I made this Italian Slow Cooker Pork and White Beans Stew for the first time back in 2013 when I challenged myself to use my slow cooker everyday to make a WW friendly recipe. We were up in the northwoods of Wisconsin (Land O'Lakes to me exact) shutting down the cabins for the season. It was unseasonably cold and snowy. This easy hearty slow cooker pork and white beans stew seemed perfect.
I spotted it while perusing Slow Cooker Revolution Volume 2: The Easy-Prep Edition: 200 All-New, Ground-Breaking Recipes (affiliate link) during the flight and added the ingredients needed to make a half-batch to my shopping list.
Weight Watchers Friendly Slow Cooker Port and White Bean Stew
How Many Calories/WW Points in this Slow Cooker Stew?
According to my calculations each serving has 302 calories and:
7 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
6 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
6 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
7 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Recipe Notes
Saturday I dug out the old crock pot I got as a bridal shower gift back in 1986 and got this Italian pork and white beans stew going. When it was time for dinner, I stirred in the pesto and about twice as much spinach as called for.
We enjoyed this hearty and flavorful Italian slow cooker pork and white beans stew with some crusty bread and in front of a blazing fire. Easy, flavorful, fall apart tender and delicious, this is definitely a keeper I plan on making again when winter arrives in Phoenix. Enjoy!
If you like this Italian slow cooker pork and white bean stew, be sure to check out some of my other easy, healthy Weight Watchers friendly slow cooker soup and stew recipes including Crock Pot Italian Meatball Soup, Skinny Pepperoni Pizza Chili, Easy Slow Cooker Hamburger Stew, Slow Cooker Mexican Meatball Soup and Italian Beef & Lentil Slow Cooker Soup
Are You Ready To Slow Cook Yourself Slim?
If you've made this Crock Pot Pork Stew with White Beans, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Italian Slow Cooker Pork & White Beans Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (14 to 15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1-½ tablespoons instant tapioca
- 2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs, trimmed of excess fat
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup prepared basil pesto
- 4 ounces (4 cups) baby spinach
Instructions
- Ideal slow cooker size: 4-Quart.
- Microwave (affiliate link) the onions, garlic and rosemary in a bowl, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Stir in the broth, beans and tapioca.
- Season the pork with salt and pepper and snuggle into the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook until pork is tender, 6 to 7 hours on LOW.
- Using a large spoon, skim excess fat from the surface of the stew.
- Break the pork into large 1-inch chunks with kitchen tongs (affiliate link).
- Stir in the pesto and then stir in the spinach, a handful at a time and let it sit until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes.
- Adjust stew consistency with extra hot broth as needed.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Recipe Notes
Source: Adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution Volume 2: The Easy-Prep Edition: 200 All-New, Ground-Breaking Recipes (affiliate link)
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More Easy Soup and Stew Recipe Made Lighter for Weight Watchers
- Tex-Mex Chicken Stew (HungryGirl)
- Chicken White Bean Salsa Soup (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- WW Slow Cooker Beef Stew (RecipeDiaries)
- Chicken White Bean Salsa Soup (Simple-Nourished-Living)
- Skinny Slow Cooker Creole White Beans with Chicken (Simple-Nourished-Living)
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
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Angie
This was great! I did have use pinto beans instead of white because that's all I had , and I added kale instead of spinach. Thank you for a new favorite.
Martha McKinnon
Glad you liked it Angie. It's one of our new favorites too. Hadn't thought of kale for spinach, but think I'll give it a try next time!
Annemarie
Hi Martha! Can you use boneless chicken and turkey thighs for this recipe? How long would you cook for? Thawed and frozen? Thanks so much. Love your recipes! Annemarie
Martha McKinnon
Hi Annmarie! I haven't tried it but think boneless chicken/turkey thighs would work well. I think the time would be about the same for thawed, longer for frozen. Hope this helps.
Martha McKinnon
Received this comment in an email from a reader: "I had to write back to tell you how much we enjoyed this delicious recipe. My Italian Heritage was doing a happy dance while eating dinner. My husband the picky eater couldn't believe how Old World it tasted. It was something my grandmother or Mom would have made. Healthy and good for you it did not taste. Anything I can fix in one of my 3 slow cookers is fine by me. This recipe is now on a recipe card in the front of my box. I just had to take time to thank you for sharing. I too am in Phoenix and it was a happy night in our house at dinner time!!"
Cyndy
It sounds good, but one cup is just not enough for me for dinner. I wonder what the point count would be without the pesto, or how else to pare it down. Maybe turkey instead of pork? I don't know. Don't want to wreck the recipe, but it's just not enough volume.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Cyndy,
I feel like the pesto is integral to the taste of this stew, which is extremely hearty. You may be surprised at how filling it is. For more volume consider serving alongside a big salad or atop zero point vegetables - maybe cauliflower rice or roasted butternut squash? Hope this helps.