Kale and White Bean Sausage Soup

This kale and white bean sausage soup recipe makes a hearty and wholesome weeknight dinner.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword comfort food, Italian sausage, white beans

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 475kcal

1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 pound Italian Sausage casing removed and torn into small pieces, or use bulk sausage (use mild, hot, or sweet Italian sausage)
1 Medium Onion finely diced
1 Large Carrot diced
1 Celery Rib diced
3-4 Large Garlic Cloves minced
½ teaspoon Italian Seasoning
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
1 can (14.5 ounce) Diced Tomatoes (use regular or fire roasted)
6 cups Chicken Broth
2 cans (15 ounce) Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed (other white bean varieties can be substituted)
4 ounces Fresh Baby Kale washed and drained (regular kale, spinach, Swiss chard, and collard greens will also work well)
Salt to taste if needed

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ground sausage, cook for 4-5 minutes until browned, stirring frequently and breaking up any large pieces.
Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the diced tomatoes to the pot and stir well while gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot.
Add the chicken broth and stir well. Raise the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook the soup for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally and keep it at a simmer, raise or lower the heat as needed.
Add the cannellini beans, stir, and cover. Continue cooking for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Lastly, add the kale, stir, and cook 3-5 minutes until it’s wilted. Taste the soup and add salt if needed. As a reference we did not add any extra to ours.

Use reduced-sodium alternatives for the pantry ingredients if you are sensitive to salt. You can find good quality low-sodium chicken broth, canned tomatoes, and beans to substitute.
If you are not a fan of kale, you can substitute the same amount of fresh spinach, Swiss chard, or collard greens. It maybe necessary to cook them a little longer to soften.
If you’re not using bulk sausage remove the casing by running the tip of a sharp knife on the casing. Remove the casing, then tear the sausage into small pieces.