Navy Bean Vegan Slow Cooker Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry navy beans (no soaking needed)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 large yellow onion (chopped)
• 6 stalks celery (sliced. I remove the threads, too, before slicing)
• 8 ounces carrots (sliced and cut into 1-inch or smaller pieces)
• 1 whole bay leaf (or gluten free bay leaf)
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary (or fresh rosemary, or gluten free dried rosemary)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or fresh thyme, or gluten free dried thyme)
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (or gluten free smoked paprika)
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper (or gluten free cracked pepper)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups vegetable broth (low sodium if possible, gluten free if needed)