Navy Bean Soup Slow Cooker Style Recipe - Vegan in the Freezer (2024)

FAQs

Can navy bean soup be frozen? ›

Storing Leftovers

This navy bean soup recipe makes a big batch, so save the leftovers for lunch the next day or freeze for later. You can store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Or freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months.

Boil beans in fresh water for at least 30 minutes. Note: The toxin is destroyed when boiled at 212ºF for 10 minutes, but scientists recommend 30 minutes to be certain the beans reach the proper temperature for the amount of time necessary. Don't use a slow cooker. It likely won't get hot enough.

If you need it a little thicker, just blend up a more beans and broth until your desired consistency is reached. After the beans are cooked, take 1/3 of the soup and blend it to a puree, then stir it back into the soup. This will give it a creamy consistency.

The short answer to this question is no. You don't have to soak your dried beans overnight. We'll get to what you can do instead in a second, but first, a note about why we soak beans. Soaking beans in the refrigerator overnight will reduce the time they have to cook drastically.

To freeze navy bean soup, let the soup cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Turns out cooking dried red kidney beans and cannellini beans in your slow cooker can make you sick. Find out how to eliminate the toxin that can make you ill and how to safely prepare and cook these commonly used legumes.

The long cooking time means that those beans will definitely soften! However, I am a believer that soaking the beans removes some of the enzymes that causes intestinal discomfort, so I usually stick to the practice of soaking them overnight.

Cooking with hard water

If you pre-soaked your beans and still find that they are not softening, it may be because you are cooking them in hard water.

Sprinkle in some baking soda

As it turns out, baking soda significantly decreases the levels of raffinose, the gas-causing sugar present in beans. When should you add baking soda to beans? It works best with just a pinch (about 1/16 of a teaspoon) sprinkled into dried beans while they soak in water before cooking.

Can you use instant mashed potatoes to thicken bean soup? ›

Add plain instant mashed potatoes (which are essentially just dehydrated potatoes) to the finished soup recipe as a thickening agent. Simple? Yes.

Navy beans excel in hearty and prolonged cooking, while great northern beans shine in delicate and shorter cooking applications. However, both beans offer versatility and can be used interchangeably in various recipes, depending on personal preference and availability—many people with not notice the subtle differences.

But, then I learned something astonishing: You can actually skip soaking beans over night, and actually you should. Not only does it shorten the amount of time until you have ready-to-eat beans, it also produces a more flavorful end result.

The onion slices will have an impact on the seeds, altering the protein bonds that make them resistant to heat, and as a result, your beans will soften quickly, saving you time and cooking gas.

Fun Fact: Discarding the soaking water and rinsing beans can help make cooked beans more digestible. Some people choose to save the soaking liquid because some nutrients are leeched from the beans into the liquid during soaking. We prefer to drain our soaking liquid but you can decide what works best for you.

Great news for all those delicious dinner leftovers, you can also freeze cooked beans and recipes containing beans for up to six months. As long as you know what you're doing, that is!

Soups with a creamy consistency, like potato or chowders, might not taste good after freezing because it affects the texture and makes potatoes mushy. Rice, beans, and noodle soups might also taste different or become mushy. Typically, broth-based soups will freeze well.

She's a marketer and brand consultant, food writer, culinary teacher, and cookbook author. Reader Question: I've been making dried beans and using broth more for cooking lately. Can I freeze leftover beans and broth so they don't go bad? The quick answer is: yes, you can!

Cooked beans can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Separate cooked beans into 1 or 2 cup (250 or 500 ml) portions, pat dry, and lay flat in freezer bags or small containers.