15 Bean Soup with Collard Greens & Smoked Turkey: The Slow Cooker Does All the Work

Soup season is here, and this is the one that eats like a Sunday dinner. Fifteen beans, collard greens, and a smoked turkey leg go into the slow cooker in the morning, and six hours later the turkey just falls apart. Twenty-two grams of protein a bowl, and it tastes like grandma's.

Why it works

The slow cooker does everything. The beans, turkey, and greens cover protein, fiber, and iron, and the lemon and tomatoes help your body take in the iron.

The recipe

Ingredients

• 1 (20-oz) pkg Hurst's HamBeens Cajun 15 Bean Soup (seasoning packet reserved)
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 large smoked turkey leg
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chopped collard greens, tough stems removed
• 1 (14.5-oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• Juice of 1 lemon

Steps

1. Prep: Rinse the beans and sort out any debris. Wash the collard greens thoroughly.
2. Load the slow cooker: beans, broth, turkey leg, onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and collard greens.
3. Cook low and slow: cover; HIGH 6+ hours or LOW 7–8 hours, until the beans are tender.
4. Shred the turkey: remove the leg, pull the meat from the bone, shred or chop it, discard skin and bones. Return the meat to the pot.
5. Finish: stir in the diced tomatoes, the Cajun seasoning packet, and the lemon juice. Cook 30–45 minutes more; salt & pepper to taste.

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Credit: Recipe by Hurst Beans — and see their video — and Hurst Beans' video

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— Dad