This hearty Tuscan White Bean Soup is healthy comfort food in a bowl! It's the perfect fall or winter weeknight meal.
Kale.....kale....kale! I'm actually starting to get excited about recipes that include kale! It can be a great way to add some greens to a dish and when you put it in a soup it mellows out a bit.
One of my friends is a vegan so I've been trying to come up with some really tasty, unique dishes to make for when she comes over to my house for dinner or a party. Now, I know you are probably thinking "where is she going with this - the recipe name says SAUSAGE, which is definitely in there, but I created this soup with the idea that if you wanted a vegan/vegetarian option you could add the sausage at the end. Or if you want totally veggie/vegan you can just leave it out entirely.
A lot of times when people think about cooking for a vegan, or vegetarian, friend or family member tofu tends to come to mind. While I'm a newly converted tofu fan, check out this recipe for Ginger Tofu Fried Rice, sometimes it is nice to have other options. This soup, which is really more like a stew, gives you that option and is great for a weeknight meal or for a casual group dinner.
If you are making it with the sausage, you'll brown the sausage in the pan first and then continue preparing the rest of the soup. If you want to go the vegan/vegetarian route for some of the soup, just brown the sausage in a separate pan while the soup is cooking then add it at the end for the guests who want it. Adding the sausage at the end will change the taste of the soup slightly, however, it's still super yummy either way!
More soup recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Hard Cider Chicken and Dumplings
- Easy Tomato Bisque with Grilled Cheese Sticks
tools you may want for this recipe
5 Quart Dutch Oven - A good dutch oven is an essential kitchen tool. If you are only going to own one dutch oven, my recommendation is a 5 quart as it works for just about anything. This one from Le Creuset (not sponsored) happens to be my favorite, but there are so many different options when it comes to dutch ovens!
Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage + Kale
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- ½ pound chicken sausage, about 2 links
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 32 oz vegetable broth
- ¾ cup Barilla Ditalini pasta, uncooked
- 2 cups chopped kale
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown for 2 minutes on each side, cover and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Remove from pan, slice into rounds and set aside.
- Add additional tablespoon of olive oil. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes; add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add spices and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, beans, broth and pasta. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add sausage and kale, and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.
Nutrition
The Food Hunter says
Oh this is my kind of soup. Can't wait to try it.
Tania @ COOKTORIA says
This soup looks fantastic! I will definitely give it a try! Pinned and Yummed!
Sophia @Veggies Don't Bite says
I love white bean soup! This sounds delicious, I bet if I subbed a little vegan sausage in there it would be a hit around here!
FoodieGirlChicago says
Thanks Sophia. I like the idea of substituting vegan sausage.
Laura @MotherWouldKnow says
A perfect meal for a cold winter evening. Wish I had a bowl right now - with sausage please:)
Shreyashi says
Hi Kathryn,
This soup reminds me of a traditional Bengali dish that too deftly combines beans with chicken. I grew up eating that at least twice a month. I am glad I found this recipe. I will definitely be making this. And yes, the coming of kale should be exciting for us all 🙂
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
I love soup and this look great! Thanks for sharing!
Karly says
This looks incredible. Perfect for fall and so many amazing flavors in here.. I just love soup season so darn much!
FoodieGirlChicago says
Thanks Karly!
Anne says
Yum! This is my kind of soup!
FoodieGirlChicago says
Thanks Anne!
Carol Borchardt says
Yum. This is one of my MOST favorite types of soup. Give me some crusty bread, some Parmesan cheese over the top and don't talk to me for half an hour..... my face is in this soup!
Veronika says
It's officially the season of soup and this one looks awesome! 🙂
Jenna says
This sounds really yummy. You were a very considerate friend to make a recipe that could easily fit her diet. I would make the vegetarian version myself, but I would top with so much cheese. 🙂
Ian says
This is a really great soup. I personally use more sausage (about 5 links) because...I love meat. The chicken sausages I use are super spicy so it gives the soup a real kick, too! I'm usually more of a stew person than soup, but this recipe is a keeper.
Urban Foodie Kitchen says
Hi Ian. Glad you enjoyed it! Love the idea of using a spicy sausage!!