Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup
This sausage and white bean soup is the perfect balance of hearty and wholesome – packed with protein-rich beans, flavorful Italian sausage, and nutrient-dense veggies. It’s a one-pot meal that feels both cozy and nourishing, ideal for a chilly evening or a simple weeknight dinner. Easy to make, customizable, and even better the next day!
Erica’s Thoughts
Although I’m technically a soup-all-year-round gal, the truth is we’re inching towards the end of ‘soup season’. And I’ve got the perfect cozy and creamy, but also nourishing and light, soup to transition us from winter to spring. It’s got everything: savory Italian sausage, creamy white beans, tender potatoes, and a boatload of veggies. Plus, a splash of cream at the end gives it just enough richness without making it heavy. I’ve been making an intentional effort to incorporate more legumes into my diet and white beans are so delish and easy! One cup of white beans provides 6.6 mg iron, 161 mg calcium and a whopping 11 grams of fiber- that’s 33% of the recommended daily intake! (source)
I made this soup for a game night with some friends a few weeks ago, paired with the Baty house garlic bread of course, and it was a total hit. There’s something about a broth-based soup that feels light yet this one is packed with hearty ingredients to make it a full meal. It’s giving Zuppa Toscana, but add white beans. Zuppa toscana with beans? Sign me up!
And if you’re curious what games we played at game night, I bought this super fun and simple game called Concept for our family for Christmas. Definitely recommend, it’s super easy and family friendly. We also played my friend’s new game ‘Blood on the Clock Tower’ which was very fun but very involved lol. I only recommend if you’re serious about games. 😂
Whether it’s a dinner for busy weeknights or for your own game night, this sausage and white bean soup is so delicious and satisfying!
What You’ll Need to Make Sausage and White Bean Soup
Italian sausage: you can use chicken sausage, turkey sausage or traditional pork sausage. I use mild Italian sausage (because kids) but spicy sausage is great too!
Mirepoix veggies: sweet onion, carrots and celery are the perfect trifecta of veggies for a soup base. Garlic: I love using fresh garlic cloves but feel free to use garlic paste as a shortcut.
Seasonings: we rely on a few classic blends here: Italian seasoning and poultry seasoning, both of which you can find in the spice aisle at the grocery store. And don’t forget black pepper, kosher salt and red pepper flakes!
Flour: just a few tablespoons of all-purpose flour helps thicken the soup slightly. You can use whole wheat flour or gluten-free flour if desired.
Gold potatoes: creamy and tender when cooked, gold potatoes are the GOAT! No need to peel since the skin is delicate and edible.
Chicken broth: of course, I’m going to tell you that homemade chicken stock is best, but use what you have!
White beans: creamy and protein-rich, white beans add texture and nutrition. You can use cannellini beans (also known as white kidney beans), great northern beans, navy beans or small white beans.
Heavy cream: heavy cream adds the most wonderful creamy richness, you can use half and half if you want.
Tuscan kale: sturdy and slightly earthy, kale holds up well in hot soup. Fresh spinach will also work.
Red wine vinegar: a splash at the end brightens everything up. Found in the oil and vinegar aisle.
How to Make this White Bean Soup Recipe
Heat a large pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once browned and cooked through, use a slotted spoon to remove it to a paper towel-lined medium bowl, leaving about 1-2 tablespoons of sausage drippings in the pot.
Add onion, carrot, and celery to the pot and sauté for 4-6 minutes, until softened. Stir in garlic, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 60 seconds until fragrant.
Sprinkle flour over the vegetables, stirring to coat. Add potatoes and chicken broth, using a spoon or spatula to scrape up all the delicious browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until the broth thickens slightly and potatoes are fork-tender.
Stir in white beans, Tuscan kale, cream, and the cooked sausage. Let the kale wilt down for a few minutes, then finish with red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper if needed.
Serve up a bowl of hot soup with Parmesan cheese, fresh thyme or parsley, and a slice of crusty bread.
Variation Ideas
- Vegetarian white bean kale soup: Swap the sausage for plant-based sausage or add an extra can of beans. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Dried beans: I’m a sucker for the convenience of canned beans, but feel free to soak dried beans and use those.
- Veggies: add other veggies like zucchini, sweet potato, fire-roasted tomatoes, corn or peas, if desired.
- Spices: if you don’t have an Italian seasoning blend use 1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme, dried basil and dried oregano.
Expert Tips
- Brown the sausage well. The caramelization adds serious depth of flavor.
- Bloom the spices. Cooking them in the fat from the sausage with the veggies helps enhance their aroma and flavor.
- Tangy finish. A splash of vinegar at the end adds a lovely, bright finish. You could get the same effect with fresh lemon juice.
- Meal prep. This soup makes incredible meal prep lunches and lasts all week in the fridge.
- Parmesan rind. Add a parmesan rind if you have it while the soup simmers, it adds so much flavor!
FAQs
Yes! Chicken sausage, turkey sausage, or a plant-based sausage alternative will work.
Omit the cream or use a dairy-free alternative like coconut milk or cashew cream.
Omit the sausage and use a swish of olive oil to sautè the veggies. You could also use a plant-based sausage alternative. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or in a saucepan on the stovetop, adding another splash of broth or water, if it is too thick. The potatoes do absorb quite a bit of the broth.
Sure is! Make exactly as written but omit the red wine vinegar, to add as a finishing touch when you reheat and serve. I like to place soup in a gallon Ziploc bag and seal it tight, so it lays flat in the fridge and takes up less space. You can use any freezer-safe dish you want. Freeze up to 3 months.
Pair with garlic bread, a grilled cheese sandwich, or a fresh side salad.
Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour alternative instead of regular flour or omit flour altogether. Your soup will be thinner but still delish.
If you love this sausage and white bean soup, you’ll love these other amazing soup recipes:
Grab a hunk of bread and let’s dunk baybay!
If you try and like this recipe please don’t forget to leave a comment and star rating down below! If you love more lifestyle, behind the scenes and ‘eating in real life’ type of content come find me over on Instagram, @itsaflavorfullife, I love connecting with you all there!
Print
Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Total Time: 40-45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
Hearty and flavorful, this sausage and white bean soup is a cozy, protein and fiber-rich meal perfect for any season. Ready in under an hour and easy to make on the stovetop, Instant Pot, or slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 1 lb italian sausage
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 4 gold potatoes, cubed
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale, ribs removed and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- for serving: fresh parsley, chives or basil, parmesan cheese, black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the Italian sausage, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula as it cooks. Once the sausage is browned and fully cooked through, remove it to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving behind 1-2 tablespoons grease.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery, sautéing for 4-6 minutes, until softened. Add the 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper and pinch of red pepper flakes, stirring so the veggies get coated in seasonings and the spices and garlic can ‘bloom’ in flavor, about 60 seconds. Toss in the flour, stirring to coat the veggies. Add the potatoes and chicken broth, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes until the broth is thickened and the potatoes are fork tender.
- Stir in the white beans, Tuscan kale, cream and sausage. Let the kale wilt down and then finish the soup with 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and a few pinches of black pepper and/or salt, to taste.
- Serve hot with parmesan cheese, pepper, fresh herbs and a hunk of bread!
Notes
Slow cooker instructions: Brown the sausage in a skillet, then transfer it to the crockpot along with onion, carrots, celery, garlic, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, potatoes, and chicken broth; cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the beans, kale, and cream in the last 15 minutes. Finish with red wine vinegar. Serve hot with Parmesan, fresh herbs, and crusty bread.
Instant pot instructions: Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode, cook the sausage until browned, then remove and set aside, leaving some grease in the pot. Add onion, carrots, and celery, sauté for a few minutes, then stir in garlic, poultry seasoning, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until fragrant. Sprinkle in the flour, then add potatoes and chicken broth, scraping the pot to deglaze. Return the sausage, secure the lid, and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes, then quick release the pressure. Stir in the beans, kale and heavy cream and let sit for 5 minutes to wilt the kale. Stir in red wine vinegar and serve with desired toppings.
Refer to above blog post for step-by-step photos, expert tips and answers to frequently asked questions!
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Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 recipe (about 2 1/2 cups soup)
- Calories: 552
- Sugar: 6.7 g
- Sodium: 1782.5 mg
- Fat: 32.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 43.5 g
- Fiber: 8.8 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 84.8 mg
Delicious recipe. I may use less spices next time. I used spicy Italian sausage.
Wow! I made this soup and served it with soda bread for an Irish-ish dinner tonight for St. Patrick’s Day. It was perfection! I used 2 1/2 lbs sausage (3 boys), small red potatoes quartered, and a sub for the heavy cream due to lactose issues (3:1ish nondairy milk:olive oil). The flavor and spice quantities were spot on and the entire family loved it. Will be sharing this recipe and making it again. Thank you!
This is sooo good! Made exactly as the recipe said. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow.
Yaaay! So happy you liked it Shawn, enjoy those leftovers!
Very good! Even for the picky ones!
Woohoo! I wish my picky one liked it… 😒 lol!
I am not a huge soup person but I’ve made this twice in the last 2 weeks. whole fam including 2 toddlers liked it. The only thing I didn’t add was the red wine vinegar only because I don’t have any, still tastes great.
Awesome Paola so happy to hear! Thank you for your review!
Love the addition of potatoes and beans to this “zuppa tuscana”, feels very hearty! The whole family loved it- it’s my new go-to soup recipe!
Yaaay! Happy to hear it Krista!
Delicious comfort in a bowl. Even my picky husband said “wow this is really good soup”
YAY!! We love winning over the picky husbands! Thanks Dawn!
Delicious!!! We loved it!
Thanks mom! 😍
I have to say this was a winner with kids and adults and neighbors! I will most definitely make this again.
YAS! Love it Larri, thank you!
Recipe is delicious! I used only 4 cups of chicken broth and it was plenty!
This was easy to make and delicious! It will be a regular at our house in the cooler months.
This is SO good!! I ended up not adding the cream, it was already so creamy and delicious. Thank you!
This soup looks so yummy! Could I use spinach instead of kale??
Absolutely!
This soup is sooo good. Perfect to make when the weather starts to get cold. Freezes well and taste even better as all the flavors meld beautifully together.
This was delicious! Really flavorful and lots of good nutrient dense ingredients. Perfect for a cozy rainy day meal.
So good! Like comfort in a bowl! We had it for Sunday dinner with my parents and everyone loved it. Even my picky husband and kids! We will definitely make it again.
Yaaaasss we love to win over a picky husband and kids! Thanks for making it Amanda!