White Bean and Sausage Soup

5 from 9 votes

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!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: White Bean and Sausage Soup

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $10.82

Equipment

Large pot

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

US - Metric

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!

Video

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