Name: Slow-Cooker 15-Bean Soup With Sausage and Spinach
Total time: 10 h
Ingredients: 8 ounces cooked hot or sweet Italian sausage , sliced 1/2 inch thick; 1 onion , chopped fine; 6 garlic cloves , minced; 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; Salt and pepper; 6 cups chicken broth; 2 cups water; 8 ounces (1 1/4 cups) 15-bean soup mix , seasoning packet discarded, beans picked over and rinsed; 8 ounces white mushrooms , trimmed and quartered; 2 bay leaves; 4 ounces (4 cups) baby spinach

Why This Recipe Works

With 15-bean soup mix as our inspiration, we set out to make an easy bean soup with meaty undertones, a bright flavor, and an appealingly chunky texture. Our first step was to ditch the flavoring packets that come with these soup mixes because their dried seasonings and bits of vegetables offered up zero flavor but a lot of sodium. Instead, a combination of onion, garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes provided a nice balance of oniony aromatics and herbs, and fresh white mushrooms (for mild mushroom flavor) rounded out the flavor of this simple soup. For heartiness we added precooked chicken sausage, which held up during the long cooking time and kept this soup on the lighter side. We stirred in spinach at the end of cooking and allowed it to wilt slightly, adding a fresh, bright element to the soup.

Instructions

Microwave sausage, onion, garlic, thyme, pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon salt in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Stir in broth, water, beans, mushrooms, and bay leaves. Cover and cook until beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours on high.

Discard bay leaves. Stir in spinach, 1 handful at a time, and let sit until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.