This minestrone uses a packaged dry 13-bean soup mix instead of pasta. The beans are soaked overnight, then boiled hard on the stove for at least ten minutes before they ever go into the slow cooker.
Browned Italian sausage, carrot, celery, potato, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth and Italian seasoning join the beans for seven hours on LOW. Kale goes in near the end and parsley finishes each bowl.
The Bean Step You Cannot Skip
Mixed bean blends include kidney beans, which need real boiling heat before slow cooking.
- Sort and rinseSort and rinse the 13-bean mix.
- Soak overnightSoak overnight in plenty of water, then drain and rinse.
Check before you continue
At least 10 minutes of hard boiling — A large pot at a vigorous rolling boil
Cover the soaked beans with fresh water, bring to a full rolling boil and keep it there for at least 10 minutes.
- DrainDrain the beans.
- Into the slow cookerAdd them to the slow cooker with the browned sausage and the rest of the soup.
Ingredient Notes
- Dry 13-bean soup mix
- One pound of a packaged mix; discard any seasoning packet and pick out small stones when sorting.
- Mild Italian pork sausage
- Twelve ounces with casings removed, browned in chunks.
- Kale
- Three cups chopped, added only in the final 20 to 30 minutes.
How to Make It
Beans sorted and soaked overnight
Sort and rinse the 13-bean mix, cover with plenty of water and soak overnight. Drain and rinse.
Beans boiled hard for 10 minutes
Put the soaked beans in a large pot with fresh water, bring to a vigorous rolling boil and boil hard for at least 10 minutes. Drain before moving them to the slow cooker.
Sausage browned to 160°F
Brown the sausage in the olive oil until it reaches 160°F, breaking it into chunks.
Everything into the slow cooker
Add the parboiled beans, sausage, carrots, celery, potato, crushed tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning and pepper to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours.
Kale and salt at the end
Stir in the kale and salt for the final 20 to 30 minutes, until the greens wilt and the beans are tender. Finish with parsley.
Why This Recipe Works
- Soaking softens the beans so they cook evenly with the vegetables.
- The hard boil makes the kidney beans in the mix safe; a slow cooker alone does not get hot enough to do that.
- Browning the sausage first adds a savoury depth to the tomato broth.
- Adding kale in the last half hour keeps it tender and green instead of drab.
Success Tips
- Use a pot large enough that the soaked bean mix stays covered by several inches of water during the hard boil.
- Time the boil from when the water reaches a full rolling boil, not from when the pot goes on the burner.
- Taste the minestrone broth before adding the teaspoon of salt; the sausage and tomatoes already bring some.
Serving Ideas
Ladle into wide bowls so each has sausage, beans, potato and kale, with chopped parsley on top.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Cool the soup quickly, refrigerate in covered containers and reheat until simmering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do the beans have to boil before the slow cooker?
The mix includes kidney beans, which must be soaked and boiled hard for at least 10 minutes to be safe. Slow cooking alone is not enough.
Is there pasta in this minestrone?
No. It uses potato and the 13-bean mix for body.
