regular bacon, pancetta is not smoked. It is also usually a bit leaner, with less fat than regular bacon, thus the reason why I cooked it in some lovely olive oil.
If you want to up the nutrition content of this recipe you can take a couple heads of fresh kale, wash them well and roughly chop them into bite sized pieces. Adding the prepared kale to the soup near the end of the cooking time. Just enough time to let the kale cook down and wilt into the hot soup in the slow cooker.
I like to serve this hearty soup with sliced and toasted crusty French bread. That is all that is needed to make a satisfying meal that hits the spot on any day of the week!
I am sure it will be a big hit at your dinner table!
Special Diets
This recipe for Crock-Pot Tuscan Bean Soup is Weight Watchers Friendly on the new Personal Points plan. You can see the WW personal points for this recipe here on the Weight Watchers website. Click here for MORE of our Weight Watchers Recipes
Crock-Pot Tuscan Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 ounces Canned Kidney Beans (drained)
- 14 ounces Canned Cannellini Beans (drained and rinsed)
- 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ pound Pancetta (diced)
- 2 cups Onions (diced)
- 1 cup Celery (diced)
- 1 cup Carrots (diced)
- 4 cloves Garlic (sliced)
- 14 ounces Canned Diced Tomatoes
- 14 ounces Canned Garbanzo Beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 quarts Chicken Stock
- 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary
- 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 sprig Fresh Oregano
- 1 whole Bay Leaf
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
- ½ teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Kosher Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat the olive oil and the pancetta until the pancetta is slightly crispy.
- With a slotted spoon remove the pancetta from the pan and add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook until softened and the onion is starting to turn translucent. About 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked vegetable mixture and the pancetta as well as the drippings from the pan into the bottom of a 6 quart or larger slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients and cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
- 30 minutes prior to serving add in 2 heads of washed and chopped kale if so desired.
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