Photo of Smoky Slow Cooker Beans & Greens by WW

Smoky Slow Cooker Beans & Greens

1
Points® value
Total Time
4 hr 35 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
4 hr 20 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy
In the South, this dish is referred to as “soup beans”: pinto beans cooked till creamy, often with the addition of greens and pork, in a soupy broth (without being actual soup). The slow cooker makes the hearty dish incredibly easy to make because you don’t even need to remember to soak the beans. They go into the cooker dry and, over the long cook time, simmer to tender perfection. If you have leftovers, lucky you; the beans get even better with time. Serve with hot sauce for a little kick, if you’d like.

Ingredients

Water

6 cup(s)

Dried pinto beans

1 pound(s), unsoaked

Cooked Canadian bacon

6 oz, chopped

Uncooked onion

1 medium, chopped

Garlic

4 clove(s), smashed with the side of a knife

Dried oregano

1 tsp

Bay leaf

3 leaf/leaves

Kale

8 cup(s), stemmed and torn (from a 12-oz bunch)

Kosher salt

1 tsp

Black pepper

1 tsp

Instructions

  1. In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, stir together water, pinto beans, Canadian bacon, onion, garlic, oregano, and bay leaves. Cover and cook until beans are tender, about 4 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low.
  2. Stir in kale, salt, and pepper. Add ½ to 1 cup water if the mixture is too thick. Cover and cook on High until kale wilts, about 20 minutes. Discard bay leaves before serving.
  3. Serving size: 1⅓ cups