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Crockpot Tuscan White Bean and Lemon Soup. Because it’s still very much winter.
Listen, I know the month of March is nearing fast, and that some of you may have Spring on the mind, but let’s just be real, it’s still very cold outside.
Or at least, it’s cold here in Colorado, with blustery winds and snow. More wind than snow, but just very cold. I hate to talk about weather, but I mean, come on, is anyone else having similar weather?
I’m putting an emphasis on the weather because I’ve been spending a lot of time outside milking the goats, collecting chicken eggs, supplying both the chickens and goats with food and water, walking the dog, walking the dog some more…because he’s a puppy and his energy level is too much.
All in the wind. And the cold. And the blowing snow.
Totally making it sound way worse than it is, but I think you get the point.
Cold temps, wind, and snow all mean one thing….cozy food. Soups, pastas, and basically anything warm all work. Enter this soup. It’s cozy, yet still light enough to serve as a healthy dinner and fresh enough to transition us all the way into spring…plus it’s easy. Basically, the all around perfect soup!
Here’s how this recipe works. Throw everything into your crockpot, set the time, and leave. Just before serving, stir in some kale and dinner is done.
So simple, so easy, so so super good, and you know, pretty healthy too.
Question: do you say crockpot or slow cooker…I like the word crockpot, but I’m super curious to know what you guys say?
Traditionally in a Tuscan style soup, there will be some kind of meat, most of the time pork. I wanted to keep this soup mostly loaded with veggies, so to give the broth added flavor, I threw in a parmesan rind. I promise, this is the key to this recipe. The rind adds so much flavor without having to add in a million other ingredients. A little tip, when working with fresh parmesan wedges, save the rinds and freeze them. Then use them to make extra flavorful tomato sauces, soups, and stocks.
I also flavored the soup with basil pesto and plenty of lemon to highlight the flavors of the parmesan and give the soup a light, flesh flavor.
To keep the recipe simple and easy, I used my favorite pantry staple, canned cannelloni beans. But if you wanted to make the soup with dry beans, just soak about one or two cups of white beans overnight in water, then drain, and add to the crockpot with all the other ingredients.
Oh, and for added protein…ok and carbs, I also added quinoa. Hey, gotta get those healthy carbs in.
I made this soup before I left for South Korea, but ended up freezing it, since no one was going to be home to eat it. upon returning, I realized what a great idea it is to have frozen soups on hand. It makes for such easy lunches and dinners. Plus, I’m the only one around here who likes white beans, so having this particular soup on hand is working out pretty nicely.
Just one thing? Be sure to serve the soup topped with plenty of fresh shaved parmesan and a hunk of crusty bread. It’s truly the only way to enjoy this bowl of soup.
And maybe a glass of wine, if that’s your thing…
Crockpot Tuscan White Bean and Lemon Soup
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 1232 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken or veggie stock
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 small sweet onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1/4 cup basil pesto
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 sage leaves
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 parmesan rind
- 3 tablespoons lemons juice + 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 cups roughly torn Tuscan kale
- 2 cans (14 ounces) cans cannelloni beans, drained
- grated parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- 1. In the bowl of your crockpot, combine the chicken stock, quinoa, onion, carrots, pesto, red pepper flakes, sage, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the parmesan rind. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. 2. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the lemon juice and zest, kale, and beans. 3. Divide the soup among bowls and top with parmesan. Serve with a hunk of bread.
Warming soup…with cheese and bread. My kind of Monday night.
If i were to add chicken to this recipe how would you suggest i do that?
Hey John,
Using shredded chicken from a rotisserie would be great to do here! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xT
Is there a way to make this without a crockpot?
Hey Catie,
Sure, I would just simmer on the stove top for an hour. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Delicious!!!
Does this soup freeze well?
Thank you
Hey Natalie,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Sure, you could definitely freeze this! xx
The calorie count scares me! Is it correct? thanx
Hi Carrie,
I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! Hope you enjoy the recipe! xT
I had the same initial reaction–the calorie count is for the entire dish. I usually get around 4-6 servings from soup recipes so it’d be about 205-308 calories per serving 🙂
I made this today for this weeks lunches! So tasty and fresh and delicious! Another winner!
Hey Dee,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad it was a hit! xT
This soup was so wonderful and easily adaptable to what I have on hand from the garden. I have plenty of lemons, so I was excited to try it out. I have substituted celery for onions and garden purple basil for the sage. Going to try my Goji berry greens next. It becomes an excellent vegan meal without too much effort. Even by boy friend was in love with it.
Hey there,
Thanks so much for your comment! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Tips for those without a parmesan rind? Just omit? or… another hack?
Hey Christine,
You can skip the parmesan rind. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! I prefer more of a stew constancy, so I cut it down to 32oz broth and increased the lemon juice and sage (because fresh sage is delicious) and I wouldn’t change a thing! This soup is delicious as-is and I didn’t even end up cooking the chicken I had planned to pair with it. Two thumbs up!
Hi Autumn,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! xx
This was absolutely delicious! Super easy to make and nourishing. I am always looking to ways to add quinoa into my diet, and this was a perfect recipe.
Hey Rachel,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! Have the best weekend! xxT
One of the best soups I have ever made! Made it stove top (instead of crockpot), added a few extra cups of stock and let it simmer down for a couple hours but followed everything else perfectly. Put dollop of pesto on top of each bowl of soup at the end, along with shaved parmesan. It was to die for. Hearty, filling, with complex flavors. I love the lemon!! Thank you for these excellent recipes, another winner!!
Hey Shannon,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxT
I really enjoyed this!! Great tip with the parmesan rind. I also added in some saffron because I’m in love with it and it brought a lot of depth of flavor! Highly recommend.
Hi Avery,
Wonderful! I really appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Wow! Really enjoyed this soup 🙂 I added Orzo instead of Quinoa and topped with feta. Sooooo lemony and delicious.
Hi Juliana,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xTieghan
This was so delicious, especially on a cold January night. It was filling too, but I still went back for seconds. This will become a regular meal. Thank you!
Hi Emily,
I really appreciate you giving the recipe a try, so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xxT
I misread the instructions and threw everything (except the kale) in at once and cooked it all on high for 4 hours. Added the kale for the last hour. Turned out great!! I didn’t have red pepper flakes and could see that it would be better with a kick. I also didn’t have a parm rind so I just threw in a bunch of shaved parm. Super yummy all around! Love the lemon flavor.
Hey Sara,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it. Have the best week! xTieghan
Is this soup good with chicken? How would you cook it differently if you added chicken?
Hi Tiffany,
Sure, you could add chicken here, you will want to add in step 1. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This soup is incredible! I added 2 chicken breasts and then shredded it and it tasted perfect. The only thing I did differently was 8 cups of broth instead of 6 because the chicken thickened it up. Thank you! This will be a staple.
Hey Tiffany,
Seriously amazing! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan