White Bean and Sausage Soup is hearty, creamy, and packed with flavorful veggies, seasoned Italian sausage, and tender white beans.
author’s note
Warning: This White Bean and Sausage Soup Disappears Fast!
I’ve always loved making soups that double as dinner, thick, creamy, and packed with enough flavor and protein to keep everyone happy. After sharing my Sausage Tortellini Soup and my White Bean Soup, I knew I needed to create a mashup that brought the best of both together.
This White Bean and Sausage Soup is the result, and it quickly became a family favorite. I love how blending some of the beans makes it naturally thick and creamy, even before adding dairy. The sausage brings a big punch of flavor, the beans make it hearty, and the veggies keep it fresh. It’s the kind of soup I crave on cold nights, especially when I have a fresh loaf of bread ready for dipping.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swaps or Tips |
|---|---|
| Italian Sausage | Use mild for a family-friendly soup or spicy for a kick. Chicken or turkey sausage also works. |
| White Beans | Cannellini are my favorite, but great northern or navy beans work too. |
| Chicken Stock | Use vegetable stock if you want a meatless version with plant-based sausage. |
| Cream & Milk | Swap all cream for extra indulgence, or use half-and-half to lighten it up. |
| Spinach | Kale or Swiss chard are also great options. |
How To Make White Bean and Sausage Soup
- Brown Sausage: Cook sausage in oil until browned, then set aside.
- Cook Veggies: Sauté onion and carrots in butter until soft. Add garlic, seasoning, paprika, then stir in flour.
- Add Stock & Beans: Slowly whisk in stock, add beans and bay leaves, then simmer.
- Blend: Blend part of the soup until smooth, then return to the pot.
- Finish: Stir in spinach, sausage, cream, and milk. Simmer until spinach wilts.
White Bean and Sausage Soup Tips
- Cook veggies until soft at the start. They won’t soften much later.
- Scrape the pot after adding flour so the soup thickens evenly.
- Use spicy sausage or red pepper flakes if you want more heat.
- Thin with extra chicken stock if it’s thicker than you like.
- Top with Parmesan and olive oil for restaurant-level flavor.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
- Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often. Don’t let it boil or the dairy may separate. Add a splash of stock to loosen it if needed.
- Freezing: Because of the dairy, freezing isn’t recommended.
Serve This Soup With:
Appetizers
Life-Changing No-Knead Dinner Rolls
Salads
Italian Salad Recipe
Fruit Salads
Fall Fruit Salad
Sandwiches
Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe
White Bean and Sausage Soup
White Bean and Sausage Soup is creamy, hearty, and loaded with tender white beans, savory Italian sausage, and flavorful veggies. It’s the perfect one-pot meal to warm you up on chilly nights!
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage see note 1
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 to 4 cloves
- Salt and pepper
- 1-1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken stock I love Swanson’s
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach coarsely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream see note 2
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- Serving suggestions see note 3
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, drizzle in olive oil and add sausage. Cook and crumble sausage until browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate. Dab sausage with another paper towel, tent plate with foil, and set aside. There should be about 2 tablespoons grease left behind; if not, add an additional 2 tablespoons butter or oil. If there is more than 2 tablespoons, drain off the excess.
- Keeping the pot at medium-high heat, add the butter. Once melted, add diced onion and carrots, season with salt and pepper (I add 1/4 teaspoon each.), and sauté, stirring occasionally, 4–6 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and paprika, then sauté 1 more minute, stirring occasionally. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
- Gradually pour in 1 cup of the chicken stock while mixing constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Stir until thickened and add remaining 3 cups stock gradually while stirring. Add drained and rinsed beans and bay leaves. Bring soup to a boil, then immediately turn heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally or until beans are tender to your liking.
- Remove 2 full cups of the soup and transfer into a blender (see note 4). Blend until completely smooth and pour back into the pot. (Use a spatula to scrape it all back in!) Mix to combine.
- Add coarsely chopped spinach, cooked sausage, heavy cream, and whole milk. Stir and simmer on medium heat, about 3–5 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Remove bay leaves and discard. Taste and adjust seasonings; I typically add another 1/4 teaspoon up to 3/4 teaspoon salt—the flavors should sing!
- Serve immediately with lots of freshly grated Parmesan and a crusty baguette, if desired. Add red pepper flakes to individual bowls for those who would like some more heat!
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Use mild or spicy sausage depending on personal preference. Sausage can come in different-sized packages—as long as you’re in the general ballpark, this recipe will work just fine. I use 1 pound, but if you have a 19 ounce package, throw it all in if you like—you’ll just have a meatier sauce. If using Italian sausages with casings, be sure to remove the casings before cooking.
Note 2: I combine heavy cream and whole milk to create an ultra-creamy and indulgent soup. In testing, this was the favorite combination I found that yielded the perfect heartiness and creaminess with the least amount of calories and fat. When I tested the soup using all milk (no cream), it wasn’t quite creamy/rich enough for my preference. For an even richer soup, feel free to use all heavy whipping cream instead of a combination of the two.
Note 3: Here are a few serving suggestions: fresh thyme or parsley, hearty bread for dunking, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes. Try a few or them all!
Note 4: When blending, make sure to secure the lid on tightly and select the “soup” or “hot” cycle. Heat expands, so increase the speed slowly and watch it carefully to avoid soup exploding out or over. Remove the lid carefully as it will likely release a burst of steam. If your blender doesn’t have a hot/soup setting, you can replace the blender lid with a folded towel and hold it in place with your hands. This will help reduce steam pressure.
Storage: To reheat, add leftovers to a pot and slowly increase the heat while stirring frequently. Don’t boil the soup or reheat it at a high temperature; this can cause the ingredients to separate or even curdle. Because of the dairy in this soup, it is not a great candidate for freezing and thawing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 643kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 1073mg | Potassium: 1228mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 15429IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 261mg | Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh my goodness. Probably the best soup I’ve ever tasted. I used five links of sausage from Costco and I didn’t have spinach so I used frozen broccoli, chopped small. Followed the rest pretty exactly. Soooooo gooooood.
Yay! I’m so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Cynthia!
Just made this soup tonight. Favorite thing about it is the creamy broth. I’ve got this recipe saved as a bookmark for future use. It was so delicious and the family is looking forward to leftovers tomorrow 😋
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks for your comment Robert!
Not sure if I left a comment the first time or the 2nd time I made your soup but just in case. I absolutely love this soup! I just made it again this weekend. This is my 3rd time making this soup and I do freeze it in 1 serving containers and it works great. I do not change a thing in your recipe, it is perfect! I did use kale 2nd time I made it as I didn’t have any spinach. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Thanks so much for your comment! I’m so thrilled you’re enjoying this!
I made this recipe tonight it was so delicious! I followed the recipe pretty much as is except I used an immersion blender instead of the regular blender. I also added some crushed red pepper for extra spice. My husband loved it too! Will definitely be making again!
Delish! I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Allison!
I made this soup exactly “as is” the first time aand it was delicious. As I was preparing it the second time a couple of friends showed up unexpectedly and I realized there would not be enough for all of us. I threw in a package of gnocchi and a jar of sun dried tomatoes and a little more salt and voila – dinner. Also delicious. The second time I did not put part in the blender due to the addition of extra solid ingredients.
Delish! I am so happy to hear this! The added gnocchi and sun-dried tomatoes sounds DELICIOUS! Thanks for your comment Judy! 🙂
When do you add the bay leaf?
Sorry Courtney! They go in with the beans! 🙂
As your sister this is one of my all time favorite soups!! So satisfying!
I am thrilled to hear you loved this White Bean and Sausage Soup! Thanks! 🙂
Could I omit the dairy ( milk and cream )? Would it be thick enough just from blending some of the beans?
It won’t be very thick without the dairy, sorry! I think it would still be tasty, but a different soup for sure!