🍲 Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup
Hearty, cozy, and packed with savory flavor, this Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup is the perfect bowl of comfort food for a chilly day.
Italian sausage is browned until deeply flavorful, then simmered with sweet onion, carrots, creamy white beans, tomatoes, garlic, and Italian herbs in a rich, savory broth. A handful of greens at the end adds freshness and makes this satisfying soup a complete family meal.
It’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner but comforting enough for a weekend supper.
⏱️ Recipe Information
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Method: One-Pot / Stovetop
🛒 Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage (450 g), mild or spicy
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, with juices
- 6 cups chicken broth (1.4 L)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, optional
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chopped kale or baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, if needed
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Optional Ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup heavy cream for a creamy version
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
- Crusty Italian bread, for serving
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Brown the Italian Sausage
Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat.
Add the Italian sausage, removing it from its casings if necessary.
Cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through.
If there’s an excessive amount of rendered fat, carefully drain some from the pot.
Leave a little behind because it adds wonderful flavor to the soup.
2. Sauté the Vegetables
Add the diced onion and carrots to the pot.
Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and the carrots begin to become tender.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Add the Seasonings
Stir in the Italian seasoning, oregano, black pepper, and smoked paprika if using.
For a little heat, add the red pepper flakes.
Cook for about 30 seconds to wake up the dried herbs and spices.
4. Add the Tomatoes, Beans, and Broth
Add the diced tomatoes with their juices.
Stir in the drained cannellini beans.
Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf if using.
If using tomato paste, stir it in now.
Bring the soup to a gentle boil.
5. Simmer
Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes.
Stir occasionally.
The carrots should become tender while the flavors of the sausage, vegetables, beans, and broth come together.
For a thicker soup, use the back of a spoon to lightly mash some of the beans against the side of the pot.
6. Add the Greens
Remove the bay leaf.
Stir in the chopped kale or baby spinach.
If using kale, simmer for 3–5 minutes until tender.
If using spinach, cook for just 1–2 minutes, until wilted.
7. Finish With Parmesan
Turn the heat to low.
Stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese.
Taste the soup and adjust the salt and black pepper as needed.
If the sausage and broth are already salty, you may need very little additional salt.
8. Serve
Ladle the hot soup into bowls.
Top with extra freshly grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh parsley if desired.
Serve immediately with warm, crusty Italian bread for dipping.
⭐ Chef’s Tips
Brown the sausage well: Don’t rush this step. Those browned bits add tremendous flavor to the broth.
Use cannellini beans: Their creamy texture works especially well in this soup, but great northern or navy beans can also be used.
Mash some beans: Lightly crushing a portion of the beans naturally thickens the broth without needing flour or cream.
Taste before adding salt: Italian sausage, broth, tomatoes, and Parmesan can all contain significant amounts of salt.
Don’t overcook the greens: Add them toward the end so they retain their color and freshness.
Make it spicy: Use hot Italian sausage and add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
🍲 Easy Variations
Creamy Italian Sausage Soup
For a richer soup, stir in ½ cup heavy cream during the final 5 minutes of cooking.
Sausage, Bean & Pasta Soup
Add 1 cup small pasta, such as ditalini or small shells. Add extra broth if necessary and simmer until the pasta is tender.
Tuscan-Style Sausage Soup
Use cannellini beans, kale, rosemary, and extra Parmesan for a rustic Tuscan-inspired version.
Sausage & Potato Soup
Replace one of the cans of beans with 2 cups diced potatoes and simmer until tender.
Extra-Vegetable Version
Add diced celery, zucchini, bell pepper, or mushrooms along with the carrots.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve this soup with:
- Crusty Italian bread
- Garlic bread
- Parmesan toast
- Warm focaccia
- Simple green salad
- Caesar salad
- Garlic-herb breadsticks
A little extra Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper on top makes every bowl even better.
🧊 Storage
Allow leftovers to cool before transferring them to an airtight container.
Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth or water if the soup has thickened.
Individual portions can also be reheated in the microwave until steaming hot.
❄️ Freezing
Allow the soup to cool completely before freezing.
Transfer to freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room for expansion.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop.
If adding pasta, it’s best to freeze the soup without the pasta because pasta can become soft after freezing and reheating. Cook fresh pasta separately and add it when serving.
❤️ Final Result
This Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup is everything you want in a cozy homemade soup: savory sausage, creamy white beans, sweet carrots, tender onions, rich tomato broth, Italian herbs, and plenty of Parmesan.
It’s hearty enough to be dinner on its own, especially with a chunk of crusty bread on the side—and the leftovers are even more flavorful the next day. 🍲🫘🌿✨