Slow Cooker Northern Bean and Spinach Soup - 3.2g Carbs, 16.2g Fiber, 4.2g Sugar
  
  From: SparkPeople User CHEF_MEG
  
  This hearty soup is perfect for when there is a chill in the air, and 
  you want dinner waiting for you as you walk in the door. 
  
  NOTE: You must soak the beans overnight.
  Prepare: 15 min 
  Cook: 480 min 
  Servings: 4
  
  1 cup dried Northern beans, rinsed and picked over
  2 carrots, peeled and chopped, (about 1 cup)
  1 medium onion, chopped, (about 1 cup)
  2 garlic cloves, sliced
  1/4 tsp black pepper
  Pinch tsp red pepper flakes
  1/2 tsp dried oregano
  1/4 tsp dried thyme
  4 cups homemade or low sodium chicken stock
  1 cup diced tomatoes, no salt added
  6 oz fresh spinach (about 2 cups packed)
  6 oz light kielbasa or smoked sausage, diced
  
  Place the dried beans in the slow cooker and add 1 quart water. Cover 
  and let soak overnight. (Do not turn on the slow cooker.)
  
  In the morning, drain and rinse the beans. 
  
  Return the beans to the slow cooker, along with the carrots, onion, 
  garlic, spices, and stock, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the 
  beans are tender.
  
  About 20 minutes before dinnertime, use an immersion blender to puree 
  half the soup. (Or transfer to a blender, and leave the cap off the 
  top but cover with a dishtowel to avoid splatters. This will allow 
  steam to escape as you puree the soup. Return the pureed soup to the 
  slow cooker.)
  
  Add the tomatoes, spinach, and sausage to the slow cooker. Replace 
  lid and cook on high for 20 minutes.
  
  Ladle two cups into each bowl. Serve with crusty whole-wheat bread 
  or place a scoop of mashed potatoes in the bottom of each bowl.
  
  Tips: 
  Soaking the beans overnight will ensure your beans are cooked and tender. 
  Some chefs add baking soda to the soaking water to tenderize the beans, 
  but I omitted it to save on sodium. Soaking and adding the tomatoes toward 
  the end of the cooking time will ensure tender beans. We used dried beans 
  because they have almost no sodium, to offset the higher sodium levels in 
  the meat.
  
  We just heard that smoked sausage with 1/3 less sodium will soon be on the
  market. Keep an eye out for that. 
  
  Be sure to read labels: Many of the lower-fat varieties, including turkey 
  smoke sausage, were higher in sodium! You can reduce the amount of sausage 
  if you're really keeping an eye on your sodium intake.
  
  Servings: 8 
  Serving Size: 2 cups 
  Nutrition per Serving: 
  216.5 Calories, 7.4g Total Fat, 2.5g Saturated Fat, 0.1g Polyunsaturated Fat, 
  0g Monounsaturated Fat, 26.2mg Cholesterol, 590.5mg Sodium, 410.4mg Potassium, 
  33.2g Total Carbs, 16.2g Dietary Fiber, 4.2g Sugars, 18.4g Protein 
  
  
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