Slow cooker Chicken Apple Sausage 13 Bean Soup is a savory mixture of healthy high-fiber beans and protein filled chicken sausage.

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Sure to warm fingers and toes on cold winter days, or just give you a sense of well being knowing you are fueling your body with healthy food, add Chicken Apple Sausage 13 Bean Soup to your recipes for healthy living in 2018! When setting healthy goals, we often gravitate towards eating more vegetables (which I have a couple veggie recipes headed your way very soon) which is great- but we can’t forget about all the great benefits of fiber-rich beans too :0)

This recipe for Chicken Apple Sausage 13 Bean Soup is a fun way to cook up Chicken Apple Sausage. It tastes great grilled and nestled in a bun, but I thought I’d throw it into a 13 bean soup mixture to try something new.  If you’ve purchased a bean soup mix with a flavoring packet, just chuck that packet into the trash. We’re going to build real flavor and cut sodium with this recipe for Chicken Apple Sausage 13 Bean Soup!

Shortly before my soup was ready, I realized I didn’t have a hunk of crusty bread to go along with it. So I whipped up a loaf of Quick Crusty Dinner Bread, ready in less than an hour, and it was the perfect accompaniment to my hot bowl of Chicken Apple Sausage 13 Bean Soup.

The baby spinach in this soup adds a fun texture element, additional nutrition and just plain makes it pretty :0)

Be sure to rate this recipe if you try it~ I want feedback from everybody! Do you have a goal to eat healthier this year? In what ways are you changing your food habits? Let me know!

Chicken Apple Sausage 13 Bean Soup

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• Author: Emily
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 8 hours
• Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 6-8 Servings 1x

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Description

This bean soup is a savory mixture of healthy high-fiber beans, protein filled chicken, and vitamin rich baby spinach. This recipe is where delicious and healthy come together for a win-win meal!

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Ingredients

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• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
• 8 ounces cooked chicken apple sausage, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 onion, minced
• 4–6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme roughly chopped or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 8 ounces (1 1/4 cups) dried 15-bean or 13-bean soup mix (just beans, discard any flavoring packets)
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups baby spinach

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Instructions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until most pieces become spotty brown. Place the sliced sausage into a slow cooker.
2. Return the pan to the burner and heat 2 more teaspoons of oil. Place minced onion in skillet and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom until onion becomes translucent and begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for just 30 seconds. Pour 1/2 cup water into the skillet and scrape up all the brown bits off the bottom. Pour the liquid-onion mixture into the slow cooker over the sausage.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, the remainder of the water, beans, bay leaves, thyme and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Give it a gentle stir and cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours.
4. Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the fresh spinach, and let the soup sit for about 5 minutes, then serve.

• Category: Dinner
• Cuisine: Amercian