Snow in March and Slow-cooker Sweet Potato and Bean Soup

Well, it is March and I am dreaming of Spring, but alas... we are expecting our biggest snowfall of the year today! Fortunately, the snow doesn't seem to be sticking very much, but it is still cold and wet outside, so I am feeling like soup. Usually I reserve the crockpot for when I am going to be in meetings all day and coming home late, but I thought it would be perfect to use today as I try to get a bunch of work done. Plus, I've been crockpot crazy this winter and have used it more than ever before in order to have dinners waiting for me when I get home.

I started by sautéing onions, peppers, and garlic. It's not necessary to sauté before putting everything in the crockpot, but I like the extra caramelized flavor and I have time to do it today, so I caramelized before adding everything into the pot. To the veggies, I added tomatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, ginger, and some seasonings. I set the crockpot to low and waited for the finished product a few hours later.

I decided to add some kale close to the end because 1) I love kale and 2) why not add a little green to this colorful soup?

Slow-cooker Sweet Potato, Kale and Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 small red pepper, diced

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 cans of beans of your choice, drained and rinsed (I used red kidney and white kidney beans)

1 can of diced tomatoes

3 cups of veggie broth
2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups kale, chopped

Directions

1. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper to a skillet and saute for about 15 minutes or until slightly brown and wilted. Add a tablespoon of water at a time when the veggies start to stick. Once done, add to crockpot.
2. Add all remaining ingredients into the crockpot, except for kale.
3. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Add kale into the pot for the last hour of cooking.
4. Serve and enjoy!