I had a bag of dried northern beans and wanted to use them up so I began my recipe search and found
this recipe. I used it as a basis for this soup and it was so good! We will make this over and over again, it's easy to put together in the crockpot and is nice to have dinner prep all ready well before the dinner rush. This recipe is a great way to use up an inexpensive, more tough cut of beef such as a chuck steak or London broil because slow cooking will make it fall apart.
It is finally crisp in Phoenix, so this is a great recipe to try now!
Beef & Bean Stew (Slow Cooker)
1 lb dried northern beans (canellini beans)
12 oz. lean beef, cut into 1'' cubes
salt, pepper & 1 tsp. smoked paprika to season the beef
8 oz. bulk Italian sausage (I used fresh chicken sausage)
3 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 medium onions, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
6 cups water
4 tsp. instant beef granules or 4 beef boulion cubes
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1/2 c. dry red wine (merlot, cabernet, etc.)
1/3 c. tomato paste
fresh parsley, chopped for serving
Soak the beans overnight. Drain and rinse them and add to a crockpot. Heat a skillet & 1 Tb. olive oil over medium heat, season the beef well with salt, pepper and paprika. Brown beef on all sides and add to the crockpot. (It isn't necessary to cook the beef completely.) Add the sausage to the skillet and cook completely, adding to the crockpot when finished. Add all other ingredients to the crockpot and stir well. Cook on low all day or high 4-6 hours. Stir occasionally throughout the day. Taste and adjust salt & pepper. Sprinkle individual bowls with fresh parsley & serve with crusty French bread.
