Hearty Italian White Bean Soup (Quick and Easy)

Italians White Bean Soup is a hearty flavorful soup that is simple to make with just a few ingredients.

This Italian white bean soup is one of those recipes that is deceptively simple as it is just that. A delicious, flavorful, and satisfying soup that can be made in minutes. Well, that is, if you have cooked white beans on hand. You can use canned beans as a shortcut or pre-boiled beans which makes this soup all the more quicker to get on the table.

I realize the vision of a slow-cooked soup on the stovetop creates a level of warmth in the winter that we all crave. However, there are times when you just need to make dinner and you don’t necessarily want to sacrifice taste or quality in doing so. We want a meal that is just as comforting as that anticipated slow-simmered one and that is why you can never have enough recipes like these that will step in and save you.

This soup is delicious on its own but even more so when paired with a hunk of fresh bread. Try this No Knead Artisan Loaf or if you have the time, this Sourdough Focaccia.

Italian White Bean Soup Is…

• A hearty soup that is perfect for serving with crusty bread.
• A homemade soup that can be made with Italian pork sausage or turkey sausage.
• ​Is made with sweet Italian sausage for a flavorful broth.
• A simple Italian bean soup that takes minimal prep work.
• The most delicious recipe for winter weeknight meals.
• A great way to get your daily values of greens.

Ingredients

Italian Sausage- I like to use mild Italian sausage for this recipe but you can spice it up by using spicy Italian sausage if you like a kick or to make a lean version, Italian turkey sausage works great.

White Beans- I like to use Cannellini beans but you can also use Northern white beans for this recipe.

Kale- I like using curly kale for this recipe. It works well for soups as it stands up to simmering and reheating without getting overly mushy.

Bay Leaf- a nice addition to this soup blend. I use dried but fresh is good too.

Garlic- Fresh cloves work best for this recipe, be sure to mince them finely.

Italian Seasoning- I like to use dried Italian seasoning for this soup as the dried works to perfectly season the soup however, you can use fresh. Just use the rule of 3 to 1. Dried herbs are much stronger than fresh ones. So you will need 3x the number of fresh herbs called for. Which equates to roughly 4.5 tsp of fresh Italian herbs for the 1.5 tsp called for in this recipe.

Chicken Stock- Good quality stock is essential for good soups. I prefer homemade chicken stock or bone broth however, store-bought will work fine. Be sure to use a good quality stock, it makes all the difference.

Tools

Soup Pot

Directions

Begin by cooking the beans according to package directions (if using dried). Drain and set aside. In a large pot begin browning the Italian sausage over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to break it up as it cooks.

Add the kale before the sausage finishes cooking. Mince the garlic cloves finely and add to the pot along with a few cracks of ground black pepper. Allow the kale and sausage to cook together until the sausage is completely browned.

Add the cooked beans to the pot and pour in the stock.

Place a bay leaf in and allow the pot to simmer for about 10 minutes with the lid on. The soup is ready after simmering.

Serve alone or with a slice of freshly baked bread.

Cooking Notes

• Cooking the kale with the sausage will help get out the bitterness in the kale.
• If not using chopped prepackaged kale, chop the kale into smaller pieces and wash thoroughly before beginning.
• Use a good quality chicken stock
• This recipe does not call for salt as the Italian sausage is quite salty, however, depending on whether you use store-bought or homemade stock. You may find you need to add 1/2 tsp of salt or so. Taste test and add if necessary.
• If using Italian sausage in casing, slice the casing open and remove the meat before cooking.
• The recipe calls for Cannellini beans but you can substitute for great northern beans or navy beans.

Substitutions

• You can use great northern beans or navy beans in place of Cannellini beans.
• For an added kick you can use spicy Italian sausage.
• You can use spinach in place of kale. If you do so I would suggest not adding the spinach until the very last step otherwise it will overcook. Add it just before the last simmer part of the recipe instructions when you add the bay leaf.
• Vegetable stock will work in place of chicken stock for this recipe.

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