White Bean Soup – Gluten Free & Vegan
This gluten free and vegan White Bean Soup is warm, creamy, and tastes wonderful! You can make it in your Instant Pot or slow cooker making it the perfect dinner option!
This gluten free and vegan slow cooker white bean soup was one of the first recipes I came across after figuring out I had a ton of food allergies.
I was so excited to try it out because I was really missing dairy at the time and this white bean soup looked really creamy without all that dairy that was making me sick.
The other thing I loved about this white bean soup recipe was that you didn’t have to pre-soak the beans. At the time I had just started soaking and cooking beans at home instead of buying canned.
It was a little overwhelming at first because everything was so new to me. So finding a recipe where I could just throw the dry beans in and let them cook all day in the soup was so convenient and exciting!
I was also really wanting to start incorporating more “meatless” meals into our lives so I was pleased to come across a “meatless” recipe with so much protein in it.
Not only is this recipe convenient because you don’t have to pre-soak the beans, but it was so easy to throw together.
Dry navy beans, broth, carrots, celery, and some Italian seasoning, its just so simple.
Let me tell you what though, this soups flavor is anything but simple! It’s so creamy, and soothing, and the Italian seasoning with the celery and carrot flavor is just outstanding.
Especially after sitting in the slow cooker all day. My whole house smelled amazing!
This was also the first time my daughter had tried soup. I was certain I would be making a second meal for her (backup grilled cheese anyone?).
She was very picky about her foods texture so I was sure she wouldn’t like the creamy texture of the soup.
She shocked us all that night as she ate that whole bowl of soup without skipping a beat. You know the recipe is a winner if your toddler eats it!
You can also make this white bean soup in the Instant Pot!
This saves me even more time! If I don’t have time to slow cook the soup, I can just put everything in my Instant Pot for 40 or so minutes and get the exact same flavor!
If you don’t already have an Instant Pot you have got to check it out! It’s a total game changer. Here is the one I have:
What are some of the recipes you first came across when trying to cook allergy friendly meals? It’s fun to think about all the recipes that have come along since this very first one.
I was so afraid I wasn’t going to be able to feed my family delicious meals anymore because of my food allergies.
Thanks to this white bean soup recipe, and so many other recipes since then, that is no longer a fear of mine.
I hope you all enjoy this slow cooker white bean soup as much as my family does!
♥ Don’t forget to rate this recipe and leave a comment below if you give this recipe a try! ♥
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Slow Cooker White Bean Soup – Gluten Free & Vegan
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 8 hrs
- Total Time: 8 hrs 15 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This gluten free and vegan White Bean Soup is warm, creamy, and tastes wonderful! You can make it in your Instant Pot or slow cooker making it the perfect dinner option!
Ingredients
- 1 cup carrots, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups dry navy beans*
- 1/2 tsp basil, dried
- 1/2 tsp rosemary, dried
- 1/2 tsp sage, dried
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to slow cooker or Instant Pot and stir.
- If cooking in a slow cooker, cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.*
- If cooking in an Instant Pot, add all ingredients to the pressure cooker, close the lid and make sure you are NOT venting. Select the Bean/Chili setting which should be pre-programmed to cook for 30 minutes, high pressure, and on the normal mode. Allow the Instant Pot to release naturally.*
- Mash beans with potato masher before serving to get a nice creamy consistency and enjoy!
Notes
Make sure you use navy beans and not cannellini beans. If using cannellini beans, you need to boil the beans on the stove for 10 minutes before adding to the slow cooker/Instant Pot.
All slow cookers behave a little differently. If you aren’t sure of how your slow cooker will cook dry beans, I recommend boiling the beans for 10 minutes before adding them to the slow cooker to make sure they are soft once the cook time is up.
For extra soft beans, I recommend bumping up the Instant Pot to “More” mode and setting the cook time to 40 minutes.
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This looks so yummy and healthy. I’m going to fix this tomorrow most likely or at least this weekend ?.
Thank you Nichole! It’s always a big hit with my family. I hope you enjoy it! ?
This was delish! I will be making it again soon!! Definitely use your Instant Pot.
I’m so glad you liked it! I LOVE my Instant Pot!
Wow, so — no pre-soaking the beans needed?
Nope! You just put the dry beans in the slow cooker or instant pot with all the other ingredients and you are good to go!
Sorry, are you saying that this only takes 30 minutes to cook in the instant pot? Natural release?
Hi Michelle! Yes, you can cook this recipe in your Instant Pot using the Bean/Chili setting which is 30 minutes at high pressure. Then allow for a natural release which is usually around 15-20 minutes. I hope this helps.
Wow! Looks so tasty! Where does one purchase those bowls?
Thank you so much! I’ve had them for a while so I’m not 100% sure but I think I got the bowls at Target. ?
What do you do if you don’t have a slow-cooker or Instant Pot?
Hi Anna, I’ve not tried making this on the stove, but I did a bit of research and it looks like you will need to use canned, already cooked beans if preparing on the stove. Add everything to a large pot and cook for 1 1/2 hours over medium low heat. I hope this helps!
I couldn’t find my slow cooker so i got out my Dutch oven and cooked it on low on the stove. I also couldn’t find navy beans. So i had to use northern beans. Or some small white bean. 4 hours later the beans are soft. I did not use canned.
Thanks so much for your reply Jess! I’m so glad this recipe worked out in your Dutch oven!
Does this soup freeze well?
Hi Margo,
This soup will freeze great! Just make sure the soup is all the way cool before sticking it in the freezer. Then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. ☺
I adore the way white beans can take on sooooo much flavor and the addition of sage makes it a winner for me all the way around!
★★★★★
Thank you! I agree, white beans take on flavor so well! ☺
What is the sodium content?
Hi Joyce, I recommend using 1 tsp of salt in this soup, but this can be changed to meet your tastes. If you use 1 tsp of salt and the soup makes 6 servings then the sodium content is around 387 mg per serving. I hope this helps!
SOOO good! I made it this afternoon in preparation for finals week… So easy and delicious!
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Good luck with finals! ☺
This soup is so good!! The house smells heavenly! Made mine in the instant pot. Thank yoy for the great recipe.
★★★★
You are very welcome, Karen! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it!
So easy in the crockpot! I did purée a few cups worth to make it creamier and thicker, followed the recipe 100%. Delicious on a cold night – I wish I had doubled it!
★★★★
We love having this soup on a cold night too! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
My daughter borrowed my crock pot, so wondering if I can cook it on the stove. Seems to me on low would be the same? Anyone tried this?
Hi Andrea, I recommend you use canned, already cooked beans if preparing on the stove. Add everything to a large pot and cook for 1 1/2 hours over medium low heat. I hope this helps!
I cooked my soup in a stainless steel stock pot.in a 300 degree oven for 5 hours. The dry navy beans softened nicely and the house smelled wonderful Thank you for the delicious recipe.
★★★★★
Hi Donna, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing your experience! 🙂
Can canned bean be used instead? I have canned on hand and would rather use them than going out and buying more. I’m planning on making in my instant pot.
Hi Kayla, canned beans will work just fine.
I made this over the weekend. The weather turned cool and cloudy. And the day was perfect for soup. I pulled out the slow cooker and put all the ingredients together. The house smelled beautiful all day. And by late afternoon , we sat down to soup and corn bread. What a great way to end the weekend. Love ❤️ this easy recipe. Thank you for sharing. 🙏
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe, Gail! Thank you for sharing! ☺
Hello! Would adding a breast or two of shredded chicken make this recipe too thick? Husband usually prefers to see meat somewhere but the allergen free part of this dish is great for a friend with restrictions.
Hi Ashley, adding chicken should be just fine. If it’s a little too thick you can always just add a bit more broth to the soup. I hope this helps!
So good! I added a little bit of potatoes and a little mixture of beans as well. I had fresh rosemary from my yard too! Definitely a keeper!
I’m so happy that you liked it, Sue. Thank you for sharing!
Can I use northern beans ?
Hi Liz, Northern beans should work just fine.
I went ahead and gave a 5 * even though I have not tasted. Have them in slow cooker right now and know they will be great. Thank you for this recipe/
★★★★★
I only have 4 cups of vege broth on hand. Can I just add water for the other 2 cups or is there any thing else that could be substituted? Thank you!!
Hi Janis, yes you can just use water for the other 2 cups. You may lose some of the flavor you get from the vegetable broth, but you can just add some extra seasonings to taste if needed.
Awesome zero point soup. I sometimes add lean ham for a couple points and delicious
★★★★★
Hi Donna, I’m so glad to hear you love this soup! Thank’s so much for sharing!
Would you be able to use a low oxalate bean with this recipe? Like pinto or fava?
Hi Shanna, you could definitely use any other kind of bean you prefer. It will probably change the flavor a bit depending on the type of bean you use, but I’m sure it would still be delicious.
Can you substitute chicken broth? I don’t like vegetable broth and I usually make all my soups with chicken broth.
That should work just fine.
Thank you for a wonderful meal idea. I made your soup for Christmas Eve dinner and it turned out soooo good.!! Thank you for the recipe. Merry Christmas
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Merry Christmas to you too!
Great soup! Thank you. I added smoked ham cubes and used Great Northern beans. Easy and so comforting on a cold evening.
★★★★★
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the soup, Shannon!
since I am not a vegetarian, can I add some thick pieces of ham to this recipe?
Sure you can. It shouldn’t affect the recipe much at all other than possibly adding some extra liquid to the soup if you are cooking the ham in the soup.