Sausage and White Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients

Seasonings

• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ½ teaspoon basil
• ½ teaspoon parsley
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes

Main Ingredients

• 1 lb ground sausage (regular, hot, or mild)
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 6 cups chicken broth (consider low sodium)
• ¼ cup heavy cream (can substitute half and half)
• 2 (15.5 oz) cans Cannellini beans, drained but not rinsed
• 3 cups kale, roughly chopped
• ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Combine the oregano, basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside. Measure out all other ingredients before beginning to cook.
2. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the ground sausage and cook, crumbling it to break it apart. When cooked about halfway through, reduce heat to medium-low and cover partially to allow drippings to collect. Continue cooking for a total of 10-12 minutes until fully cooked, stirring occasionally.
3. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of the sausage drippings and set aside. Remove the cooked sausage from the pot and set aside.
4. Turn heat off briefly. Add the dry white wine to the pot and return heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to scrape and clean the bottom and sides of the pot to loosen browned bits for added flavor.
5. Add the reserved drippings, butter, diced onion, and celery to the pot. Stir to combine and cook until the liquid reduces by half, about 4-5 minutes.
6. Stir in the minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and the prepared herb seasoning mix. Cook for 1 additional minute to release the flavors.
7. Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
8. Add the cooked sausage back into the pot. Simmer partially covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend flavors.
9. Incorporate the drained cannellini beans and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Then add the chopped kale and cook until wilted, about 3-5 minutes.
10. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and fresh lemon juice. Remove the pot from heat and serve warm.

Notes

• Crock Pot Method: Omit the wine. Melt butter in the crock pot, then add diced onions, celery, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and seasonings. Toss to coat and add chicken broth. Brown sausage in a skillet, drain grease, and add to crock pot. Optionally add deglazed wine and brown bits. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours. Add beans in last 30 minutes, add kale for final 5-8 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, parmesan, and lemon juice at the end.
• Sausage Tips: Use Jimmy Dean Regular Pork Sausage or any preferred variety. To collect drippings easily, tilt the pot when sausage is halfway cooked and spoon out drippings.
• Bean Options: Great Northern Beans or a mix with Cannellini beans work well. Pinto beans are a great alternative.
• Sodium Note: Use low sodium chicken broth to control saltiness since sausage, beans, and parmesan are naturally salty.
• Additional Vegetables: Frozen corn, peas, green beans, canned tomatoes, fresh zucchini, spinach, or cabbage are excellent additions.
• Protein Substitutes: Ground beef, turkey, or chicken can substitute sausage but the savory flavor of sausage is preferred.
• Serving Suggestion: Serve with no-knead bread or olive oil bread dip to sop up the broth.
• Storage: Store in airtight container in refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Soup freezes very well.
• Nutrition: Nutrition info is approximate, based on 6 servings totaling about 9 cups.