Slow Cooker Smoky White Bean Summer Squash Soup With Optional Andouille Sausage Food

SLOW-COOKER WHITE BEAN PARMESAN SOUP

Steps:

• Put the soaked, drained beans in a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker, and season them generously with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan rinds and the wheat berries.
• Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, season generously with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the fennel. Continue to cook, stirring often, until the fennel is softened and the onion is lightly browned, about 5 more minutes. Add the celery and garlic, and cook, stirring, until just softened, about 1 minute. Add the fennel seeds and red pepper, and cook, stirring constantly, until combined and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rosemary and the wine and let the wine bubble until the pan is almost dry, about 2 minutes.
• Scrape the mixture from the skillet into the slow cooker. Add the stock, and season it: Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, if you are using low-sodium broth, or 1 teaspoon salt, if using homemade unsalted stock. (Do not add salt now if you are using fully salted broth.) Stir to combine, and cook on low until the wheat berries are tender and the beans are creamy, about 8 to 10 hours. (Taste the beans to make sure they are creamy; they can vary in their cooking time depending on their age.) The soup can hold well on warm for 1 to 2 additional hours.
• Before serving, remove and discard the rosemary sprigs. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice, and reserved fennel fronds. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve in bowls topped generously with grated Parmesan.

SLOW-COOKER SMOKED SAUSAGE AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix all ingredients except sausage and parsley.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours.
• Stir in sausage and parsley. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 30 minutes longer or until sausage is hot.

WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH ANDOUILLE AND COLLARDS

Steps:

• In a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker, combine the beans, sausage, onion, celery, and thyme. Add the broth and stir to combine.
• Cover and cook until the beans are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
• Twenty minutes before serving, discard the thyme stems, add the collard greens, cover, and cook until the greens are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. (If you are using frozen, you'll have to cook longer). Add the vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
• Drizzle with the olive oil and serve with bread sticks.

SLOW-COOKER WHITE-BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Place beans in a bowl; cover with 2 inches of water. Refrigerate, covered, overnight; drain and rinse. Cover with water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat; drain and rinse.
• Place beans, oil, leeks, garlic, pepper flakes, squash, sage, and rind in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Add 8 cups water. Cover and cook on low 6 hours. Remove and discard sage and rind; stir in lemon juice and spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Serve, drizzled with oil and topped with shredded cheese and pepper flakes.

SUMMER SQUASH AND SAUSAGE STEW

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; cook sausage slices until they begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onion, reduce heat to medium, and cook until onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and jalapeno pepper; stir to combine.
• Bring mixture to a simmer; gently stir squash and potatoes into mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low. Season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.
• Simmer stew, uncovered, until potatoes and squash are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Stir in Italian parsley. Adjust levels of salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if needed. Serve in bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

SLOW COOKER SMOKY WHITE BEAN & SUMMER SQUASH SOUP WITH OPTIONAL ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Add the beans, tomatoes, squash, potato, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a quick grind or two of black pepper (or a hefty pinch), water, and the Parmesan rind to the Crock Pot. Stir.
• Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours.
• Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
• Remove the Andouille sausage from the casing and brown in a medium saucepan. Using a spoon, remove grease from the pan.
• Add a little less than half of the soup - about 3 1/2 cups - to the saucepan with the sausage. Stir and, over medium heat, bring to a low boil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• Tear basil leaves over both batches and stir.
• Serve with additional basil leaves and shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.