secret recipe club: slow cooker beans & mushrooms

how's the weather where you live? our summer started hot and humid for about two weeks in may. then the rain came. and came. and came. and is still coming. sometimes it's obnoxiously hot and humid and other days, it's cool as a crisp fall day. it's really strange. so for this month's secret recipe club, instead of picking a fun and festive fourth of july recipe, i chose something more appropriate for fall apple picking or as a quick dinner before trick or treating.

and i'm really glad i chose this basic recipe from stephanie at sustainable cooking for one. when i came home from work, i wasn't expecting the beans to be so broken down and creamy. after a couple stirs i realized this is the perfect base for a soup. next time i'll add even more mushrooms, carrots, celery, spinach, and any other vegetables i have laying around. some cooked barley would be a great addition also. so even if the weather is hot and humid where you are, bookmark this one for fall, when soup is back on the brain and in heavy rotation.

for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website!
 
check out my previous secret recipe club posts: mojito chicken tacos, maple glazed whole wheat spiced apple pizza, pig out cookies, pasta with blistered tomatoes & arugula and iced grapefruit cookies, mushroom barley soup, scalloped ham and potato bake & andes mint cake, chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, asian pork chops, lemon lime meltaways, blueberry peach crisp, minted lemon ice, white chocolate macadamia nut blondies, raspberry cream filled eclairs, jam swirled cheesecake, whole wheat grapefruit cake, chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles, cannoli, gingerbread muffins, double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies, butterscotch peach cake, whole wheat honey pancakes, minted pineapple lime agua fresca, breakfast tacos, simple almond sandwich cookies, & roasted banana rum cake.

slow cooker beans & mushrooms
adapted from sustainable cooking for one
6+ hours, serves 3-4 as a main dish

if you love mushrooms as much as we do, feel free to add even more - mushrooms in my grocery store come in a pound and a half package and next time i will add the whole package. we had our beans with cornbread. 


1/2 pound dried cannellini beans
1 pound baby portobello mushrooms, cut into bite size pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
chopped cooked bacon, caramelized onions, and grated parmesan for serving (optional)

1. the night before you plan to eat, rinse the beans under cool water. soak the beans overnight (at least 6 hours) in four cups of clean water.
2. the next morning, drain the beans and rinse them. add the beans, mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, thyme, and 4 cups water to your slow cooker. cook on high for 6-10 hours.
3. stir the mixture and season well with salt and pepper. top servings with bacon, onions, and parmesan as you prefer.