This is a slow cooker, no/low fat, vegan version of the Tuscan White Bean Soup recipe that I found on the Care2 website. I love the combination of white beans and rosemary. I have made this recipe both on the stove top and in the slow cooker and the texture and flavor are by far better when this recipe is made in the slow cooker.
Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup
1 pound dried white navy beans
olive oil spray or vegetable broth for sauteeing leeks
3 medium leeks, white and tender green parts, washed well and chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
3 carrots, scrubbed and diced
5 cups water + 2 veg bullion cubes, or 5 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Pick over and rinse white beans then soak them in water over night. Drain and rinse. On the stove top, in a large skillet sprayed with olive oil or splashed with vegetable broth, cook leeks over medium-high heat until they soften. Add celery, garlic, and carrots and cook until they start to soften, stirring frequently. Transfer above items to a slow cooker. Add beans and vegetable broth. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. When done cooking, use an immersion blender to puree about half of the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, at the table.
