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Warm up with this comforting bowl of Italian Sausage Soup, brimming with kale, beans, and flavorful spices. It is an easy-to-make soup where simple ingredients combine to create delicious flavors and hearty textures.
Get ready to dive into one heck of a comforting dinner with this Italian Sausage Soup with kale and beans. Like a Tuscan white bean soup, it’s a little trip to Italy right in your kitchen! Think hearty Italian sausage, vibrant kale, and creamy beans, all mixed together in a rich and flavorful broth. It’s the kind of soup that makes you go, “Why didn’t I make this sooner?”! It’s perfect for family dinners, chilly nights, or whenever you’re in the mood for some seriously good eats with a chunk of skillet bread on the side.
Why I Love This Italian Sausage Soup Recipe
- Quick: Ready in just 40 minutes, this soup is perfect for weeknight dinners or spontaneous gatherings.
- Authentic: With its Mediterranean-inspired flavors, it brings the essence of Italy right to your table, no passport needed.
- Hearty Ingredients: Packed with succulent Italian sausage, fresh veggies, and beans, this easy soup recipe is a fulfilling meal in itself.
Recipe Ingredients
To make this Italian Sausage Soup recipe, you’ll want to gather a mix of hearty, wholesome ingredients to make a flavorful bowl of slurpable goodness! From spicy Italian sausage and nutritious kale to beans, some veggies, and broth. Grab a baguette while you’re at it.
- Olive Oil is used to sauté the ingredients. Avocado oil, canola oil, or butter are also okay to use.
- Italian Sausage offers heartiness with a spicy kick. If you prefer a milder flavor, use sweet Italian sausage or even turkey or chicken sausage.
- Yellow Onion, Carrots, Garlic, and Celery are a classic combination to form the soup’s base. You can also add canned diced tomatoes if you prefer.
- Bay Leaf, Fresh Thyme, and Italian Seasoning. If fresh thyme isn’t available, use dried thyme. You can also substitute Italian seasoning with a mix of dried oregano, basil, and rosemary.
- Kale provides color, nutrition, and crunch. Spinach, Swiss chard, or even collard greens would work here.
- White Cannellini Beans add creaminess and substance. Great Northern beans or navy beans can be used instead. If you don’t want to use beans, add shell pasta or orzo like in an Italian wedding soup.
- Beef Broth or Chicken Broth is used for the liquid base. You could also use vegetable broth or bone broth for extra richness.
- Parmesan Cheese for garnish, but Pecorino Romano is a great alternative.
- Italian bread or a baguette for dipping and soaking up the broth.
How To Make Italian Sausage Soup
Making this soup is simple, and with just a few basic steps, you’ll have a hearty and soul-warming meal in under an hour.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot and cook the sausage until browned. Transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pot, add more oil and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf, thyme, and seasoning. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Add the kale and cook until wilted.
- Combine the beans, sausage, and broth, and bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and thyme, and serve the soup in bowls, garnished with cheese and a slice of crusty bread.
Slow Cooker Option
This soup can easily be adapted for a slow cooker. Brown the sausage first, then add all ingredients (except kale and beans) to the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Stir in the kale and beans in the last 30 minutes.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Consistency: Adjust the amount of broth based on your desired soup thickness.
- Sausage: I love Italian pork sausage, but you can use Italian turkey sausage for a leaner option. Ground chicken, ground beef, or ground turkey also work.
- Veggies: Feel free to add or substitute veggies like zucchini or bell peppers.
- Beans: Cannellini beans are great, but you can also try great northern beans or chickpeas.
- Kale Substitutes: Swap it out for baby spinach or Swiss chard.
- Cheese Options: While Parmesan is a classic, feel free to use Asiago or Pecorino Romano.
- Make it Creamy: For a creamy variation, blend a portion – about 3/4 cup – of the soup (before adding the sausage back in) and then mix it with the rest.
Serving Suggestions
When serving this Sausage Soup, consider pairing it with my focaccia bread to soak up the flavorful broth. You can also kick things off with a light tomato burrata salad and introduce a side of garlic parmesan roasted vegetables. Buon appetito!
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerate the soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
When reheating, add a splash of broth if the soup has thickened more than you’d like.
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Italian Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound Italian sausage links, casings removed, you can also use Italian turkey sausage
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots,, sliced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 2 cans white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 to 8 cups low sodium beef broth or chicken broth
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, for serving, optional
- 8 slices crusty bread, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the sausage and cook for about 8 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally to break into smaller pieces. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate and set aside. Don't wipe down the pot.
- Pour the remaining olive oil into the soup pot and heat it up. Add onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf, thyme, and Italian seasoning; cook for about 6 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper, and continue to cook for 1 minute. Mix in the kale and cook until it starts to wilt, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in the beans, cooked sausage, and broth; bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes to combine all the flavors.
- Remove from heat and take out the bay leaf and sprig of thyme.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, top with cheese, and serve with crusty bread.
Notes
- Meat options: If you’re not a fan of spicy, use mild Italian sausage. For a leaner version, consider turkey or chicken sausage.
- Broth: While chicken and beef broth are commonly used, consider vegetable or bone broth for a different flavor.
- Bean varieties: Cannellini beans work, but you can also try other canned bean varieties.
- Kale substitutes: Not a kale fan? Swap it out for spinach or Swiss chard. Just remember, softer greens like spinach will wilt faster, so adjust cooking time accordingly.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This soup is So good. Ty! I followed the recipe roughly just looking at ingredients. Multi tasking mom and making other stuff for dinner I didn’t follow step by step. The end result is the same delicious healthy soup. I added potato’s and green peppers. I love how the kale doesn’t flop like spinach even when cooked it still has some give back. Makes the texture more enjoyable to me.
My dad has diabetes and just had a heart attack, so my family is really watching our intake now. I made this but instead of sausage, used ground chicken. No salt, sub’d with Mrs Dash salt-free seasoning. Threw in some fresh lemon zest at the end as well, which I really loved with it. I like sprinkling croutons over my soups and it tasted good with this one too!
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Very happy to hear that you enjoyed the soup! Thank you. 🙂 Sorry to hear about your dad – I hope he is getting better and continues to do well! Best wishes to you all.
Will this freeze well?
I made this tonight, after cleaning house..grocery shopping and walking the dogs! I started at 8 pm and had it finished and ready to throw into the refrigerator for dinner after work tomorrow. I can’t wait! As good as it tasted tonight, I’m sure it will be even better tomorrow. I used Italian turkey sausage and omitted the olive oil. I used a olive oil spray instead. This was only because I’m watching fat content. Fabulous recipe, don’t be afraid that it takes too long to make, it has amazing flavor and is well worth the minimum effort it takes to get everything in the pot!!!
What is the serving size?
Made this Saturday-it is delicious!!
thank you, just in time for these flavors, what I’m currently craving, good idea with a little kale too, also people in lab coats have said that the majority of what makes up tasting food is sensed by the nose instead of the tongue, so smelling your food seems like a smart thing to do!
Hi Katerina, I made this soup tonight and am so happy I did! The flavor was outstanding! You absolutely nailed all the seasonings–perfection. I’ll be making it all winter! I’ve made a few recipes from your blog and feel like they’re really well done, so I’m going to comment on them so others will try them. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Hi, love your blog, I have been making this recipe for over 10 years, I use spinach and Italian sausage, I par boil them first for 10 minutes to get the fat out, saute, then clean the pan of any grease .
but I am disappointed that you say the prep time is 10 mins..I have noticed in most of your recipes the prep time is way less than what it really is ( do you have someone helping you?)..if someone is new to cooking and reads that this recipe only takes 10 mins to prep after a full day of work etc they will be very disappointed..prep time is more like 30 to 45 mins and this is coming from someone who has been cooking for over 30 years.
again, great site, but you may want to set a timer before you start getting everything ready and chopped…
Hi!!! I don’t have anyone helping me in the kitchen – it’s all me, myself, and I. 😀 And I do time every recipe, from start to finish, but maybe because I am in the kitchen every day, testing 3 or more recipes a day, prep time is really quick for me? If it took me 30 minutes to chop a few veggies, I don’t think I’d go through with the recipe! haha Also, a good sharp knife helps a huge deal when having to chop a few different veggies.
Great soup. Sometimes I add potato. Have to say I was put off by Katerina’s comment about how long it takes to put this soup together. Let’s live in reality, this takes a lot longer than 10 minutes and it was thoughtful of Betty to point this out for those of us who do not make recipes for a living. Rinsing and chopping celery and carrots, mincing 4 garlic cloves, chopping an onion, rinsing and chopping Kale, removing the leaves of thyme and chopping them. To say you wouldn’t cook if you were slow is just rude.
I love kale and soup. Yours looks delicious.
I have made this recipe many times but switch it up with a local spicy brand sausage and chickpeas if I dont have cannellini beans. I also use fire roasted tomatoes and a rotisserie chicken if I have it. My husband loves this soup. I serve it with a fresh salad or crispy bread. And I also smell my plates before adding food to them!