Italian Bean Soup Spinach (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
01 -
1 medium onion (yellow preferred), chopped
02 -
1 teaspoon of olive oil
03 -
3 minced garlic cloves
04 -
1 can (14oz) of creamy coconut milk
05 -
1/4 cup oil-free sun-dried tomatoes
06 -
1 teaspoon of salt
07 -
1 tablespoon mixed Italian herbs
08 -
1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes with herbs
09 -
2 cans (19oz each) of rinsed white beans without salt
10 -
2 cups of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
11 -
3 cups low-sodium veggie broth
12 -
1 cup uncooked rotini pasta (opt for gluten-free if needed)
13 -
Salt and black pepper for seasoning as you’d like
# Instructions:
01 -
Warm up the oil in a pan on medium heat. Cook the onion for about 3-4 minutes until it smells great and looks soft. You can skip the pan by using the sauté feature on your slow cooker if it has one.
02 -
Toss the coconut milk, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian spice mix, and salt into a blender. Blend until the texture is smooth and even.
03 -
Pour the onion and blended coconut mixture into the slow cooker. Mix in the tomatoes, white beans, and vegetable broth. Give it a good stir so everything combines well.
04 -
Put the slow cooker on low for 4-6 hours, or crank it to high for 2-3 hours.
05 -
With about 30 minutes left on the clock, crank the slow cooker to high (unless you’re already there) and toss in your uncooked pasta. Stir in the spinach about 5 minutes before you’re done cooking.
06 -
Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, depending on your taste. Dish it up while it’s warm and sprinkle some fresh basil or grated Parmesan on top if you like.
# Notes:
01 -
Running low on tools? Use any type of blender for the coconut milk mixture; a smaller one makes it extra smooth.
02 -
If you'd like, chop the spinach smaller for a softer feel in the soup. Frozen, pre-chopped spinach also works great.
03 -
The soup can thicken while resting; add extra broth right before serving if it feels too thick.
04 -
For make-ahead prep, boil the pasta separately and throw it into the soup just before you eat to avoid it getting too mushy.