Crock-pot white bean and spinach soup.

We had this crock-pot white bean and spinach soup for dinner last night and it was so good and easy, I had to share.

I altered the recipe a bit to suit my schedule for the day, cooking it longer, which is never a problem with bean soup if you ask me.  I did it in two parts.

While I was cooking dinner the night before:

• Sauteed 2 chopped yellow onions in olive oil till soft.  Added 3 sliced cloves garlic and a bay leaf and sauteed a little bit longer.
• Put onions, garlic, and bay leaf into small crock pot with 6 cups of water and 2 cups dried navy beans (unsoaked), plus a ham hock.  Turned on high and let cook till bedtime (about 3 h).
• Stuck in the fridge overnight.

In the morning:

• Took the crockpot out of the fridge.
• Added 2 tsp ground fennel, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp salt.
• Turned it on low and went away for the rest of the day.

When I got back home 15 minutes before dinner:

• Added about half a bunch of fresh, washed spinach leaves and let 'em wilt in there.

Then it went into the bowls with a drizzle of olive oil.  No blending or mashing of the beans, no correcting of spices.  It was great — the fennel and red pepper flakes gave it lots of flavor.  I served it with grated raw carrots dressed with lemon juice and salt, plus some sourdough toast.  

This one is a winner that may replace the classic "Senate bean soup" in my repertoire.  It was at least as easy.  I think you could have done it without the ham, if you were looking for a vegan version, simply by adding a little bit more garlic and salt, and maybe a dash of Worcestershire sauce to boost the umami a bit.   As it is, it's gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free.

I would probably have enjoyed twice as much spinach stirred in, but my children prefer their soup not quite so green, and so I kept the amount kind of low.