Italian Sausage Soup with Kale and Beans – Hearty and incredibly delicious soup prepared with Italian Sausage, onions, garlic, kale, and beans!
If I had a quarter for each time that this Italian Sausage soup is requested in our household, I’d be a thousandaire. Chock full of meat, beans, veggies, and much more, I can completely agree with their request. Actually, it’s more like a demand, but I’m trying to play nice.
Their second most-demanded favorite kale soup is my Smoked Sausage, Kale, and Potato Soup – it is out of this world!
I have this thing and it’s called, I like to get really up close and personal right from the start with my food. Just as you see it up there. I just need to get myself right up IN the bowl and take a look at that yummy food, and SMELL IT before it makes its journey into my mouth. I grab it, gaze upon its cheesy-meaty-and-bright-green-kale beauty, getting closer getting closer aaaaand boom. It’s in mah belleh!
Sidenote: My husband haaaaates that I have to smell my food – like, totally up close – before I start to eat. He thinks it’s gross. What he doesn’t know is that I also smell THE PLATE before I put any food on it… anyone else as weird as me?!? Please, do tell!
This soup, though, is pretty freakin’ awesome. Prepare to have your mouth hugged by this zesty, super flavorful, very traditional, Mediterranean fabulousness.
How to Make Italian Sausage Soup
- We start by removing the sausage casings and transferring said sausage to a hot pan to get it all nicely browned.
- In the meantime, we are going to also start cooking up our veggies; onions, carrots, celery, garlic, abc, xyz.
- Then, add our browned meat to the vegetables, together with the beans.
- A nice warm broth bath will follow, and 30 minutes later this rustic old-world soup will be added to your list of faves.
Theeee End!
ENJOY!
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TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Italian Sausage Soup with Kale and Beans
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound Italian sausage links, casings removed you can also use Italian turkey sausage
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, rinsed and sliced
- 3 celery stalks, rinsed and sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 2 cans white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 6 to 8 cups low sodium, low fat beef or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, optional
- 8 slices crusty baguette, optional
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven or soup pot.
- Add sausage and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes. or until browned, stirring occasionally to break into smaller pieces.
- Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.
- Pour remaining olive oil to the soup pot and heat it up.
- Add onions, carrots, celery, bay leaf, thyme, and Italian seasoning; cook for about 8 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
- Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, and continue to cook for 1 minute.
- Mix in kale and cook until it starts to wilt, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Stir in beans, prepared sausage, and broth; bring to a boil.
- Lower heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes to combine all the flavors.
- Remove from heat and take out the bay leaf and sprig of thyme.
- Divide soup among bowls and top with cheese.
- Serve with a slice of baguette. (optional)
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This is fantastic. I increase the kale to two bunches and reduce the beans to one can. I love the flavors. For absolutely loves it. I sometimes add a dollop of jarred, pesto, and shredded Parmesan cheese on top to make it extra deck in it and restaurant quality. This is my all-time favorite soup. It freezes well.
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Made last nt. Very good
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
How well does this soup freeze? It was delicious but can’t eat it all fast enough!
Yay! Happy you liked it! 😊 Yes, this soup does freeze well. You can keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Then just thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Made this soup for dinner tonight. Husband agrees it is delicious!
Will definitely be making this again and again over the winter.
I did buy a mixed package of sausage with sweet and hot. We like the little hits of heat.
That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you and your husband enjoyed this soup! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
Love this recipe! I addded more kale this time and trying with sweet Italian sausage. Can you do a crock pot version?
I am about to embark on making this dish, but I I think I am going to add some sliced roasted red potatoes w/rosemary and garlic to the soup. My potatoes usually come out slightly under done, so it would be perfect for the soup, I think. If anyone has any objections, let me know now.
This is one of my favorite go to soups! My family loves it and whenever I have taken this as a meal to someone they have loved it!!! The prep time is closer to 40 minutes start to finish for me. Thank you !
That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I made this today. It’s unusually cold in Florida this week so this was a must make. My family loved it. I added chopped zucchini, mushrooms, a big can of diced tomatoes and a small tomato paste. I have enough for lunch the rest of this week. Excellent! Will make again this winter. Thank you!
That’s great! I am very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I added a little bit of harissa seasoning to give it a kick because I thought it tasted a bit boring. I think it did the trick.
This is a great soup! I used spicy sausage and dried thyme. I also had homemade chicken broth so I was able to use that. The husband ate a bit right after I made it (I think the smell of this soup brought him to the kitchen) and went back for seconds!
I am very happy you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Does the soup tastier if I make it 1 day ahead?
Is there much fat to skim off?
I make this all the time! Except my family isn’t a fan of beans. So we do white sweet potatoes. It’s amazing. Sometimes I add heavy cream to this recipe as well if we want something creamier. So happy I found this recipe. I actually plan on using it in my ice cream Shoppe this winter
Has anyone tried making this in the crockpot?
Hi!
I would brown the sausage in a skillet, first, and the onions, carrots, and celery.
Transfer it all to your slow cooker; stir in thyme leaves (from one fresh sprig of thyme) and Italian seasoning, as well as the garlic, salt, and pepper.
Stir in beans and broth; add bay leaf, cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, OR set it on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. Mix in kale about 20 minutes before it’s done cooking. When ready to serve, take out the bay leaf, serve in bowls and top with cheese.
Hope you’ll love it! 😃
Can this be made in a crock pot?
How is this soup with no broth added? Nowhere do I see a liquid to make this soup?? If I made this like you have it on here it would definitely not be soup…..Correct me if I’m wrong .
I do see your broth now thank you when I went to the print recipe it leaves off the broth
I just open up a couple of containers of Chicken Broth for mine……it works really well and dose not taste like chicken either……no worries at all. Try it——-you’ll love it, I promise
I can’t believe I haven’t commented sooner, but this has become a favorite in our house. I’ve made this several times now following this recipe and it comes out delicious every time. Plus, it freezes well!
We have made this so many times and it is so amazing. We do add red pepper flakes to add some spiciness but otherwise it’s really delicious and easy to make!
This soup was delicious. My family said it was the best soup I have made. My kids even ate it and that’s saying something because my daughter normally won’t touch anything with beans and my son usually won’t eat anything with green in it. They both loved it. Thank you so much!
This soup is So good. Ty! I followed the recipe roughly just looking at ingredients. Multi tasking mom and making other stuff for dinner I didn’t follow step by step. The end result is the same delicious healthy soup. I added potato’s and green peppers. I love how the kale doesn’t flop like spinach even when cooked it still has some give back. Makes the texture more enjoyable to me.
My dad has diabetes and just had a heart attack, so my family is really watching our intake now. I made this but instead of sausage, used ground chicken. No salt, sub’d with Mrs Dash salt-free seasoning. Threw in some fresh lemon zest at the end as well, which I really loved with it. I like sprinkling croutons over my soups and it tasted good with this one too!
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Very happy to hear that you enjoyed the soup! Thank you. 🙂 Sorry to hear about your dad – I hope he is getting better and continues to do well! Best wishes to you all.
Will this freeze well?
I made this tonight, after cleaning house..grocery shopping and walking the dogs! I started at 8 pm and had it finished and ready to throw into the refrigerator for dinner after work tomorrow. I can’t wait! As good as it tasted tonight, I’m sure it will be even better tomorrow. I used Italian turkey sausage and omitted the olive oil. I used a olive oil spray instead. This was only because I’m watching fat content. Fabulous recipe, don’t be afraid that it takes too long to make, it has amazing flavor and is well worth the minimum effort it takes to get everything in the pot!!!
What is the serving size?
Made this Saturday-it is delicious!!
thank you, just in time for these flavors, what I’m currently craving, good idea with a little kale too, also people in lab coats have said that the majority of what makes up tasting food is sensed by the nose instead of the tongue, so smelling your food seems like a smart thing to do!
Hi Katerina, I made this soup tonight and am so happy I did! The flavor was outstanding! You absolutely nailed all the seasonings–perfection. I’ll be making it all winter! I’ve made a few recipes from your blog and feel like they’re really well done, so I’m going to comment on them so others will try them. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
Hi, love your blog, I have been making this recipe for over 10 years, I use spinach and Italian sausage, I par boil them first for 10 minutes to get the fat out, saute, then clean the pan of any grease .
but I am disappointed that you say the prep time is 10 mins..I have noticed in most of your recipes the prep time is way less than what it really is ( do you have someone helping you?)..if someone is new to cooking and reads that this recipe only takes 10 mins to prep after a full day of work etc they will be very disappointed..prep time is more like 30 to 45 mins and this is coming from someone who has been cooking for over 30 years.
again, great site, but you may want to set a timer before you start getting everything ready and chopped…
Hi!!! I don’t have anyone helping me in the kitchen – it’s all me, myself, and I. 😀 And I do time every recipe, from start to finish, but maybe because I am in the kitchen every day, testing 3 or more recipes a day, prep time is really quick for me? If it took me 30 minutes to chop a few veggies, I don’t think I’d go through with the recipe! haha Also, a good sharp knife helps a huge deal when having to chop a few different veggies.
Great soup. Sometimes I add potato. Have to say I was put off by Katerina’s comment about how long it takes to put this soup together. Let’s live in reality, this takes a lot longer than 10 minutes and it was thoughtful of Betty to point this out for those of us who do not make recipes for a living. Rinsing and chopping celery and carrots, mincing 4 garlic cloves, chopping an onion, rinsing and chopping Kale, removing the leaves of thyme and chopping them. To say you wouldn’t cook if you were slow is just rude.
I love kale and soup. Yours looks delicious.
I have made this recipe many times but switch it up with a local spicy brand sausage and chickpeas if I dont have cannellini beans. I also use fire roasted tomatoes and a rotisserie chicken if I have it. My husband loves this soup. I serve it with a fresh salad or crispy bread. And I also smell my plates before adding food to them!