Slow Cooker White Bean Soup with Parmesan & Pearl Couscous

This Slow Cooker White Bean Soup with Parmesan and pearl couscous is cozy, comforting, and so easy to make. It’s got tender veggies, creamy beans, and a rich rosemary and pesto-infused broth. Best of all, it’s simple to toss in the Crockpot in the morning and enjoy with your family that night.

Cozy Crockpot White Bean Soup

Today I’m sharing a recent favorite slow cooker dinner: a delicious soup with Cannellini beans, Parmesan, and lots of pretty gems of pearl couscous. I love that this soup is cozy, flavorful, and has lots of protein, fiber, and veggies, yet still is a great meatless meal. My husband just likes the taste!

Let’s review the highlights. This soup is:

• Nourishing. Carrots and kale pack in the nutrients, while a rich broth infused with pesto and herbs envelopes the heart-healthy, fiber-packed beans.
• Quick, easy, and flexible. Toss the broth and the veggies in your slow cooker, then you can let them simmer all day. Ironically, meat can be tricky in the Crockpot, because it can overcook when left during a very long day at work, but these veggies are not prone to that issue. You’ll add the beans, kale, and couscous just prior to serving, so they maintain the perfect consistency.
• Delicious. Most importantly, this is irresistibly good! The broth has tons of flavor thanks to a mix of herbs, pesto, and pepper, while the couscous and beans contribute such an appealing blend of textures. I love that it makes me want to go back for a second bowl full of beans & veggies!

Serving Suggestions

Pair piping hot bowls of this soup with biscuits, crescent rolls, garlic bread, or crusty Dutch oven bread. For an easy extra side, I’ll often serve a simple Italian salad and plain apple slices or other fruit for the kids.

Ingredient Notes

Here are a few notes and shopping tips about the ingredients you’ll need. Find full amounts in the print-friendly recipe card below.

• Chicken broth, chicken stock, vegetable broth, or vegetable stock. This might be obvious, but remember this will be the base of your soup, so use the highest quality that you can. An economical way to get good quality broth is to either make your own or use Better Than Bouillon — one jar stretches a long way, and it’s available in both chicken and “no chicken” flavors.
• Whole carrots.
• Yellow onion. Substitute a sweet onion if you like.
• Basil pesto. Homemade or store-bought is fine.
• Rosemary. Fresh rosemary sprigs are ideal, but I’ve also made this with dried rosemary and thought it was great.
• Red pepper flakes. This doesn’t make the soup spicy at all, it just adds a layer of flavor.
• Kosher salt and black pepper.
• Cannellini beans. For this recipe, be sure to use canned beans, which you will drain and rinse before adding to the soup.
• Parmesan. Grated Parmesan is the perfect touch on top of bowls, and if at all possible, toss the rind of a Parmesan wedge into the slow cooker as the soup simmers all day. It seems like such a small thing but it absolutely adds flavor to the broth. Plus it feels very gourmet. 🙂
• Pearl couscous. Pearl couscous, also known as Israeli couscous, is a terrific addition to your pantry. It’s a great quick side dish on its own and so wonderful to toss into soup!
• Shredded kale. Not everyone likes the texture of kale in a soup, even when finely chopped and wilted; if that’s you, substitute with baby spinach or just leave it out.
• Fresh lemon juice. To add freshness at the end.

What is the difference between stock and broth?

Chicken stock, chicken broth, what’s the difference? You may use the terms interchangeably, but there is a distinction: while both are both flavorful bases made by simmering ingredients in water, the process of making a stock includes bones in the water, while broth is made with meat and/or vegetables only. 

What are cannellini beans?

A type of medium-sized white kidney beans, the Cannellini variety have a mild taste and creamy texture. They are a terrific hearty addition to plant-based meals, like this white bean tortellini soup or Tuscan white bean skillet. You can commonly find cannellini beans in supermarkets alongside other canned beans. They can also be substituted with navy or Great Northern Beans.

Is it safe to cook Cannellini beans in the Crockpot?

It is safe to prepare this and other recipes with canned Cannellini beans in the slow cooker, because the beans are fully cooked prior to canning.

It is not safe, however, to cook raw, dried Cannellinis — or other white or red beans — in the slow cooker. Why? These beans contain a protein called “phytohaemagglutinin” (PHA), more commonly known as kidney bean lectin. This lectin is a toxin, and slow cookers generally don’t reach a high enough temperature and hold it for long enough to kill it off. Consuming beans still laced with the substance can cause gastrointestinal distress.

Bottom line: stick with canned beans for this.

How To Make White Bean Soup in the Crockpot

So quick and easy, but the order in which you add things matters so that everything stays the proper consistency. Here’s an overview; exact times and temperatures in the print-friendly recipe card below.

1. Start the base. Toss broth, carrots, onion, pesto, and seasonings into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours; longer is OK.
2. Add beans. About 30 minutes before you want to eat, add the drained and rinsed beans to the Crockpot, then recover and continue cooking on low. This will allow the beans to get tender and warmed through but not cook to the point they are disintegrating.
3. Add couscous, kale, and lemon. About 10 minutes prior to serving, stir in the dried couscous, shredded kale, and lemon juice. Again, recover and leave the slow cooker on low.
4. Sample and adjust seasoning to taste. You should also test a couscous — it ought to be tender but not at all mushy. If it needs a couple extra minutes, that’s OK.

Storage & Reheating

Soup is one of the hardest things for us to get through, since the kids only eat very small portions, and it’s a little more difficult than, say, pasta or chicken, for my husband to pack up and take for lunch. So, when the entire batch of this disappeared from the fridge the first time I made it, I knew the recipe was a keeper.

• Store leftovers in recycled jars or reusable deli containers. It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• You can freeze this soup! I suggest using the deli containers linked above or a large Stasher bag to freeze, but be very sure to leave room at the top for the soup to expand when frozen. Defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat for best results.
• Reheat small portions of soup in a microwave-safe bowl covered loosely with a paper towel, stirring in between 45-second blasts of heat. Larger portions are easier to warm in a saucepan set over medium-high heat.

Related Recipes

Love a cozy soup? Try my Italian chickpea soup, creamy tomato tortellini soup, carrot red pepper, chicken and white bean soup, or classic chicken noodle soup with egg noodles next. Want a stovetop soup with pearl couscous? Try this creamy tomato meatball soup with the little pearls cooked right in.

My other slow cooker favorite? Creamy Crockpot chicken gnocchi soup. Tastes just like the Olive Garden in the comfort of home!

If you try this Slow Cooker White Bean Parmesan Soup, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.

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