This delicious Crockpot Anasazi Bean Soup is a fun soup to make using Anasazi Beans, but see ideas for other beans if you can’t find those. And there are instructions for making this on the stove if you prefer.

PIN Crockpot Anasazi Bean Soup to try it later.

I love the slightly sweet flavor of Anasazi Beans, and when I taught Utah history in fourth grade I used to cook them for the students when we had our Anasazi Feast at school. This Crockpot Anasazi Bean Soup is one of my favorite ways to cook these delicious dried beans that have such an interesting history. Unfortunately they lose much of the delightful speckled look when they’re cooked, but they still taste great.

In Utah I can find Anasazi beans at Whole Foods, or you can order them online.  You can also make this tasty soup with pinto beans if you can’t locate the Anasazi beans. I like to make this soup in a slow cooker, but if you’re not a crockpot fan, I’ve got instructions for cooking them on top of the stove as well. 

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What ingredients do you need?

What are Anasazi Beans?

I learned about Anasazi Beans when I taught Utah history! Anasazi is a Navajo word meaning “ancient ones” and the Anasazi people were early native Americans living in the four corners area as far back as 130 A.D. They often lived in the structures called cliff dwellings. Anasazi Beans were one of very few crops cultivated by the Anasazi. The beans were first found in the ruins by people who settled that area.

What makes Anasazi Beans so good?

Anasazi Beans are a slightly sweet bean that contains less of the gas-producing carbohydrates found in many types of dried beans!

What size Slow Cooker did I use?

I’d recommend at least a 5 Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe, and a slightly bigger size wouldn’t hurt.

Can you make Anasazi Bean Soup on the stove?

Scroll down to the complete recipe below and you’ll find easy instructions for making this tasty soup on the stove.

More Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Bean Soup Recipes:

If you’re a fan of using dried beans in soup, there are lots of tasty ideas in the collection of Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Bean Soup Recipes on my Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker site!

How to Make Crockpot Anasazi Bean Soup:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

1. I first bought Anasazi Beans from Ranch Gordo but now I don’t find them on their website. Luckily you can buy Anasazi Beans at Amazon.com! (affiliate link)
2. I soaked the beans overnight in cold water in the crockpot. I recommend soaking for this soup, so plan ahead. 
3. In the morning, drain beans, discard the soaking water, and return beans to the crockpot with 8 cups of water.
4. Chop one cup each of finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery, and add to the crockpot.
5. Chop 2 cups ham into small cubes and add to the crockpot.
6. I always buy a ham with a rind on it, and I add the rind to the soup for even more flavor.
7. Add 2 cups of very finely chopped green cabbage to crockpot.
8. Add dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and bay leaves to crockpot and start to cook on high.
9. Depending on the model of slow cooker you have and how hot it gets, you may want to reduce heat to low after 4-5 hours.
10. After the soup has cooked for about 8 hours (or a bit less if your slow cooker gets hotter), I remove ham rinds and taste to see if I want to add ham flavor base. I love Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate (affiliate link), for a flavor-boost in soups with ham. (This is optional, some ham is so flavorful you won’t need it.)
11. Soup is done when the beans are starting to break apart and the cabbage has almost completely dissolved into the soup.
12. Cooking time will depend on how hot your slow cooker gets, but the soup in this photo was cooked nearly 10 hours on high.
13. Serve hot, with a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar if desired.

More Favorite Soups with Dried Beans:

Chicken, Black Bean Soup

Try This Next Keto Short Rib Chili

White Bean Soup with Italian Sausage, Zucchini, and Basil

Italian Sausage and Bean Soup with Chard

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep  where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried Anasazi Beans, soaked overnight in crockpot
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 cups very finely chopped cabbage
• 2 cups ham, cut into small dice
• ham rind if available (remove for the last few hours of cooking time)
• 8 cups water (you can also use partly ham stock if you have it)
• 2 T dried parsley
• 1-2 T garlic powder
• 2-3 tsp. onion powder
• 2-3 bay leaves
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• ham flavored concentrate or ham bouillon (optional but good)
• balsamic vinegar for serving, optional

Instructions

1. Soak beans overnight in cold water in the crockpot.
2. The next morning, drain beans, discard soaking water, and put beans back in the crockpot with 8 cups water (or a combination of water and ham stock if you have it.)
3. Cut up celery, carrots, onions, cabbage, and ham.
4. Put all ingredients in crock pot (including ham rind if you’re lucky enough to have some) with dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and bay leaves, and start to cook on high. (It may look like there isn’t enough liquid, but in the crock pot foods give up liquid and you end up with more than you started with.)
5. I cooked this soup on high for 10 hours or longer, until about half of the beans have disintegrated into the soup and the cabbage is mostly dissolved. My large crock pot is the original “slow-cooker” type, which may cook a bit less hot than some. If you have a newer model, you might want to cook on high 4-5 hours, then reduce to low.
6. After about 8 hours, remove ham rind if using, then taste for seasoning and add ham bouillon or ham flavor concentrate if desired. (Use of this is optional, and will depend on how much flavor is in your ham. If you have really good ham you might not need it.)
7. Cook until beans are starting to break apart and the cabbage has mostly dissolved into the soup.
8. Serve hot, with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar if desired.  This soup freezes well.

Stovetop Instructions:

1. You could cook this on the stove if you don’t have a crock pot or want it done sooner. For stovetop cooking, add all ingredients to heavy soup pot and simmer about 3 hours, or until beans are very well done and cabbage has disintegrated into the soup.
2. I would increase the amount of water I started out with  by several cups if I cooked it on the stove, since some of the liquid will evaporate. Check for seasoning after a few hours, and add more ham ham flavor base as desired.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 195Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 1006mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 5gSugar: 9gProtein: 19g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Soup with Beans is probably too high in carbs to be suitable for a traditional low-carb diet but check nutritional information and see what you think. Dried beans are considered a “good carb” on the original South Beach Diet, but you’d have to leave out the carrots for this Crockpot Anasazi Bean Soup to be approved for phase one. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Slow Cooker Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest or on Facebook to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

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Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.

The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.

But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.

Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.

And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.

What makes the best keto chili?

Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.

In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.

Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.

Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.

But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.

Can you make keto chili ahead of time?

I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.

It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.

So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.

The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!

Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.

Tips for making Short Rib Chili

Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.

Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.

Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.

Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.

Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.

Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.

Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.

Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food? 

Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.

Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

Popular Recipe Cream of Asparagus Soup – Dairy Free Keto Recipe

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 428kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lb bone in short ribs
• Salt and pepper
• ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 1 large green pepper chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
• 2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• ⅓ cup beef bone broth

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.

• In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.

• Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.

• Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.

• Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Keto Short Rib Chili

Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)

Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319

% Daily Value*

Fat 35.4g54%

Carbohydrates 4g1%

Fiber 1.2g5%

Protein 22.6g45%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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