This Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup with Kale is a hearty and soul-warming soup. Browned Italian sausage, tender carrots and onions, lots of flavorful garlic and earthy rosemary, white beans and kale in a light tomato and parmesan broth. This recipe will feed 10 (1½ cup servings) but can easily be cut in half to serve less.
A new year, another soup recipe!
Today I’m excited to share this one-pot hearty Italian sausage and white bean soup! It consists of brown mild Italian sausage, great northern beans, lots of garlic and chopped fresh rosemary, veggies and kale in a light and flavorful tomato parmesan broth.
I first started testing this recipe in the fall, and then decided to bring it a cookie exchange book club in December. And after getting positive feedback, I knew I had to share the recipe asap. But then I came down with a cold and the worst sore throat of my life and postponed working for a bit. BUT now that I’m feeling better and winter is still obviously here, now is a better time than any.
This soup is comforting and pretty simple to pull together. Just what one needs to stay full and warm on these cold winter days.
To Make This Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup with Kale You Will Need:
- olive oil – Lends flavor and fat for sautéing.
- italian sausage – I prefer mild Italian sausage for this recipe.
- yellow onion – Adds a sweet and subtle onion flavor.
- carrot – Adds color, texture and subtle sweetness.
- kosher salt – Helps draw out moisture while sautéing and enhances the flavors in the recipe.
- tomato paste – Lends depth and flavor to the soup.
- garlic (fresh) – Adds distinct punchy flavor.
- rosemary (fresh) – Adds a pine-like or woodsy flavor with notes of lemon, pepper and sage.
- kale – I prefer curly leaf kale for this recipe.
- great norther beans – Drain, rinse and divide. Smashing half of the beans and leaving the rest whole.
- parmesan cheese rind (optional) – This will infuse the soup with umami flavor.
- bay leaf – Adds a somewhat subtle minty or pine-y flavor with hints of black pepper.
- low-sodium chicken broth – Use homemade or store-bought.
- parmesan cheese (grated fresh) – Adds rich, nutty and a slightly salty umami flavor to the soup.
- red wine vinegar – Adding this in the end will brighten flavors, cut richness, balance salt, and will add depth.
- freshly ground black pepper – This will add some subtle bite and flavor.
- parsley (fresh) – For garnish, lending a pop of color and herbaceous freshness. (optional)
Brown the Italian Sausage:
Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 pound sausage to a large 7-quart dutch oven (if making the full recipe) dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Use a spatula to break up the sausage, cooking until deeply golden brown and no longer pink. About 12 to 15 minutes.
Prep the Veggies:
While the sausage browns, I like to prep the veggies by chopping 1 large yellow onion, slicing 2 to 3 carrots and finely chopping 6 cloves garlic and 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary.
Strip the leaves from a small bunch of kale and chop the leaves into medium bite-side pieces – you will need 3 cups. Wash and pat dry – if you have a salad spinner, it works great for washing and spinning-dry kale (among other things like herbs, leafy greens etc.).
Stir and cook, breaking up the sausage into small crumbles. Cooking until deeply golden brown.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the browned sausage, transferring it to a paper towel lined plate while leaving the fat in the pan.
Build The Soup:
To the fat in the pan, add in the onions and carrots with a generous pinch of kosher salt. If needed, add a little more oil. Stir and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until softened.
Meanwhile, drain and rinse 2 cans of great norther beans and add to a bowl.
Use a potato masher to smash the beans into a thick paste. You could also do this in a mini food processor or blender – you may need to add a little water. Set aside. Then rinse and drain the remaining 2 cans of beans.
Once the veggies are soft, reduce the heat to medium and add in the tomato paste, garlic and rosemary.
Stir and cook 2 minutes.
Then add in the smashed beans, the 2 cans (drained and rinsed) whole beans, the browned Italian sausage, 3 cups chopped kale leaves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 parmesan rind (if using) and a bay leaf.
Pour in 10 cups of low-sodium chicken broth while scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Stir well to incorporate the smashed beans.
Cover the pot, leaving the lid askew and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once simmered, turn off the heat and remove the parmesan rind and bay leaf.
Next add in 2/3 cup parmesan cheese and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.
Stir to combine and then taste the soup and season with more salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
This soup makes a lot, which makes it great for feeding a small group. However it can easily be cut in half if serving less or not wanting leftovers. With that said, I’ve included storing/freezing instructions further down in this post.
Ladle hot soup into bowls and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese, black pepper and minced fresh parsley.
Serve alongside a grilled cheese sandwich or torn crusty bread.
How To Store and Reheat Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup with Kale:
Allow the soup to cool completely before storing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Reheat on stove top or in your microwave, stirring often.
Can This Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup Be Frozen?
Yes! Allow the soup to cool completely. Portion out desired serving amounts into freezer-safe containers, leaving some head space before freezing. You may need to add a little extra broth while reheating to adjust thickness.
How Long Will Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup with Kale Last?
If stored properly, this soup should last up to 4 days in the fridge and/or keep for 2 to 3 months in the freezer.
Enjoy! And if you give this Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup with Kale recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Yield: 10 servings
Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup with Kale
- 1 tablespoons olive oil, or avocado oil
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- kosher salt
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, or 2 teaspoons dried
- 30 ounces (canned) great northern beans, rinsed, drained and smashed (2 cans)
- 30 ounces (canned) great northern beans, rinsed and drained and left whole (2 cans)
- 3 cups chopped curly leaf kale, stems removed discarded and then leaves chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 parmesan cheese rind, optional
- 10 cups low-sodium chicken broth, quality store-bought or homemade
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, (see notes below)
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- parsley, finely chopped, for serving
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Add oil and sausage to a large 7-quart dutch oven (if making the full recipe) and heat over medium-high heat. Use a wooden spatula to break up the sausage, cooking until deeply golden brown and no longer pink. About 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon, to remove the sausage (leaving the fat in the pot) and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.note: while the sausage cooks I like to prep the veggies, kale, garlic and rosemary.
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To the fat in the pan, add in the onions and carrots with a generous pinch of kosher salt. Add a little more oil if needed. Stir and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until softened.
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Meanwhile, add 2 of the (rinsed and drained) beans to a bowl and smash with a potato masher. Or add to a mini food processor and pulse until blended, you may need to add a little broth or water to get things moving.
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Once the veggies are soft, reduce the heat to medium and add in the tomato paste, garlic and rosemary. Stir and cook 2 minutes.
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Next add in the smashed beans, whole beans, browned Italian sausage, kale, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, parmesan rind (if using) and bay leaf. Pour in all of the broth while scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir well to incorporate the smashed beans.
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Cover the pot, leaving the lid askew and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the soup for 35 to 45 minutes. Turn off the heat, and add in the parmesan cheese and red wine vinegar. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if desired.
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Serve soup with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.
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See blog post for storage instructions.
Note: Use freshly grated or store-bought grated parmesan cheese that does not have any anti-caking ingredients like cellulose, potato or corn starch or calcium sulfate as it may make the parmesan clump up in the soup.
Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 452kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 592mg, Potassium: 1087mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 2839IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 198mg, Iron: 4mg
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Laurie McNamara
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