From the roundup: 22 High Protein Slow Cooker Meals That Actually Fill You Up
Ground chicken works just as well as turkey in this crockpot turkey and white bean stew, and I have made it both ways depending on what is in my freezer. Either way, brown the meat first in a skillet before it goes into the slow cooker, because I skipped that step once and ended up with pale, rubbery crumbles floating in thin broth. I get everything into the insert before school drop-off, set it on low, and spinach goes in during the last twenty minutes so it wilts down without turning dark and muddy. For a family of seven, this stew stretches well, and the leftovers thicken overnight in the fridge into something closer to a hearty soup you will actually want for lunch.
Why you will love this
- Hands-off cooking: 20 minutes of prep and the slow cooker does the rest for 5 to 6 hours on low.
- The beans thicken the broth naturally when you mash a few against the side halfway through, no thickener needed.
- High protein from both the ground turkey and the cannellini beans, without the heaviness of a red meat stew.
- Leftovers taste better on day two once the seasoning has had time to settle into the broth.
- One pot to clean after dinner, plus the skillet you used to brown the turkey.
Tips for success
- Drain the skillet after browning the turkey. Ground turkey releases more liquid than beef, and skipping this step is the main reason the stew ends up thin.
- Mash a small portion of the beans against the side of the insert about halfway through cook time. This is what gives the broth its body without any added starch.
- Do not let the garlic brown in the skillet. Thirty seconds over medium-high with the onion is enough. Burnt garlic turns bitter and you will taste it in every bowl.
- Add spinach in the last 20 minutes only. It wilts fast, and anything longer than that pushes it from bright green to dull and soft.
If the stew turns out watery or bland
- Watery broth usually means the turkey was not drained after browning. Stir in a spoonful of tomato paste and cook uncovered on high for the last 20 minutes to reduce it.
- Bland stew is almost always a salt issue. Taste before serving and add kosher salt a little at a time. The Parmesan on top also helps pull the flavors together.
- If the beans did not thicken the broth, mash more of them at the end with the back of a spoon. Two minutes of stirring makes a noticeable difference.
- Too thick after refrigerating overnight: add a splash of low-sodium chicken broth when reheating and stir over medium heat until it loosens up.
Substitutions
Ground chicken works in place of ground turkey with no changes to timing or amounts. For the beans, navy beans or Great Northern beans are a direct swap for cannellini. If you only have regular diced tomatoes, they work fine, but fire-roasted adds a little more depth to the broth.
Frozen chopped spinach can replace fresh. Squeeze it as dry as you can before stirring it in, and add it in the last 20 minutes the same way. Kale is another option, but give it a full 30 minutes since it takes longer to soften. For anyone skipping dairy, just leave off the Parmesan or stir in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast instead.
Make-ahead and storage
To make mornings easier, brown the turkey and onion the night before, drain it, and store it covered in the fridge. In the morning you just dump everything into the slow cooker and turn it on. Store cooled stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The beans absorb liquid as it sits, so add a splash of chicken broth when reheating on the stovetop over medium heat.
This stew freezes well for up to 3 months. Portion it into freezer containers before the spinach gets a chance to go soggy, or accept that the spinach will be softer after thawing (it still tastes fine). Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly on the stovetop rather than blasting it in the microwave, which can make the beans mushy.
Crockpot Turkey and White Bean Stew
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it softens and starts to turn translucent around the edges. Add the minced garlic and stir for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Do not let the garlic brown or it will turn bitter.
- Add the ground turkey to the skillet. Break it apart with a wooden spoon into small, crumbled pieces as it cooks. You want it cooked through with no pink remaining, which takes about 6 to 7 minutes over medium-high heat. Drain any excess liquid from the skillet so the stew does not end up watery.
- Transfer the cooked turkey and onion mixture to your slow cooker. Add the drained cannellini beans, the full can of diced tomatoes with their liquid, and the chicken broth. Stir in the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes if using, salt, and black pepper. Give everything a good stir so the seasoning is evenly distributed.
- Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. About halfway through, use the back of a spoon to gently mash a small portion of the beans against the side of the insert. This releases their starch and thickens the broth without any cornstarch or flour needed.
- In the last 20 minutes of cooking, lift the lid and stir in the fresh baby spinach. It will look like a lot but it wilts down quickly. Replace the lid and let it finish. The spinach should be fully wilted but still bright green when you serve it. If it has gone dark and drab, it went in too early or cooked too long.
- Taste the stew and adjust salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan if you like. Serve with crusty bread, a side salad, or just on its own. For meal prep, let the stew cool completely before dividing into containers.
Notes
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