April 20, 2017
(last updated January 3, 2025) 
These slow cooker white beans are cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce with garlic, herbs, and more. Nourishing and comforting, this recipe works wonderfully with cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, or navy beans. Delicious served over toast, grains, greens, or pasta!
The only thing better than a well-seasoned and versatile batch of beans is the batch that comes together effortlessly in a slow cooker!
These vegan slow cooker white beans in tomato sauce are just that. They transform a few cans of nutritious white beans into a saucy, boldly seasoned, versatile plant protein.
And, like most of my vegan slow cooker recipes, they require minimal hands-on cooking effort.
This is a recipe with a generous yield and so much potential: you can add the white beans and tomatoes to a pasta dish, serve them over your favorite toasted bread, or pile them atop your favorite cooked grain.
It all begins with one of my favorite plant-based ingredients.
Creamy and comforting: a few words about my love of white beans
If you cook regularly with beans, then you’re probably used to reading about the endless versatility of canned chickpea recipes.
I can’t tell you how many recipe roundups I’ve saved that tell me what to do with the can of chickpeas that’s sitting in my pantry.
But what about white beans?
Don’t get me wrong, I love chickpeas just as much as the next person. But I have a special fondness for white beans, a category of legume that includes great northern, cannellini, navy, and butter beans.
Like most beans, white beans are highly nutritious. You can count on them as a source of protein, iron, folate, and dietary fiber; they also contain electrolytes, including potassium and magnesium.
Most of all, I love these beans for their wonderful, buttery texture.
I like to blend them up, resulting in a wonderful roasted garlic white bean dip. I use them to make an easy beans and greens pasta, the definition of healthful comfort food.
When white greens and beans aren’t getting folded into pasta, they can be piled onto toast. I especially like adding miso to butter beans and greens, then serving the dish over sourdough or peasant bread.
Canned or cooked from scratch?
A lot of folks prefer to cook all of their beans from scratch. This means soaking dry beans and then boiling them till tender, or using an equivalent process with an InstantPot or pressure cooker.
I do sometimes enjoy the satisfaction of cooking a whole pound of beans from scratch. One example is my homemade brothy white beans, much beloved in my home.
Most of the time, though, I use canned beans. I love their convenience, the fact that I can reach for them spontaneously, and it’s easy to find options that don’t have too much added sodium, if that’s of concern.
Originally, I prepared the cannellini beans and tomatoes that I’m sharing here with dry beans.
What I found is that dry beans behaved unpredictably in the recipe. Sometimes they cooked quickly and well; other times, they took forever, maybe because the beans were older. Reader comments affirmed this variability.
As a result, I’ve updated the recipe to use canned beans, and it makes a world of difference. Now the slow cooker white beans have consistently good results. And since the beans are already cooked before they go into the appliance, they only become more tender and flavorful with time.
Can I use any type of white bean?
Yes, you can! I’ve made the slow cooker white beans with cannellini, great northern, navy, and butter beans.
From a texture perspective, I like the recipe best with cannellini or great northern beans, but you should feel free to use what you prefer and have at home.
How to make slow cooker with beans in tomato sauce
I love how simple this recipe is! You don’t even need to sauté your onion before adding it. Crock pot white beans are as close to a “set it and forget it” meal as they come.
Step 1: Fill your slow cooker
To your (6 or 7 quart / 5.7 or 6.7L) slow cooker, you’ll add:
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cannellini, Great Northerm, or navy beans
- Crushed tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Water
- Salt & pepper
- Herbs
- A touch of brown sugar (this sweetness offsets the acidity of tomatoes; it’s optional)
This tomato sauce is similar to my 20-minute marinara sauce, only adjusted for a different preparation style.
Step 2: Get (slow) cooking!
Most slow cookers can cook on either a high or a low setting. You can choose between these settings based on the amount of time that you have.
I use the low setting for 8-10 hours when I want to slow cooker overnight, and the high setting for 4-6 hours when I’m using my machine during the day.
Either setting can work for this recipe. In either case, however, you’ll start the process with a covered slow cooker, then uncover it for the final stretch of cooking time.
Step 3: Season, garnish, and serve
Once the beans have cooked long enough, you can remove the bay leaf that cooks with them and give them a taste.
Adjust salt, pepper, sugar, and even olive oil to your liking at this point.
Note that I add whole garlic cloves to the tomato sauce here. Because the garlic cooks with a moderate temperature for a long time, it’s fine to add whole cloves.
By the time the beans are finished, the garlic should be practically melting into the beans and so very sweet. You can leave them whole.
If you serve the beans over toast, which I usually do, and you see a clove on your slice of bread, you can smash it a bit. It’ll be instant, irresistable tomato garlic bread.
It’s fine to keep your garnishes and accompaniments simple. I like to top the beans with a little extra fresh thyme, a drizzle of good olive oil, homemade vegan “parmesan” cheese, or toasted pine nuts.
A Grain, a Green, a Bean
A simple trinity of plant-based foods—grains, greens, and beans—will set you up to create an array of beautifully balanced and complete meals. Bring the beans and grains in your pantry to life with more than 80 wholesome recipes and a world of possibilities!
Most of the time my tomato white beans go over bread, a whole grain, or a bowl of freshly cooked pasta. I like to serve any of these options with a simple side salad or steamed broccolini.
For something a little more elaborate, the dish is also really good along with a bowl of broccoli Caesar or (for double the legumes!) my white bean kale Caesar salad.
What if I don’t have a slow cooker?
No problem. Even without a slow cooker, this is a pretty easy recipe to prepare. I’ve included instructions for using the stovetop and a large pot in the recipe card.
Storage and freezing
I’ve got a seven quart slow cooker, which works best for sizable batches, but you could can cut the recipe in half if you’ve got a smaller slow cooker.
In either case, you can freeze some of the beans for up to eight weeks, defrosting in the fridge overnight before serving.
The rest of your batch can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
Slow Cooker Tomato White Beans
Author –Yields: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 1/2 cups cannellini, Great Northern, or navy beans (720g, or 3 15-ounce/425g cans, drained and rinsed)
- 3 cups crushed tomatoes (1 28-ounce/800g can crushed tomatoes)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste (60g)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons cane or brown sugar (optional, to balance the tomatoes' acidity)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Optional toppings: cashew parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, fresh thyme leaves, chopped fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except for the black pepper in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, or until the onion is sweet and tender and the garlic cloves are meltingly tender. Cook the mixture uncovered for the last 30 minutes of cooking time, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the herb sprigs and bay leaves. Taste the beans and add freshly ground pepper and additional salt as desired.
- Serve over toast, cooked whole grains, steamed or sautéed greens, or pasta. Some vegan cashew parmesan cheese, a little olive oil, toasted pine nuts, or fresh thyme leaves are very nice on top!
- The white beans will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days and can be frozen for up to 8 weeks.
Notes
For a stovetop version, heat the two tablespoons oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 7-10 minutes, stirring often, or until the onion is translucent and tender.
Add all remaining ingredients except for black pepper to the pot. Cover the pot and bring the beans to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring a few times. Uncover the beans and continue to cook for 15 minutes, uncovered.
Remove the herb sprigs and bay leave. Taste the beans and add freshly ground black pepper to taste, along with any additional salt that you like. Serve over toast, cooked whole grains, steamed or sautéed greens, or pasta, with any toppings you like.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. They can be frozen for up to 8 weeks.
These beans are just so good: garlicky, creamy, and packed with rich tomato flavor and umami.
I hope that you’ll love them as much as I do!
xo
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Categories: Recipes,
Side Dishes,
Vegan Basics
Method: Slow Cooker
Ingredients: White beans
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, No Oil, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
Method: Slow Cooker
Ingredients: White beans
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, No Oil, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegan
Recipe Features: Meal Prep
Leave a Comment
This sounds so delicious. I have it in the slow cooker – nearly 8 hours so far and beans are still hard unfortunately!
Are you using dried or canned beans?
The recipe calls for dried ๐
I made this last night and adapted for the Instant Pot. Incredible! Changes I made:
1. Sliced / chopped the onion and garlic.
2. Added 4 cups of vegetable broth instead of 3 cups of water.
3. Omitted the salt as my broth was salty.
4. Cooked on high pressure for 23 minutes (using dried navy beans).
Served with salad and fresh toasted bread. My family devoured it! Thank you, this will become a regular in our house!
To clarify, my beans were NOT soaked overnight!
I love hearing about your modifications, Jacquelyn, and I’m so glad that your family enjoyed it!
I like your dish. It looks healthy and nutrient meal. Tomato, beans and slow cooking are what I like.
I made this for my kids today, they are 1 year and 4 years. They absolutely loved it โก
If I was to cook this in a Dutch oven instead, what would be the cooking time? Thanks!
So long as you soak the beans overnight prior to cooking, I’d say 75-90 minutes (and check by tasting the beans, starting at 75 minutes).
This sounds delicious! I was wondering if you measure the beans dry or after cooking? So if I was to use canned beans, would I use 2 1/4 cups of beans or is it 2 1/4 beans dry? TIA.
Hi Cassie! It’s 1 lb (2.25 cups) dry.
These were tasty but I ended up throwing them out. No amount of cooking would fully soften the beans.
My Mum’s bringing her slow cooker over to my place next week. Can’t wait to try this!
I thought these would be good for my lunches this week but it didn’t work out. They don’t taste great cold! I also had to cook my beans for 10 minutes in a pressure cooker to finished them. They were pretty tough, maybe they were old?
All that being said, I used them as a pizza topping last night and that went really well. Probably I’ll have them as a hot breakfast on toast from now on instead of trying to eat them as a cold side.
I have this new-found appreciation for beans and I just can’t get enough of them.
The convenience of this recipe makes is amazing. I know it will make an appearance in our menu this week.
Thanks for sharing my friend.
We love our slow cooker, in fact we’ve broken two in the past from over-using it! This sounds like a great, rustic, heart warmer! Thanks, Rich.
I think cooking beans is one of the best uses for a slow cooker. Did I not know you were Greek, too? My mother is 100% Greek. These looks so good, Gena!
I wish I had a slow cooker, these look delicious! I know one of my aunts does so I’ll very politely ask if I can borrow it for a day. Maybe if I ask nicely enough she’ll just make this for me? Not having to chop any veggies is a true slow cooker meal – I’m always a little grumpy about chopping and browning when the whole point is a lazy meal.
Thank you so much for this. I have been looking for a recipe for healthy baked beans for ages. I like to use butter beans, as they have such a lovely fudgey texture, but find it hard to keep them whole as they always seem to disintegrate. Yum. It’s cold and rainy in the UK. This is definitely going in the weekly menu plan as seasonal comfort food.
Oh! This looks so good! I love beans. And tomatoes. And garlic!
Beans on toast! Brilliant. All home cooked. So, so yummy. The other great thing about a slow cooker is it doesn’t heat up the kitchen or house. Now that I’m back in the South, that is a welcome aspect. Thanks again for such a straightforward, simple and delicious recipe.
OMGOD THESE SOUNDS AMAZING!!!!!!
Looks delicious! I am always looking for slow cooker recipes, so thank you. I think this would be good over a baked potato too.
I can’t wait to try these! Oh, and I almost made gigante beans for Easter. But the grape leaves ended up being all that I could handle this year, lol.