This sausage and kale soup with white beans recipe is a delicious Italian-inspired soup with tender beans and flavorful Italian sausage combined with veggies, kale, and a tomato-based broth for a totally delicious warming bowl of comfort. This soup is gluten free, dairy-free, and loaded with veggies the whole family will love!
You'll Love This Soup with Kale Sausage and White Beans
So much flavor. This soup is bursting with flavor from sweet Italian sausage, tangy and smoky fire-roasted tomatoes with white beans, and kale in a tomato and chicken-based broth. Use mild or hot Italian sausage if you want to kick up the heat!
One Pot Meal. Make this soup from start to finish in one pot - fewer dishes are always a plus! Loaded with protein, greens, and veggies it's a complete meal!
Healthy. This recipe is dairy-free, gluten free, high protein, and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Serve this soup on its own or pair it with cauliflower rice to add bulk without adding carbohydrates.
Italian Kale and Sausage Soup Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make sausage and kale soup:
- Dried Great Northern Beans: you can also use any white bean variety, such as cannellini beans. You can also use canned beans for ease.
- Ground Sweet Italian Sausage: If you can't find ground, buy it in casings and remove.
- Olive Oil
- Onion: use any variety of onions you have on hand or prefer. White, yellow, or sweet onions are best, but a red onion will add color to your soup for a beautiful touch.
- Carrots:
- Celery
- Minced Garlic: mince your own garlic fresh or purchase store-bought pre-minced garlic to save time.
- Tomato Paste: purchase this in either a small can or tube; the purpose of tomato paste is to add flavor and help thicken the broth a bit as well.
- Chicken Broth: use regular or low-sodium chicken broth based on preference.
- Canned Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes: the fire-roasted tomatoes give a slightly smoky flavor and pair really well with all of the ingredients.
- Balsamic Vinegar: gives great acid, sweetness, and flavor to the soup.
- Kale: you can use kale or spinach - you can also use a combination of both (like I did in the images and video)!
- Herbs and Spices: kosher salt, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, ground cumin, freshly ground black pepper.
- Optional: shredded parmesan cheese for serving.
For exact ingredient quantities, please see the recipe card below!
Be sure to pin this pin to Pinterest to save for later! 🙂
Variations and Substitutions
- You can use any kind of white bean variety you'd like to! Canned beans may be substituted for ease - use 3 cans of drained and rinsed beans of choice.
- Experiment with different varieties of beans for a medley of colors and textures.
- Mild, regular, or hot Italian sausage can be used to add heat to your soup! You can also use a mixture of sweet and spicy.
- Smoked kielbasa may be substituted instead of sausage. Just slice it and brown it in the soup pot beforehand, then remove and set aside until you are ready to add the broth.
- Add a small diced potato to your soup for extra texture and bulk.
- Use regular canned diced tomatoes instead of fire-roasted.
- Use a cornstarch slurry to add to your soup if you want a thicker broth. Use a 1:1 ratio of cornstarch and cold water whisked together. Start with 1 tablespoon of each, then add to the soup.
How To Make Kale and White Bean Soup with Sausage
This is intended as an overview only. For detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below. Enjoy!
1. Cook and crumble the sausage in a soup pot. Remove with a slotted spoon once cooked.
2. In the same pot, saute onions, celery, and carrots and cook until tender. Add garlic.
3. Stir in beans, sausage, and remaining ingredients (except kale). Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until beans are done.
4. Add skale to the soup and stir until it's wilted. Simmer until warm. Remove bay leaves before serving.
How To Serve White Bean Kale Soup
Adjust any seasonings to taste.
Garnish with parmesan cheese and any fresh herbs before serving.
Pair this soup with any of your favorite crusty bread, breadsticks, or garlic bread!
Kale Sausage Soup Top Tips
- Some Italian sausage has more fat than others. You will need 2 tablespoons of fat to saute the vegetables. Use more olive oil as needed after cooking the sausage.
- Use rinsed and drained canned beans to save time preparing dry beans.
FAQs
There are many different varieties of white bean soup. In this recipe, we use tomato paste to add some thickness to the broth. If you like a thicker broth, you can add a cornstarch slurry. A 1:1 ratio of cornstarch and cold water mixed together and then added to the soup.
White beans just refer to the general color of the beans. This variety of beans usually includes cannellini beans, navy beans, butter beans, and great northern beans.
Kale, in general, is a more bitter green leaf. This may add a mild bitterness to soup. Normally, in most recipes this is accounted for and all flavors added together balance each other. To counteract bitterness add a teaspoon of brown or regular sugar to soften the bitterness.
Once cooled, transfer the soup to an air-tight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
From the fridge: transfer the portion you want to reheat in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave in 45-second increments until your desired temperature is met.
From the freezer: thaw your soup in the fridge 24 hours prior to reheating. Follow the directions to reheat from the fridge.
You can freeze this soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
📖 The recipe.
Italian Sausage White Bean and Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried great northern beans (or other white bean; preparation instructions are included below)
- 1 pound sweet italian sausage (remove from casing if needed)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 2 carrots (peeled and thinly sliced)
- 2 ribs celery (thinly sliced)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 5 ounces baby kale or spinach (a combination may be used)
- optional for serving: shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
To Prepare Dry Beans
- Quick Soak Method: Bring 8 cups of water and dried beans to a boil in a large saucepan. Cover and continue to boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain, rinse, and set aside until ready to use. Overnight Method: Cover the beans with 8 cups of water and let them soak overnight at least 6 to 8 hours. Drain, rinse, and set aside until ready to use.
To Make the Soup
- Preheat a dutch oven (soup pot) over medium-high heat. Add sausage, breaking apart into crumbles. Cook until browned and cooked through about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- In the same pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat (use up to 1 extra tablespoon of olive oil if needed). Add onions, celery, and carrots. Saute until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
- Stir in beans, sausage, tomato paste, and all remaining ingredients (except the kale). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Add kale to the soup. Stir gently until the kale is wilted. Bring to a boil, immediately reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Kori's Tips
- Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
- VARIATIONS: Use any kind of white bean; canned is fine too (use 3 cans of drained and rinsed beans. If you love beans, by all means, add another can!). Use regular or hot Italian sausage if preferred. Smoked kielbasa may also be used - just slice it and brown then remove it from the skillet.
- TIPS: Some Italian sausage has more fat than others. You need about 2 tablespoons of fat to saute the vegetables. Use more or less olive oil as needed after cooking the sausage.
- SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Adjust seasoning to taste and garnish with parmesan cheese before serving. This soup pairs well with any crusty bread, breadsticks, or garlic bread.
Nutrition
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