Hearty Italian White Bean and Sausage Soup that’s packed with lean ground chicken sausage, white beans, and veggies. It has a flavorful broth, tender kale, and is perfect served with plenty of parmesan and crusty bread.
Easy White Bean and Sausage Soup
There’s nothing like a hearty soup and this easy white bean and sausage soup is one of my favorites. This soup is a take on a classic Tuscan soup that is typically made with ground pork sausage.
My lighter version uses ground chicken sausage instead of pork and is packed with veggies like kale, tomatoes, and celery.
Just because this soup is a bit lighter doesn’t mean that it isn’t packed with flavor. It will only take you around thirty minutes to make and I know you will love it!
More Reader Favorite Soup Recipes
- Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana Soup
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Easy Lasagna Soup
- Healthy Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Dairy Free Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Get all of the best reader favorite healthy soup recipes, here!
White Bean Sausage Soup Ingredients
Ground Chicken Sausage: traditionally this style of soup uses ground pork sausage but we’re lightening things up a bit by using ground Italian chicken sausage instead. It’s packed with protein, flavor, and has less fat that ground pork.
Veggies: a combination of celery, onion, and garlic are cooked along with the ground sausage for extra flavor.
Diced Tomatoes: you’ll need one can of diced tomatoes for this recipe.
White Beans: cannelini beans, or white kidney beans, are tender flavorful beans that work perfectly in this soup. Rinse and drain your beans before using to get rid of any excess starch.
Herbs: a combination of fresh thyme, dried oregano, and dried bay leaves help to build this soup’s flavor.
Chicken Broth: go with low-sodium chicken broth if you can find it so that you can better control the amount of salt in the soup.
Parmesan Rinds: this is an optional ingredient but parmesan rinds add so much delicious flavor to the soup!
Kale: this is the perfect hearty green veggie to stir into the soup. The kale wilts and becomes perfectly tender in the soup.
Ingredients Swaps and Frequently Asked Questions
- Sausage – if you don’t love or just can’t find Italian chicken sausage, feel free to use regular pork Italian sausage or regular ground chicken instead.
- Kale –Â this recipe uses the more flat tuscan kale but you could also use curly kale if you prefer! if you don’t love the flavor of kale you could also swap it out for spinach instead.
- Parmesan Rinds – skip the parmesan rinds altogether if you need to keep this soup dairy free.
How to Make Sausage Kale and White Bean Soup
Step One: First start by browning the chicken sausage in a little olive oil, breaking it up as it cooks in a large soup pot or dutch oven.
Step Two: Next, you’ll add the garlic, onion, and celery to the pot and continue to cook for a few minutes until the onion starts to become translucent and the garlic is fragrant. This is the perfect time to season with salt and pepper to help build those layers of flavor.
Step Three: Next, add the diced tomatoes, white beans, herbs, chicken broth, lemon juice, and parmesan rinds to the pot.
Step Four: Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes.
Step Five: After the soup has simmered, give the soup a taste and adjust the seasoning to taste. Next, add the kale to the pot. Stir until everything is well combined and then let the soup simmer for a few minutes until the kale has wilted.
Step Six: Serve the soup with plenty of shredded parmesan or pecorino Romano on top and some crusty bread.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make it creamy – If you want a creamier, richer soup you can add a splash of cream or full fat coconut milk to the soup.
- Make it spicy – you can use hot Italian chicken sausage instead of mild or add in 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to make the soup a bit more spicy.
- Freeze it – I love to make a big batch of this soup and freeze it for later. If you do freeze the soup, I recommend adding the kale when you reheat it.
- Add extra veggies – this is a great base recipe to add a few extra veggies to. Carrots, mushrooms, or even bell pepper would all be great options.
I hope you give this Italian Sausage and White Bean Soup a try! It’s hearty, full of flavor, and I know you’ll love it!
If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.
Print
Chicken Sausage, White Bean, and Kale Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken sausage
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small to medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 – 15oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 – 15oz cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon oregano
- 48 oz chicken broth
- 2 parmesan rinds
- salt and pepper taste
- juice of one lemon
- 3 cups chopped tuscan kale
- shredded parmesan or pecorino Romano, for serving
Method
- Heat a large heavy bottomed pot, with a lid, over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and chicken sausage. Cook the chicken sausage until it is no longer pink, breaking it up as it browns.
- Add the garlic, onion, and celery to the pot and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion starts to become translucent and the garlic is fragrant. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the diced tomatoes, cannelini beans, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, chicken broth, lemon juice, and parmesan rinds to the pot.
- Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes.
- Give the soup a taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Next, add the kale. Stir until well combined and let the soup simmer for a few minutes until the kale has wilted.
- Serve the soup with plenty of shredded parmesan or pecorino Romano on top.
Recipe by:Â Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things |Â Photography by:Â THE MINDFUL HAPA
