Description
A hearty and comforting Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup packed with nutritious vegetables, tender navy beans, and crispy bacon, simmered to perfection with fresh herbs and a splash of lemon juice for brightness. Perfect for a warm, satisfying meal with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meat
- 4 thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Vegetables
- 1 1/2 lbs. baby Yukon Gold potatoes, halved
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (from 1 medium onion)
- 1 cup 1/4-inch-thick carrot slices (from 3 medium carrots)
- 3/4 cup 1/4-inch-thick parsnip slices (from 2 medium parsnips)
- 3/4 cup 1/4-inch-thick celery slices (from 2 stalks)
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (from 3 garlic cloves)
- 3 cups chopped curly kale (from 1 bunch)
Legumes
- 1 cup dried navy beans
Liquids & Seasonings
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- Fresh thyme leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
- Cook and crumble bacon: Cook the bacon slices in the microwave according to package directions until crisp. Once cooked, crumble the bacon into small pieces and set aside.
- Add vegetables and beans to slow cooker: Add the halved potatoes, chopped onion, sliced carrots, dried navy beans, sliced parsnips, sliced celery, chicken broth, minced garlic, black pepper, kosher salt, and the crumbled bacon into a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir gently to combine.
- Cook soup: Cover the slow cooker and cook the soup on LOW heat for 5 1/2 to 6 hours until the potatoes and navy beans are tender.
- Add kale and lemon juice: Uncover the slow cooker and stir in the chopped curly kale. Cook uncovered for about 2 minutes or until the kale is tender. Then stir in the fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavors.
- Garnish and serve: Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Garnish with additional black pepper and fresh thyme leaves before serving for an aromatic finish.
Notes
- You can soak the navy beans overnight beforehand to reduce cooking time if desired.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Adjust the seasoning with extra salt and pepper according to taste before serving.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
- This soup is perfect served with crusty bread or a side salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 200
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 10g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
