I think we’re experiencing one of the last cold spells of the year here in Louisiana, so I wanted to make one last hearty, soul-warming soup. This Navy Bean Soup was incredibly easy, but boasts huge flavor and major filling power. In short, it’s AWESOME. With tons of flavor, fiber, and vegetables, this is definitely going to be one of my go-to winter soups from now on!
Rich Navy Bean Soup with Smoked Sausage and Spinach
No Bouillon Necessary
Lately I’ve been trying to ween myself off of my bouillon crutch. I usually use chicken bouillon (Better Than Bouillon brand) to add oomph to my soups and just make the whole process super easy and flavorful. What I’ve found recently, though, is that I really enjoy the subtly of broths made simply by the vegetables and herbs that I use in the soup. Plus, this way you can be in complete control over the sodium.
Do I Have to Use Smoked Sausage?
I used smoked sausage in this soup, but there are a couple of options if you don’t want to use sausage. You can substitute the sausage with bacon (about 6 ounces should do), or you can use a smoked ham hock. The ham hock doesn’t need to be sautéed, just add it in when with the beans, herbs, and water. If you want to do a vegetarian version, just add a little liquid smoke to give the broth that nice smokey depth. The vegetables and herbs should add all of the flavor that you need!
Can I Use a Different Type of Bean?
Navy beans are a good choice for this white bean soup because they break down as they cook and make the soup deliciously creamy. Another good white bean would be Great Northern Beans because they also tend to break down well during the cooking process. Cannellini beans, which are larger and tend to hold their shape, might not work as well. I’ve also made similar soups using black eyed peas (see Slow Simmered Black Eyed Peas and Greens).
Freeze The Leftovers
This recipe makes a huge batch, but it can be easily halved, or you can freeze half for later. If freezing your soup, make sure to divide it into single portions right after cooking (so it cools quickly), cool it completely in the refrigerator overnight, then transfer to the freezer the next day. And make sure to label and date the containers! :)
Navy Bean Soup with Smoked Sausage and Spinach
Servings 8Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 14 oz smoked sausage ($2.79)
- 1 medium onion ($0.36)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/2 lb carrots (about 3) ($0.50)
- 3 stalks celery ($0.60)
- 1 lb dry navy beans (2 cups) ($1.69)
- 1 whole bay leaf ($0.15)
- 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary ($0.03)
- to taste freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
- 8 cups water ($0.00)
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach ($0.50)
- 1/2 Tbsp salt ($0.07)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar ($0.02)
Instructions
- The night before, sort through the beans to remove any stones or debris. Place the beans in a bowl and cover them with cool water. Allow the beans to soak in the refrigerator over night.
- Slice the sausage in to medallions and add them to a large soup pot along with one tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the sausage over medium heat until it is nicely browned (about five minutes). Drain off the excess fat.
- While the sausage is browning, dice the onion, carrot, and celery into small pieces. Mince the garlic. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the soup pot after the sausage fat has been drained off. Saute for about five minutes more. The moisture released by the vegetables will dissolve any browned bits off of the bottom of the pot.
- Drain the soaked beans and give them a good rinse with fresh water. Add the rinsed beans to the pot along with the bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, some freshly cracked pepper, and 8 cups of water. Stir everything to combine. Turn the heat up to high and allow the soup to come up to a full boil.
- Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and allow the soup to gently boil for two hours, with the lid in place. You want the beans to go past the point of tenderness to the point where they are falling apart. Stir the pot occasionally.
- After gently boiling for a couple of hours, use a large wooden spoon to smash some of the beans against the side of the pot. This will help thicken the soup. Stir in the fresh spinach until wilted. Season the soup with salt. Start with just a 1/2 teaspoon at a time and add more until it is to your desired saltiness (I used 1/2 tablespoon total). Lastly, stir in the apple cider vinegar. Serve hot.
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Nutrition
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Navy Bean Soup – Step By Step Photos
The night before making the soup, add the beans to a large bowl and cover with 2x the amount of water. Allow them to soak in the refrigerator overnight.
The soup starts with these ingredients. They all come together with a few herbs to make a wonderfully flavorful broth without any bouillon. Oh yeah, start soaking the beans the night before.
Cut the sausage into medallions and brown it with a little bit of olive oil over medium heat. Pour off the excess fat.
While the sausage is browning, dice the onion, carrot, and celery into small pieces. This soup is totally veggie-licious, but I didn’t want it to be too chunky, so I cut all of them into small pieces. Mince the garlic. Add the vegetables to the pot with the sausage and saute for about five more minutes. The moisture will help dissolve all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pot (aka “flavor”).
Rinse and drain the soaked beans. Add the rinsed beans, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and some freshly cracked pepper to the pot.
Add 8 cups of water and stir until everything is combined. Turn the heat up to high and bring the pot up to a full boil. Having a lid in place will help it come to a boil faster.
Once it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and let it gently boil for two hours with the lid in place. This long boiling process will help the beans break down, but you’ll want to use your spoon to smoosh some of the beans against the wall of the pot. After you start doing that, the soup will really start to thicken up.
Stir in the fresh spinach until it’s wilted. Lastly, season the soup with salt and about a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Serve hot!
Yum! So hearty, so easy, SO delicious!
Can I use the slow cooker?
I haven’t tried this one in a slow cooker.
Love, love, love your blog. We have made several of your recipes and have been happy with every one of them. I don’t know if you have found a way to wean yourself off your bouillon crutch yet. If not, may I suggest the soup base from the Food in Jars website: http://foodinjars.com/2016/01/homemade-vegetable-soup-base/ . I made a batch and it has changed our soup / stew / gravy making life. I even costed it out, well for those living in rural British Columbia: https://hiproofbarn.wordpress.com/2017/02/20/canning-mastery-challenge-making-soup-base/
Keep up the good work – Oh, and did I tell you how much I love your blog?
Thank you! I still haven’t tried that version of bouillon substitute (I think someone else showed me that before), but I need to! I just really like the flavor and convenience of the BTB so I haven’t had much motivation to “quit” yet. Hahah :)
If you omitted the sausage, what would you add for more flavor? I am attempting to eat less meat and would like to turn this into a vegetarian dish.
Thanks!
I would add either liquid smoke or smoked paprika to make up for the smokiness, and increase the other herbs. Oh, and I’d add a little coconut oil or butter for richness.
I just made this soup for lunch, so good! I added cayenne pepper and topped it off with a little mozzarella, as a personal preference. Yum! Thanks for a great recipe!
My son came home from work and said, “what smells delicious? I want some”. I shared some with a sick co-worker, who then asked for the recipe so she could make a pot the next day. (FYI pint sized large-mouth canning jars make great containers to bring soup to work)
I used two big bunches of dinosaur kale instead of the spinach and cooked it a little longer to get the greens tender. The only other thing I’d change is to make a double batch next time.
Making this now! I’m so excited, it smells delicious! The only things I’ve changed were that I used Lima beans (because I thought I had navy beans in my pantry and was mistaken) and I’m letting it simmer in my crock pot since I have things to do and a baby to chase. I’ll let you know how it goes!
I love this recipe!!! I’ve made it a few times now and I’m making it again tonight :) It freezes great! I follow the recipe to a T, the only thing I add is a little dry mustard…seems to meld well with the beans and sausage (we use smoked turkey sausage that goes on sale regularly). Looking forward to trying the roasted balsamic vegetables with lemon parsley rice this week. Thanks!
Hope someone can answer this quickly… I just put this on to boil simmer for the required 2 hrs. Should this be
covered or uncovered? I also cut the whole recipe in 1/2 but other than that, followed it to the T. But definitely
need the answer to covered or UNcovered ASAP please.
I kept the lid on while simmering. I’ll add that to the directions.
Just in case you didn’t realize this, 1 pound of dry navy beans is anywhere from 2 1/4 to 2 1/3 cups of beans, not 2 exactly. The “16 oz = 2 cups” concept only applies to liquid measures — dry goods measures are different. It probably won’t matter in these soup recipes but the time could come when it matters to your budgeting :)
What is the purpose of apple cider vinegar? I made it without and am hesitent to add it next time I make it for fear of ruining the whole thing.
It just kind of adds a little zing and cuts through the heaviness of the soup. You can always try adding a drop or two to a bowl to see if you don’t like it. :)
Ohhh Myyy Goodness! This is so good!! Making it again by request by my husband. Will have to go into my regular meal planning. : )
Can’t wait to try this! How do leftovers freeze?
This soup freezes very well! :D
This soup is, seriously, the best. The entire house smelled amazing the entire time it was cooking and it tastes fantastic! This is definitely going in the regular rotation.
Making this for the first time today. I used a smidgen less olive oil and added a pat of butter to the pot at the end of the sausage cooking time to brown. I used turkey smoked sausage so I didn’t bother to drain the fat (it was minimal). I used a bunch of baby carrots and celery flakes instead of stalks – not a big fan of celery. I rough chopped the spinach to make it fit on a spoon better and easier to eat for my 3yr. old. Added 1/2c of cream instead of 3/4c. Pretty good meal for a nite when we got 5in. of snow.
Thank you for these amazing recipes! they’ve changed the way i’ve been eating and we’ve cut our grocery bill in half! this was a wonderful meal.
you are a star!