A hearty slow cooker soup packed with kidney beans, fresh vegetables, and Cajun spices. Dump everything in before work, come home to dinner ready. Perfect with crusty bread or cornbread on the side.
Why This Recipe Works
Takes 10 minutes to throw together, then the slow cooker does all the work. Uses basic vegetables you probably have right now. The Cajun seasoning adds just enough heat without being too spicy. Everything cooks down into a rich, thick soup that tastes even better the next day.
What You Need
- Large onion: 1 whole, diced into ½-inch pieces
- Carrots: 3 medium, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks
- Celery: 3 stalks, sliced ¼-inch thick
- Red potatoes: 4 medium, cut into 1-inch cubes, skin on
- Chickpeas: 1 (15 oz) can, drained and rinsed
- Kidney beans: 2 (15 oz) cans, drained and rinsed
- Crushed tomatoes: 1 (28 oz) can
- Vegetable broth: 4 cups, low sodium
- Cajun seasoning: 1 tablespoon, or more to taste
- Bay leaf: 1 large
- Baby spinach: 2 cups packed, added at end
- Butter: 2 tablespoons
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Prep vegetables (10 minutes)
- Dice onion into ½-inch pieces - don't go smaller or they'll disappear. Cut carrots and celery slightly bigger, about ¾-inch. Cube potatoes into 1-inch pieces, leaving skin on for better texture. Drain and rinse beans in colander until water runs clear
- Load the slow cooker (5 minutes)
- Use 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Layer in this order: onions, carrots, celery, potatoes at bottom. Add drained beans next. Pour in crushed tomatoes and broth. Add Cajun seasoning and bay leaf. Stir once to combine
- Set cooking time
- Cover with lid. Set to LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Don't lift lid while cooking - each peek adds 20 minutes to cook time. Check potato tenderness at end with fork
- Finish the soup (5 minutes)
- Remove bay leaf. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter until melted. Add spinach by handfuls, stirring until wilted. Taste and add more Cajun seasoning if needed - start with ¼ teaspoon
- Serve and store
- Ladle hot into bowls. Cool leftovers 30 minutes before refrigerating. Keeps 4 days in fridge, 3 months in freezer. Reheat in microwave or stovetop until steaming
About The Spices
Cajun seasoning makes this soup special - provides salt, pepper, garlic, and heat all in one. Start with 1 tablespoon, add more at end. If too spicy, add another cup of broth. If not spicy enough, add up to 1 more tablespoon seasoning. Remove bay leaf before serving - it's just for flavor, not eating.
Making It Your Own
Switch up vegetables based on what you have. Sweet potatoes instead of regular - cut cooking time by 1 hour. Add corn or green beans in last hour. Replace spinach with kale - add 30 minutes earlier. Double beans for more protein. Use chicken broth instead of vegetable if not keeping vegetarian. Add leftover rotisserie chicken in last hour.
Tips For Best Results
Cut vegetables same size for even cooking. Don't pre-cook anything - defeats purpose of slow cooker. Keep lid closed until end. Fill slow cooker no more than ¾ full. Add salt at end - Cajun seasoning already contains salt. If soup too thick, add hot broth ½ cup at a time. Too thin? Leave lid off last 30 minutes.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Hard potatoes? Cut smaller next time or cook longer. Beans too mushy? Add in last 2 hours instead. Seasoning too strong? Add potato chunks to absorb excess. Not enough flavor? Add extra bay leaf next time. Vegetables overcooked? Cut larger pieces in future. Soup too thick after refrigeration? Add ¼ cup hot broth when reheating.
Storage And Reheating
Cool soup completely before storing - about 2 hours. Portion into containers for easy reheating. Keeps 4 days in refrigerator, 3 months in freezer. Thaw frozen soup overnight in fridge. Reheat on stovetop over medium heat 10 minutes or microwave 2-3 minutes per serving, stirring halfway. Add fresh spinach when reheating for better color.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use other beans?
Sure - black beans work, so do white ones. Use what you've got in the pantry.
- What if I don't have Cajun spices?
Any spices work really. Italian herbs are good, or just salt and pepper if that's all you have.
- How do I make it vegan?
Just use oil instead of butter. That's all you need to change.
- How long's it good for?
Keeps about 5 days in the fridge. I make it Sunday for lunches all week.
- Can I add meat?
Yeah - leftover chicken or turkey's good. Put it in near the end so it doesn't get tough.
Some more ideas
If you like this, try my minestrone - uses the same beans but with potatoes and greens. The chickpea spinach stew's good too when you want something different.