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This flavorful Italian sausage white bean soup recipe is loaded with bacon and sausage, fresh spinach, and tender cannellini beans. It’s simple to make and so cozy!
You may also like my Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup or this Italian Sausage Orzo recipe next.
Why you’ll love it
This easy sausage white bean soup doesn’t use a ton of ingredients (just a few pantry staples!), and it also happens to be dairy free. If you’re looking for a soup that’s super comforting without any added milk or cream, you’ve found the right recipe.
If you like Zuppa Toscana, the famous Olive Garden soup, chances are you’ll also enjoy this Italian sausage soup. It has similar vibes with sausage and bacon and a rich broth! This simple white bean soup has become a reader favorite.
What you’ll need
- Italian sausage – I used Johnsonville mild
- Bacon – because it makes everything better
- Onion and garlic – I like sweet (Vidalia) onions best
- White beans – canned cannellini beans are the star of the broth. They’re buttery and filling and inexpensive.
- Chicken broth – the savory base of the soup
- Italian seasoning – I always keep it in stock in my pantry. It’s a versatile blend that comes in one jar and adds tons of flavor.
- Rosemary – you can use freshly chopped rosemary if you have some on hand vs. dried
- Carrots and spinach – for some veggie goodness
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This 5.5 quart Staub Dutch oven is the one I use for many of my soups.
- A pair of kitchen shears makes it effortless to cut up the bacon, and a garlic press saves time on mincing garlic by hand.
- I use an immersion blender to get that nice puréed texture.
How to make sausage white bean soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the sausage meat along with the bacon. Cook until the fat has rendered. Transfer to a plate, leaving a couple of tablespoons of fat. Sauté the onion until softened, then add in the garlic.
Stir in the beans, broth, Italian seasoning, and rosemary, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Remove from the heat, and purée it with an immersion blender (I like to leave some of the beans whole – it’s up to you how much you blend it).
Return the sausage and bacon to the pot. Add the carrots, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the carrots have softened. Stir in the spinach, let it wilt, and season with salt & pepper as needed.
Substitutions and variations
- You could add a splash of cream to this soup if you want to make it even richer. Try 1/2 cup to start.
- Don’t want to use spinach? Try kale or Swiss Chard instead.
- If you want some heat, use hot Italian sausage or add some red pepper flakes.
- You could add a diced potato or two to this soup if you wish. I didn’t find it necessary, but I think it would make it even heartier.
What to serve with sausage white bean soup
- It’s hearty and filling, but a side of fresh crusty bread or Cheesy Garlic Bread is always a good idea!
- Try a side salad to complement it. My Italian Dressing or Honey Mustard Dressing (also dairy free) are great options.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheat slowly over a low heat until warmed through. The beans will continue to release starch as the soup cools, so you may need to add some more broth to leftovers.
- This soup will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. If you’re making a big batch to freeze, I would suggest adding the spinach after you thaw it/just before serving.
If you made this Italian sausage soup, please leave a star rating and review below! Talk to me if you have any questions. You can also find me on Instagram.
Italian Sausage White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage see note
- 4 strips bacon
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 (14 ounce) cans white beans (cannellini) drained
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 small carrots peeled & chopped small
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the sausage meat to a large soup pot, along with the bacon (I cut it up using kitchen shears).
- Cook over medium-high heat until the sausage and bacon are somewhat crispy/the fat has been rendered out (this can take upwards of 15 minutes). Meanwhile, prep the other ingredients.
- Transfer the sausage and bacon to a plate (I don't line it with paper towel because the extra fat adds more flavor, but you can if you want). Leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot (spoon any excess out).
- Add the onion to the pot and sauté it for 3-5 minutes or until it's softened and starting to lightly brown.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the beans, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and rosemary. Give it a good stir and scrape up any brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Take the pot off the stove. Using an immersion/stick blender, purée the soup. I like to leave some beans whole. The soup will thicken a bit more as it cooks, but the thickness/texture will be similar to what it is after you do this part, so keep that in mind. If you don't have a stick blender, transfer a ladle or two of beans to a regular blender, or use a potato masher or fork for a more rustic texture.
- Return the sausage and bacon to the pot and add in the chopped carrots as well. Place the pot over high heat. Once the soup starts to boil, cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and reduce the heat so it's simmering. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the carrots have softened and the soup has thickened up a bit more.
- Stir in the spinach and let it wilt for a minute or two. Taste and season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For the sausage, anything around the 1 pound/16 oz. ballpark is fine – it doesn’t need to be exact. You can either buy ground sausage meat or, if using whole sausages, take the meat out of the casings. Here in Canada I buy a 500g (17.6 oz.) 5-pack of Johnsonville mild Italian sausages.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth if sensitive to salt. Bacon and sausages can be fairly salty so you probably won’t need to add much extra salt to this soup.
- Instant Pot method: sauté the ingredients as instructed, blend the beans right in the pot, cook it on high pressure for 8 minutes, then add the spinach in after you release the pressure. If needed, add extra broth to thin the soup out.
- This recipe is also in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is as delicious! I only had 3 cans of beans but it was perfect ..sautéed spicy sausage and 3 strips of bacon in the InstantPot. I removed that and sautéed the onions and garlic then added everything back to the pot. Only one pot to wash is amazing! Since I don’t have a hand blender I used my ninja blender and it worked perfect …8 minutes and it was piping hot! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it!! Thanks for the IP tips.
I just made this recipe. I love it. The only thing I didn’t have was the fresh spinach ( wish I did), but is came out great anyway, The flavors are amazing to me. Will be making this again, Great on this snowy cold day,
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Yes, definitely try it again with the spinach if you get a chance. Or try kale (but cook it for a tad longer).
Soup was fabulous, I definitely will make it again!
I’m thrilled to hear that!!
Hi Natasha – I made this soup yesterday and we really enjoyed it! Definitely another keeper to go into the rotation.
I’m glad you gave the slow cooker instructions in the comments, as I did make in the slow cooker. I increased the quantity of the veggies (a whole onion, 1 lb bag baby carrots, 5 oz bag baby spinach). I also substituted Italian chicken sausage and left out the bacon, as it’s a no-no for me.
I mashed 2 of the cans of beans before cooking as I couldn’t figure out how I would strain some out afterwards with everything all mixed together. I didn’t saute anything on the stove, just put everything into the slow cooker on low for 8 hours. Loved the broth texture with the mashed beans, that is something I’ve never done before! I didn’t have rosemary so just added more of the Italian seasoning and more garlic.
Happy for the leftovers as we are getting another big snow storm today!
I’m so happy to hear that, Angela! I always appreciate your thorough reviews. Thanks for the slow cooker tips!
I used pancetta instead of bacon & only blended half the beans. Delicious on this nor’easter storm heading our way,
Excellent!
Looking forward to trying this. Has anyone added spriralized sweet pototato?
So good and rich love it!
Thank you!!
I used chorizo instead of Italian sausage and a potato masher. Came out delicious as your recipes always do! 🙂
Fab!! Thank you so much. Love chorizo!!
You have a gift for creating simple, delicious, hearty meals that are made with common ingredients. We make your recipes at least once a week, sometimes more, and we have yet to find one that we don’t like. In fact, we have several in heavy rotation. Thank you for all of your efforts!
Aww thank you so much!! That makes me really happy… I try to keep things simple. 🙂 I appreciate you taking the time to write this comment.
Can’t wait to give it a try.
Hope you enjoy it 🙂
I recently discovered your site via the gram…and everything I have made of yours is amazing. Do you have a suggestion for using dry beans in the instant pot instead of canned? Love the idea of turning on the instant pot and walking away for my busy days. Thanks in advance!
Hi!! I’m so glad you found me and are enjoying the recipes! 🙂 Unfortunately, I actually haven’t done any experimenting with dried beans in the IP, so I don’t really have anything useful to say about it, but I know lots of people swear by it. I know there’s a way to cook them, but say for a soup, I don’t know if you should soak them overnight first or if they will need to be pressure cooked for a bit longer than most soups take.
This sounds delish! I’m wondering how it would taste with chicken sausage and turkey bacon as a substitute. I’d like a lower salt/calorie version. Any ideas??
I think those would work in this recipe. 🙂
I came across this recipe, during the pandemic, from pinterest had most of the ingredients in the pantry, . Made this recipe it was delicious (no canned beans) I had beans in the bag. Anyway every thing came to fine. I sprinkle crouton on top. Very delicious. Thns
Fabulous! You’re welcome. 🙂
How did you amend the recipe for the dried beans in a bag? Soak? Cook first? Thank you…