Our 15 bean soup Crockpot recipe with sausage, no soaking required, is a hearty meal we love for dinner year. If you loved our Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup but you want to cook dry beans in a slow cooker this is the answer.
This is literally the easiest way to make a hearty meal with a variety of legumes. Grab a bag of Bush’s beans in a bag that are dry from the store to slow cook or make Pressure Cooker Chili With Dry Beans with them! Not only does it give you a lot of different textures but colors and flavors all together too.
Ingredient Notes
You will want to start off with 1 bag Hurst 15 bean soup mix dry beans, 20 oz. This one is great because it has all the different varieties together in equal amounts for you. There are other brands out there too that would be a fine alternative.
Chicken broth or beef works well too for the necessary liquid.
What kind of beans are in 15 bean soup?
Navy beans, black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, small lima beans, large Lima Beans, kidney beans, small red beans, Great Northern beans, black eyed peas, lentils, split peas, barley, cranberry beans and some pink beans
Made with Ham
Adding meat is another add in, but optional of course but makes it more of a meal than a side dish. Ham works too after the holidays, I have done this many times with leftovers or ham hocks like with our Slow Cooker Ham and Beans, just so good but sliced kielbasa sausage like we did here is the easiest.
Made with Ham Hocks
If you don’t have leftovers and want to add meat with the least amount of work possible you can add slow cooker ham hocks in the middle of everything and let it go!
Best Vegetables to Add
As far as adding vegetables I like to add a lot but they need to be able to hold up cooked in broth for a while. Celery chopped is a give. Carrots peeled and diced work great (or use baby carrots), Onions are great, Bell pepper diced, we like green or red is great and I will use canned Diced tomatoes.
What else can you put in 15 bean soup?
You can easily make this spicy if you would like or leave it mild. You can change this up with the type of meat you add in, and seasonings. Cajun seasoning you can buy bottled and adjust to your liking. Frank’s Red Hot sauce is another option to add some heat, chili powder or red pepper flakes.
Do you need to soak beans before cooking in a slow cooker?
That depends. Soaking beans can significantly reduce the overall cooking time. This step also breaks down some of the complex sugars that can cause gas and bloating, tends to have a more uniform texture, and can remove some of the anti-nutrients like phytic acid, which can interfere with nutrient absorption.
How can you quick soak dry beans?
Soaking overnight allows them to swell and reduces bloating. If you don’t have time for this you can quick soak dry beans by boiling in water for 4 minutes, covering and allowing to sit in the pot for 1 hour instead of 8 hours overnight! You will get a similar outcome this way but faster!
How Long to Cook 15 Bean Soup in Crockpot
The cook time is an average of 8 hours, that is whether they have been soaked or un-soaked. The difference between the two is that if you skip this step it needs to be set to high vs. low if you do choose to soak dry beans overnight instead. If you would prefer using the soaked method (set in a bowl with 3x amount of water covering them overnight) use 1 cup less liquid and cook on low 8-10 hours.
Can you cook soup on high in Crockpot?
I wouldn’t recommend it as it doesn’t give as much time for the flavors to really meld together. It can be done for half the time or so though if desired. The low setting on a slow cooker typically heats food to around 190°F to 200°F. High setting on a slow cooker heats food to around 300°F to 350°F so it isn’t twice as hot and even if it was that doesn’t mean faster is better, quite the opposite.
Crockpot 15 Bean Soup Recipe
Equipment
- 1 slow cooker
Ingredients
- 1 bag 15 bean soup mix, dry beans, 20 oz.
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 large bell pepper, diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes, 14 oz.
- 1 lb. sausage, kielbasa sliced, or add diced ham
- 8 cup chicken broth
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp cajun seasoning, ONLY if you want it spicy
- 1 pinch salt, to taste
Instructions
- Sort through the beans, discarding any debris. Rinse under cold water and drain. Place the rinsed beans into the slow cooker. Add diced onion, garlic, chopped celery, diced carrots, diced bell pepper, canned tomatoes, sliced sausage, bay leaves, dried thyme, and oregano.
- Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth (1 cup less if beans were soaked overnight) until all the ingredients are submerged. Stir gently to combine.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high heat for 6 to 8 hours if not soaked, using the soaked method (set in a bowl with 3x amount of water covering them overnight) use 1 cup less liquid and cook on low 8-10 hours. Check the beans for tenderness; they should be soft but not mushy.
- Around 30 minutes before serving, taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed. Add salt, pepper, add any cajun seasoning, or hot sauce now if you would like it hot.
- Once the beans are tender and the flavors have melded together, remove the bay leaves. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve hot.
Notes
Slow Cooker 15 Bean Soup Soaked Cook Time
If you would prefer using the soaked method:- Rinse and set beans in a bowl with 3x amount of water covering them overnight.
- Follow recipe as stated except, use 1 cup less liquid.
- Cook on low 8-10 hours until as tender as you’d like.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Anything can be overcooked of course it can. If this happens you will notice that beans will break and become mushy. The outcome of this means that there is less texture, the beans are no longer whole and it will begin to thicken because of this. Still edible but not as pleasurable to the palate.
Calories in 15 Bean Soup
That depends on what you add other than the dried beans themselves. In our case I added sliced sausage, diced tomatoes, broth and some vegetables so there are a bit more calories but more protein as well. For a typical 4 ounce bowl you will likely have 450 calories or so, less if you don’t add meat into the mix. It is a low fat healthy meal overall.
The slow cooking process melded the flavors beautifully, resulting in a hearty and delicious meal that my whole family loved. I highly recommend giving this recipe a try for a cozy and nutritious dinner!
Beans soup is my favorite soup!! Thanks for these easy instructions to make it in crock pot!
Loved how filling this soup was and the flavors were great!