An ultra creamy bean soup with sausage. This soup isn’t one of those all day simmering affairs. So quick and easy to make, yet hearty and full of flavor. It’s rich and tomatoey, jazzed up with Parmesan and topped with a delicious punchy, red pesto. A knock out 30 minute meal. Serve with a side of crusty bread for a mouthwatering result.
Why you’ll love this delicious and hearty bean soup
A thick soup with a tiny scent of tomatoes that tastes creamy and savory like a chowder. Chock full of cannellini beans and Italian sausage that blend perfectly into the thick tomatoey broth. It’s very filling and will keep you full, thanks to all the beans.Serve for lunch or for dinner with some crusty bread. Because with all that goodness happening in this soup, a dunker is not just optional, it’s a must.
This is one seriously good bowl of soup made with canned beans, but if you’ve got more time, you could use dry beans.
Some of you may be tempted to skip the red pesto, but don’t leave it out, it totally elevates this soup to the next level.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO or follow along on YouTube!
Helpful Tips
- Use canned beans for a 30 minute meal, or dried beans if you’ve got more time. You’ll need about 2 cups dried beans, soak them overnight and cook for 30 minutes, before adding to the soup.
- Make this bean soup with any type of white beans, like cannellini, butter beans or lima beans.
- Add more veggies like baby spinach, kale or chickpeas.
- Instead of Italian sausage, use chicken sausage, kielbasa, shredded chicken or bacon.
- For a vegetarian version, simply keep it meat free and use vegetarian broth.
- You can thin out the soup by adding an extra cup broth.
- Use store-bought or home made red pesto.
- Don’t skip the pesto, it totally elevates this soup to the next level.
Leftovers and Storage for Creamy Bean Soup with Sausage
Bean soup with sausage is a hearty and delicious meal that’s perfect for a cold day. But what if you make too much? Don’t worry, bean soup stores well in both the refrigerator and freezer!
In the refrigerator:
- Allow the soup to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container.
- Bean soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To reheat, simply place the soup in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until heated through. You may need to add a splash of water to thin out the soup.
In the freezer:
- Allow the soup to cool completely before storing it in a freezer-safe container.
- Be sure to leave at least 1 inch of headspace at the top of the container to allow for expansion.
- Bean soup will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave.
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Cooking Video
Creamy Bean Soup with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage - mild or spicy, no casings
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup puréed tomatoes
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 3 cans (360 g/13 oz) cannellini beans - drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1.5 ounces grated Parmesan
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 8 tbsp red pesto - for serving
Spices
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes - more for serving
Instructions
- Get all the prep done before you start cooking: mince the garlic and finely chop the onion. Remove the casings from your sausage. Drain and rinse the beans.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high. Add sausage, break up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned and no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and onion, cook until fragrant, for 3 minutes. Stir in spices, and cook for 1 minute more.
- Pour in broth, add puréed tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, then add cannellini beans. Stir, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then.
- When ready, pour in cream and stir to combine. Turn off the heat and stir in Parmesan. Finish off with some extra black pepper and parsley. Adjust salt to taste.
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