It's wonderful to come home to this pork bean soup dinner simmering away in a slow cooker, especially on a busy weeknight. This soup uses dried beans and is simple to throw together in the morning before work. When you get home, just add a few more ingredients, and in half an hour dinner is ready! Do not put the tomatoes in for the first 8 hours of cooking, or the beans will not become soft. —Colleen Delawder, Herndon, Virginia

Hearty Pork Bean Soup

Hearty Pork Bean Soup
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
6 hours 15 min
Yield
12 servings (about 4 quarts)
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 ounces) dried great northern beans
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 pork tenderloin (1 pound)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced chives or 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 carton (32 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 bottle (12 ounces) extra pale ale
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
- 5 ounces fresh spinach
- 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
Directions
- Rinse and sort beans. Place in a large saucepan; add water to cover by 2 in. Let soak, covered, overnight. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.
- Return beans to saucepan; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil. Boil 15 minutes. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid.
- In a 6-qt. slow cooker, layer beans, onion, carrots, celery and pork. Add seasonings, broth and ale. Cook, covered, on low until beans and pork are tender, 6-8 hours.
- Remove pork; shred with 2 forks. Stir in tomatoes, spinach and salt. Return pork to slow cooker. Cook, covered, on low for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition Facts
1-1/3 cups: 207 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated fat), 21mg cholesterol, 695mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (5g sugars, 9g fiber), 18g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 lean meat.
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