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Fantastic recipe! Made it for my family and they loved it. Ate with some fresh bread. I added some lemon zest and lemon juice and that really gave it a nice zing.
Annilyn
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This Sausage Kale Soup Is A Dream
This soup is rich, and savory and oh-so satisfying with herby Italian sausage, kale for days, and soft buttery little cannellini.
Everything gets thickened up a little, giving it kind of a stewier feel. We added a little smoky paprika, and a squeeze of lemon juice at the end, and we have not one single regret about any of it!
Except that maybe it is hard to eat soup and type at the same time right now but listen, we are not engineers. Someone else solve that problem, please.
This velvety, cozy little gal is definitely a richer, creamier jaunt from a more traditional zuppa toscana (think more the beloved Olive Garden, maybe less actual Tuscan countryside), but who are we to not take the richer, creamier path?!
There is no bacon in this recipe and you will not miss it, because everything still has a smoky bacon-y kind of taste thanks to the smoked paprika which we fully appreciate! It’s really creamy and a little stewier with the bigger chunks of tender potato and veg, brothy beans, and crumbly sausage, but not too dense. That little extra thickness in there actually makes it AN IDEAL CANDIDATE for soup dippers, which we can never get enough of. Dippers + Us forever.
Like maybe a swoop of parmesan garlic bread if you don’t mind dairy on dairy (we never do). Crispy peppery croutons sound like an actual dream? They are!
Soup on, friends.
How To Make This Sausage Kale Soup
Thanks to easy ingredients and minimal prep, it’s not going to be long before you can start gobbling a bowl of this cozy, creamy, herby goodness.
- Sauté onion and garlic until fragrant, brown the sausage.
- Add the smoked paprika and flour.
- Slowly add broth and stir to thicken.
- Add potatoes and cook until tender.
- Beans, kale, simmer.
- Stir in half and half, some salt and pepp to taste, and a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness.
Looking like something is calling to be dipped through that? You’re right. Assemble the carbs!
Ways To Cook This Soup
Another check in the champion box for this recipe is that there are so many ways for it to make its way to your dinner table depending on your mood.
- If you want to fill up your evening with warm cozy smells, put it on the stovetop.
- If you know the day ahead of you is long and you want to come home to something wonderful, it works in the slow cooker, too.
- Is it suddenly 6:30 pm and your staring-at-the-kitchen-wall break was interrupted when you turned around to find your family staring at you with those “Haalp! Dinner?” eyes? Instant Pot it is!
We know the colder weather is ahead of us. We know the days are getting shorter and the sunshine is sneaking away and the possibility of another complicated season is in the back of our heads. But there are oh-so many good feelings too, as we pull out our favorite sweatshirts and best soft blankets and heaviest pots and deepest ladles and make recipes that are cozy and delicious but super easy. May soup save us all.
Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup: FAQs
You can! You may need to add a bit more liquid to it if it becomes too thick, but it freezes wonderfully.
You could add in some mild or spicy veggie “meal” crumbles and use veg broth to make it totally vegetarian. Or you could even just omit the meat entirely to make it a white bean/kale soup.
Yes, just omit the flour or replace with cornstarch.
Yes! Sauté your onions, garlic, and sausage in a bit of oil until soft and fragrant. Add in the spices, broth, and potatoes. Seal the lid and set the cook time to 3 minutes with 10 minutes of natural pressure release. Stir in the kale, beans, and heavy cream.
Sure can! Follow steps 1-2 on the stove, and then add to a slow cooker with broth and potatoes. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours. Add kale and white beans and let them warm and soften. Then add half and half to finish it off!
Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Bringing you this creamy, rich Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Soup! Herby Italian sausage, kale, smoky paprika, creamy beans and potatoes, and a splash of cream. This is a must-make for soup season!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3–4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage (mild or hot)
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1–2 tablespoons flour (optional, makes it a bit thicker)
- 5 cups chicken broth
- one 15-ounce can of cannellini beans
- 4 medium potatoes, diced (any kind of potato will work)
- 2 stalks kale, ribs removed, chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream (can sub half and half)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice
Instructions
- Onions, Garlic, and Sausage: Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; sauté for 10 minutes or until very soft and fragrant. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Drain out excess grease.
- Spices: Add the smoked paprika and flour; sauté for one minute.
- Veggies: Add broth, a little at a time. Add potatoes; bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add kale and white beans and simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
- Finish: Add half and half, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. VOILA!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sausage soup, sausage and kale soup, sausage and bean soup
More Creamy Soups To Carry You Through Soup Season
- Ang’s Creamy Tortellini Soup (creamy and cozy)
- Creamy Mushroom Soup (earthy mushrooms in a velvetty broth? yes!!)
- Basic + Awesome Creamy Potato Soup (a yummy classic)
- Instant Pot Wild Rice Soup (so good with or without chicken added in)
Time To Show You Off!
I love this soup and make it often! It’s hot here and I’m making it anyway because we love soup! I use seitan that is flavored like sausage and add fennel, more beans and more kale! It’s so delish!! Thanks so much for your recipe!
I’ve made this soup as written many times, my kids and us adults love it. I had plans to make it last night but didn’t feel like soup so I turned it into a pasta and it worked! Omitted potatoes and flour. When the sausage was cooked the veg went in I added a 340g bag of egg noodles, added chicken stock just to the underside of the noodles, put the beans on top, covered and simmered until the noodles were done. Added cream and parmesan. Wanted to share for anyone else who loves this soup as much as we do.
Lip-smacking good! A keeper!
You know that happy dance you make when you taste something good at a restaurant. I totally did that when I tasted it. I am not a great cook but this turned out amazing and it was so easy to follow the directions. I sent your link to all my friends!
Will it still turn out this delicious if I blend the beans first? I have friends who don’t like beans but I think I can mask it that way if need be and it works.
Thanks!
Hi! It would be a different flavor and mouthfeel if the beans were blended.
this is oh so very tasty! Made exactly as written, loved it!
I used ground turkey and sweet potato since it’s what I had on hand, and added a dash of Italian seasoning to make up for the flavor you’d get from the sausage. It came out delicious–rich and comforting but not heavy. The perfect end of winter soup.
Wow! Delicious. My husband said “Don’t lose track of that one it was SO good!” Thanks. PS I used half-n-half…it was fine!
Can I use a non dairy liquid vs cream? I prefer Rich’s Coffee Rich or rice milk.
Just made a vegan version of this! Field Roast Italian sausage, and coconut cream were my substitutions, but left everything else as is. So simple and delicious!
Thank you!
This was great I alap added cut up Italian sausage into coin sized pieces. I added a tablespoon of ACV and tossed in a few whole tomatoes and used butter nut squash in place of potatoes. Was delicious 😋
I have made this soup so many times, with mild Italian pork sausage, mild Italian chicken sausage, or mild Italian turkey sausage, depending on what’s on sale and how healthy we feel. ☺️ I usually add carrots, and some dashes of chipotle Tabasco sauce to brighten up the flavor because we don’t eat lemons. No matter how I make it everybody loves it and they always hope for a double batch. Making one right now with a blizzard on the way!
This soup is so good! I am dairy free and can’t eat beans, so I skipped the beans, used oat milk, and added extra kale. My friend who gave me the recipe said it was better than the original 🙂 LOVE the smoked paprika in this!
Do you rinse the beans before adding? Pinch of Yum is always a hit here but I wasn’t sure about this. This is about to be a big pot of yum!
We do!
This soup is “FIRE”! I was little skeptical, but wanted to give it a try. Did not disappoint! It was so quick and easy,too. Definitely a keeper and will be on my top soup list. Thanks for sharing!!
Can I use frozen kale? I have some already in the freezer from another recipe. If so, how much should I use? It’s chopped already.
This is a KEEPER! I was a bit hesitant due to lack of spices but followed as is – even the sliced instead of diced onions LOL. I had to let the kale simmer a bit longer than recommended but otherwise perfecto. Incredible flavor, textures and flavor. So good on these cold winter days.
This soup was absolutely delish and a huge hit with everyone – even the teens! Served it with some crusty french bread. Very easy to make and great re-heated for lunches (yes, they asked for it because it smelled so good). I’m already making it again!
Quadrupled this recipe for a church soup supper, so it was one of four varieties on a cold November night. Made the soup a day ahead on stovetop + slow cooker. Reheated in an electric roaster, added beans an hour before serving, kale 15 min before serving, cream and lemon juice immediately before serving. Most of the guests coming back for seconds and thirds came for this one!
Amazing recipe! Family approved. We ate it with fresh bread. The lemon juice I added gave it a perfect citrus kick.
Yay, so glad it was enjoyed!
This has turned into a request recipe from a few groups of folks I cook for regularly! I don’t alter the recipe much outside of more onion and garlic per preference, and sometimes spicy Italian sausage or a mix if I’m making a double batch. The bit of lemon juice is an Excellent addition and totally completes the flavor profile.
Soooo so good. I’m lactose intolerant so I used coconut milk instead of heavy cream. It was absolutely delicious, the perfect fall soup. This one is definitely going into rotation!
Made this recipe with some leftover chicken andouille sausage and it was delicious! To reduce the saturated fat, I used the idea of another commenter and blended half of the white beans with some of the broth and added it to the soup instead of adding the heavy cream. Also used chopped spinach instead of kale since that is what was on hand. It was so good and I would make it again.
This soup is exceptional! My sister said it reminded her of a soup she always gets from Olive Garden which I saw someone else commented also. It was easy to make, filling, and delicious. I will definitely keep it my fall/winter dinner rotation.
Such an easy, hearty and flavorful soup. Doesn’t cost much to make! I left the cream out because I was serving it to a friend who was dairy sensitive and it was great! Don’t leave out the lemon juice it adds a tang and balance to the dish that’s perfect. I served it with homemade cornbread.
I have now made this soup two times! It is one of my favorite soups. And so easy! And my husband loves it also!!! Even with the kale…