White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup

Name: White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans (or 3 cups cooked cannellini or Great Northern beans); 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more for drizzling); 12 ounces kielbasa (or other smoked sausage, sliced 1/4-inch thick); 1 medium yellow onion (diced); 2 medium carrots (diced, peeled if desired); 5 cloves garlic (coarsely chopped); fine sea salt; freshly ground black pepper; 8 cups chicken stock; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 bay leaf; 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice; 1 large bunch kale (lacinato kale or curly kale, coarsely chopped, about 7 ounces); 1 lemon (juiced)

Published: Mar 12, 2020 · Modified: Sep 21, 2020 by Marissa Stevens · 18 Comments

Gluten Free Mediterranean

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White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup is one of my favorite comfort foods! With creamy white beans, tender kale, and spicy sausage, it's a one pot meal with very little prep time, and a total time of less than an hour. Perfect for a busy weeknight or a lazy Sunday afternoon.

white bean sausage and kale soup served in white bowls

When you want to fill your home with a savory aroma that gets your mouth watering, this white bean soup is just the way to do it.

Ingredients you need for White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup

The components of this soup recipe offer endless options. I recommend making it the first time as written it because, I promise, it's excellent. But when you make it again, you may want to use Italian sausage (or hot Italian sausage) instead of kielbasa, or other white beans, like Great Northern beans instead of Cannellini Beans (my favorite), or toss in more veggies. And instead of drizzling with olive oil, you may want to sprinkle on parmesan cheese instead. Make it your own!

ingredients for white bean kale and sausage soup

Canned beans work well in this White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup. But if you're up for it, how about cooking your own dry beans? They're economical and have a terrific texture.

I love to salt soak beans, cook them in the slow cooker, and bag them into 3-cup portions to store in the freezer. (You can find my method in this Tuscan White Bean Soup post). They freeze beautifully and come in handy for all kinds of recipes.

How to Make White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup

Step 1: Brown kielbasa in olive oil in a soup pot; remove with a slotted spoon. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.

Step 2: Cook onion and carrot until softened; add garlic and stir 1 minute more.

Step 3: Add stock, crushed red pepper, thyme, bay leaf, and diced tomatoes with juice. Bring to boil. Stir in kale and cover. Let simmer 5 to 10 minutes, until kale is tender. Return sausage to soup; cook and stir until heated through.

Step 4: Stir in lemon juice. Serve finished with olive oil.

adding lemon juice and a ladle of White Bean Sausage and Kale Soup

Recipe Video