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Enjoy an extra cozy and extra delicious meal with this White Bean Kale Sausage Soup. Made with a selection of veggies and Italian sausage, it supplies incredible nutrients and a great dose of protein!
The ultimate cozy soup recipe
The leaves are changing color, the air is getting cooler, football has begun, and the pumpkin and apple scented candles and flavored treats are out in full force. All of this can only mean one thing: fall is here! And with the start of autumn comes the want — no, need — to cozy up with a bowl of hot soup!
The first soup on your season-of-soup menu should be none other than this white bean kale sausage soup. This dish is one of my favorites, thanks in part to the delicious mix of veggies, but also the Italian sausage. It adds an element to the soup that tastes delish alongside the white beans and herbs!
Ingredients in white bean kale sausage soup
This white bean sausage and kale soup is made with a number of ingredients, herbs, and spices. Soups are forgiving, so don’t feel like you have to use the specific veggies it calls for. For example, if you’re out of celery but have extra carrots, that’s fine!
- Olive oil: 2 tbsp of olive oil kicks off this recipe and will be used to prepare the Italian sausage.
- Italian sausage: As for the sausage, use 1 lb of a mild type. Although, if you like spicy foods, I suppose you could use a spicier variety!
- Yellow onion: Add the first veggie with 1 small diced yellow onion.
- Celery: Follow the onion with 2 stalks of diced celery.
- Carrots: Add more vegetable nutrients with 2 diced carrots.
- Garlic: Then, add some flavor with 3 cloves of minced garlic.
- White beans: Finally, the beans! You will need 3 cans, drained and rinsed. We’ll be using 2 cans early in the recipe, and the last can toward the end.
- Salt & pepper: Add more flavor with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper.
- Chicken broth: Make the dish a soup by adding 6 cups of chicken broth.
- Lemon juice: The juice of one lemon will add a nice subtle tanginess to the soup.
- Rosemary: After the juice, add some fresh herb flavor with 2 tbsp of fresh chopped rosemary.
- Parsley: Do the same with 1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley.
- Kale: Add some greens by including 3 cups of de-stemmed kale, chopped into small pieces.
- Parmesan: Last but not least, fresh parmesan completes the dish as the perfect topping.
Tools you’ll need to make sausage white bean soup
To make this soup, you will need a number of kitchen tools including a dutch oven or saucepot, a spatula, a slotted spoon, a large bowl, a strainer, and an immersion or high-powered blender. For measuring out ingredients, you’ll need 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, 1/4 cup, and 1 cup-sized measuring cups.
How to make kale bean sausage soup
Any soup that can be made in a single pot is a winner in my book! Here’s how to prepare this easy one-pot white bean kale sausage soup.
First, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large dutch oven or saucepan. Add the sausage and cook it throughout, breaking it down into small pieces. Remove the sausage from the stove with a slotted spoon and set it aside in a bowl or dish.
Next, cook the onions, celery, and carrots in the leftover sausage oil for about 4-5 minutes, or until the veggies have begun to soften. Then, add the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add two cans of the white beans to the pot, along with the salt and pepper. Mix everything together and then add the chicken broth and lemon juice.
Let the mix boil for 10 minutes over medium heat, and then turn off the heat.
Using an immersion or high-powered blender, blend the soup. You may need to do this in batches, but it’s also okay to leave some chunks. I like mine a little chunky.
Next, pour the soup back into the dutch oven and set the heat to medium-low.
Add the third can of beans followed by the rosemary, parsley, and kale. Stir and let cook for 10 more minutes.
Top with parmesan, and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
Can I substitute turkey sausage?
Absolutely! Any sausage can be used. Prepare as directed for the best result.
Can I make this recipe vegetarian?
This recipe can be made vegetarian-friendly by omitting the sausage and substituting the chicken broth with vegetable broth. If you’re worried about the density from the lack of sausage, feel free to double up some of your veggies. Another option is to add a potato or two in place of the sausage!
Optional add-in idea
Want to bulk up your soup a bit more? Add a potato! A chopped russet potato adds density and thickness to the soup. If you want the potato but also want to maintain the density of the soup as it is, replace the last can of beans (the beans you add at the end) with the potato. Go for a potato that is medium-sized so it’s about the same density as the can’s worth of beans.
Freezing for later
Soup is known to be a great freeze-for-later meal, and this one follows suit! To store, allow the soup to reach room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Then, store in the freezer for up to 3 months, or place in the refrigerator for enjoying within a few days.
Reheat on the stove.
If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!
The official soup season has begun! Here are some more soup ideas to try as the weather gets chillier and we try to make our homes extra cozy.
- Easy Cheeseburger Soup Recipe
- Butternut Squash Soup (Vegan, Dairy-Free)
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Healthy Stuffed Pepper Soup
All recipes by Erin Morrissey and Photos by Sierra Inn
White Bean Kale Sausage Soup
Enjoy an extra cozy and extra delicious meal with this White Bean Kale Sausage Soup. Made with a selection of veggies and Italian sausage, it supplies incredible nutrients and a great dose of protein!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cans white beans, divided, drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 6 cups chicken broth
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 3 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped small
- fresh parmesan for topping
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook throughout, breaking down into small pieces. Remove from stove with slotted spoon and set aside.
- Cook onions, celery, and carrots in the leftover sausage oil for about 4-5 minutes or until veggies have begun to soften. Then add garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add two cans of white beans to the pot, along with salt and pepper. Mix up and then add chicken broth and lemon juice.
- Let boil for 10 minutes over medium heat. Turn off heat.
- Either using an immersion blender or high powered blender, blend soup. You may need to do this in batches but it is also okay to leave some chunks! I like mine a little chunky.
- Pour soup back into dutch oven, turn on medium-low heat.
- Add the sausage back in, and then add in the third can of beans, rosemary, parsley, and kale. Stir and let cook for 10 more minutes.
- Serve and top with parmesan.
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Logan Herndon says
Amazing flavor and easy to make! Meal prepped this for lunches this week and it was delicious every single day. My 1 year old daughter even liked the flavor and ate the kale!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Logan, so happy you all loved it! 🙂
RM Jones says
I added mushroom powder for depth and umami; 5 stars!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi, so glad you loved it and made it your own! 🙂
Sylvia says
DELICIOUS! Such a staple soup in my winter rotation; pairs great with a slice of sour dough bread!
Erin says
Hi Sylvia, so happy you love it so much and great idea! 🙂
Emma says
Always in my winter meal prep rotation. Love the flavor combinations!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Emma, so happy you loved it so much! 🙂
CB says
My 2nd ELW recipe and another 10/10. I only had 2 cans of plain cannellini beans and the 3rd can was in a spicy tomato sauce. I used what I had and it was fantastic.
Will make this on repeat all winter
Erin says
Hi, so happy you enjoyed the soup! 🙂
AJ says
Hi Erin!
I made this for a client the other day and they loved it! Quick question- is it absolutely necessary to blend the soup? I prefer my soups on the chunkier side actually, and I find blending soups to be a bit tedious if you don’t have the blending stick. Let me know!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi AJ, nope! Do whatever suits you best! 🙂
Camerin says
Great, hearty fantastic fall soup! I used half hot/half sweet italian sausage for a perfect subtle heat. Will definitely be making again, thanks Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Camerin, so happy you loved it and made it your own!!
Berkley says
INCREDIBLE!!! Yet another ELW recipe that will become a staple in our house – satisfying, comforting, and flavorful. Thank you Erin!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Berkley, so happy it was a hit! 🙂
hal27shay says
Hearty, delicious, satisfying, flavorful, amazing. Nailed it. 10 stars if I could!!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi, so happy you loved the soup!!
Emma says
Back at it again with this one. Still amazing and hearty. Love it.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Emma, so glad you loved it! 🙂
Audrey says
Delicious and so hearty!!! Great recipe for a chilly day soup
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Audrey, so happy you enjoyed it!!
Monique says
Used ground turkey
Blended out the carrot, celery and onion until it was creamy.
Added mushrooms
Erin does it again! It was delicious. The lemon added a very nice unexpected flavor profile to the meal.
My toddler also loves it! Love how approachable your meals are.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Monique, so happy you both liked it and made it your own! 🙂
Katie says
So easy and tasty! I used spicy chicken sausage and it was great.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Katie, so glad you enjoyed it and made it your own!!
Jenny says
A really delicious soup! Glad I tried it and will definitely be in the regular rotation
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jenny, so happy you love it! 🙂
Tori says
Perfect hearty soup that’s healthy! I swapped grounds turkey and bone broth for some extra protein and it worked perfectly
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Tori, so glad you loved it and made it your own! 🙂
Abby says
One of my favorites!! So healthy but cozy. I use my immersion blender and it makes it so quick and easy.
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Abby, so happy you loved it! 🙂
Ashley says
So good! I used chicken sausage and baby kale. Delicious – makes a ton and is great for lunch or dinner!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Ashley, so glad you loved it! 🙂
Jen says
So so good!! I’ve made the recipe before exactly and it was delicious and followed this recipe again tonight with some minor tweaks based on what I had in my pantry and it was STILL delicious! Erin’s recipes don’t miss!
★★★★★
Erin says
Hi Jen, so happy you loved it and made it your own!!
Diane says
It’s now one of my favorite soups.
Erin says
Hi Diane, so happy you love it! 🙂