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bean & pea slow cooker soup

(11 ratings)
StillWild avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Donna Graffagnino
@StillWild
Bayou Country, LA

Also sometimes called Pantry or Cupboard Soup, this amazing, hearty Crock Pot dish can't get any easier. Make this to suit your taste by adding the ingredients you like, not just what I've listed here. Sometimes I just use the ham bone and ham chunks, and sometimes I add sausage, depending on the taste I want it to have. This is comfort food, loaded with protein at its best! I've used the dry 15 bean soup mix, but find that the flavors are not as deep and rich as when you use the canned beans and peas with all of their liquid. Of course, corn gives it that extra crunch and sweetness.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This bean and pea slow cooker soup is a thick and comforting soup made with a mixture of pantry staples and frozen veggies. We added smoked sausage at the end; it added a wonderful smoky flavor. This has a ton of flavor with a slight kick, and your whole family will love it. Even the pickiest of eaters will enjoy a bowl. Have this Crock Pot soup recipe handy when you have a busy day, and it's perfect when serving a crowd.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(11 ratings)
yield serving(s)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 8 Hr
method Slow Cooker Crock Pot

Ingredients For bean & pea slow cooker soup

  • 1 lb
    bacon, fried and crumbled
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp
    bacon grease
  • 1 lg
    onion, diced
  • 1/2 lg
    bell pepper, diced
  • 2 stick
    celery, diced
  • 1 lg
    carrot, diced
  • 1 Tbsp
    garlic, minced
  • 1- 2 can
    whole kernel corn with liquid
  • 1 1/2 c
    frozen cut green beans or 1 can Italian style green beans with liquid
  • 1 1/2 c
    frozen green peas or 1 can green peas with liquid
  • 1 can
    tomato paste (6 oz)
  • 2 Tbsp
    parsley flakes
  • 2 Tbsp
    chives, dried
  • 1 pinch
    thyme, dried
  • 1 Tbsp
    granulated onion
  • 1 Tbsp
    granulated garlic
  • 1-2
    bay leaves
  • 1 Tbsp
    Creole seasoning, Zatarains or Tony Chachere's
  • 6
    beef bouillon, cubes
  • 1 c
    beer (or beef broth)
  • 1
    ham bone (optional) or 1 lb ham chunks (in the South we use "pickle meat")
  • 1 lb
    Andouille or smoked sausage (optional)
  • black & red pepper, to taste
  • USE AT LEAST 4 OF THE BEANS & PEAS LISTED BELOW
  • 1 can
    dark or light red kidney beans with liquid
  • 1 can
    black-eyed or field peas with liquid
  • 1 can
    Great Northern or navy beans with liquid
  • 1 can
    black beans with liquid
  • 1 can
    chili beans with liquid

How To Make bean & pea slow cooker soup

  • Bacon, onion, peppers, carrot, celery, garlic, green beans, peas, and beans in a slow cooker.
    1
    Add to a slow cooker fried and crumbled bacon, bacon grease, onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery, garlic, frozen green beans, frozen peas, and your choice of 4 types of beans. If using canned green beans and peas do not add those until the last hour.
  • Tomato paste, beer, beef bouillon, seasoning, and ham added.
    2
    Add tomato paste, beef bouillon, a cup of beer, seasoning, and optional ham bone or ham chunks. If you feel like it needs more liquid, add 2-3 cups of water.
  • Soup cooking for 8 hours.
    3
    Cook on low for about 8 hours.
  • Browning slices of sausage.
    4
    In the meantime, if you're adding the sausage, cut it into 1/4" circles. Pan fry, stirring often, until they start to brown. Drain on paper towels.
  • Sausage added to the slow cooker.
    5
    About 1 hour before serving add the sausage, stir well, and heat through. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
  • Bean & Pea Slow Cooker Soup garnished and in a bowl.
    6
    Garnish soup with thinly sliced green onion tops or parsley. Serve with hot buttered cornbread. This freezes well.
  • Textures of the Bean & Pea Slow Cooker Soup.
    7
    *TIPS: To prepare the night before serving, fry the bacon and sausage, drain, and set aside. Pour bacon grease into a container and refrigerate. Leave the Crock Pot in the OFF position and dump all the ingredients into the Crock Pot EXCEPT the bacon grease and meats. Cover and let sit overnight. In the morning add the bacon grease and crumbled bacon, ham bone, and ham. Stir and set the unit on low for 8 hours. Before serving add the cooked sausage and heat through. *COOKS NOTES: PLEASE READ - My recipe takes it to the extreme and most Crock Pots will not hold all of these beans/peas. Use the ones you like or will fit in your Crock Pot. Corn and tomatoes, in my opinion, really make a difference but can be left out if you don't like them. The beer can be omitted - it will only alter the taste slightly but the beer does make a difference. This is not a low-sodium recipe but it doesn't have an excessive amount of sodium/per serving. The portion you eat will be no saltier or have more sodium than the same-sized portion of one of the canned peas/beans. There is no salt added to the ingredient list - add it if you need to. The fresh vegetables don't have sodium nor do the dried herbs so that cuts down on the total sodium. If sodium is a problem get as many low-sodium canned items as possible. If you must rinse off the creamy liquid from the peas and beans, you will lose some of the flavor but it's still good. If you use sausage, fry it off or boil it first to render the grease out. Make this your own! Drain the veggies that have a thin liquid like corn, green beans, and green peas if desired. I prefer the frozen peas because they hold up better in the recipe, but canned is fine. If you want to leave the bouillon out, do it!
  • 8
    To Pressure Can: Put hot soup into sterilized jars up to 1/2 inch from top. Seal and tighten the band just until you have resistance - DO NOT over-tighten the bands. Pressure cook according to the following directions: Dial Gauge Canner — Process at 11 pounds pressure - Pints 60 minutes and Quarts 75 minutes. Over 2000 ft above sea level times may differ. Weighted Gauge Canner — Process at 10 pounds pressure - Pints 60 minutes and Quarts 75 minutes. Over 1000 ft above sea level times may differ. FOOD MUST BE COOKED BEFORE PROCESSING IN PRESSURE CANNER. DO NOT USE THE WATER BATH METHOD ~ I don't want anyone to get sick! Note: cooked seafood can also be added but the processing time must be increased to 100 minutes for pints and quarts.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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