Description
This Slow-Cooker Vegetable Soup is a hearty, comforting dish packed with baby Yukon Gold potatoes, dried navy beans, fresh kale, and savory bacon. Perfect for an easy, hands-off meal, it combines fresh vegetables, aromatic herbs, and a splash of lemon juice for brightness, all cooked slowly to develop rich flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 4 thick-cut bacon slices, cut into 1/2-in. 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-in.-thick parsnip slices (from 2 medium parsnips)
- 3/4 cup 1/4-in.-thick celery slices (from 2 stalks)
- 3 cups chopped curly kale (from 1 bunch)
- 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (from 3 garlic cloves)
Beans
- 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 thick-cut bacon in the microwave according to package directions until it is crisp. Once cooked, crumble the bacon into small pieces and set aside.
- Add vegetables and beans to slow cooker: Place the halved Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped yellow onion, carrot slices, dried navy beans, parsnip slices, celery slices, chicken broth, minced garlic, black pepper, kosher salt, and the crumbled bacon into a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Mix gently to combine.
- Cook soup: Cover the slow cooker and cook the mixture on LOW heat for 5 1/2 to 6 hours, or until the potatoes and beans are tender and cooked through.
- Add kale and lemon juice: Uncover the slow cooker, stir in the chopped curly kale, and cook uncovered for approximately 2 minutes until the kale has wilted and become tender. Stir in the fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavors.
- Garnish and serve: Ladle the hot soup into serving bowls and garnish each bowl with a sprinkle of black pepper and fresh thyme leaves. Serve warm and enjoy your hearty slow-cooker vegetable soup.
Notes
- Using a slow cooker allows the flavors to develop deeply and gives beans plenty of time to soften.
- Pre-cooked or canned beans can be used to reduce cooking time.
- Adjust seasoning at the end based on taste—additional salt or pepper can enhance the flavor.
- For a vegetarian version, omit bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- If preferred, cook bacon in a skillet on stovetop for extra crispness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
