Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage and Kale

5 from 2 votes

This Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage and Kale is a healthy, filling and easy dinner recipe for chilly nights!

Course Lunch or Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword tuscan white bean soup, white bean soup, white bean soup with kale

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 50

Total Time 55

Servings cups

Calories 191.6kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed (I used sweet Italian turkey sausage, but any variety will work)
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
3 (15.5 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, divided
1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, NOT drained
4 cups chicken broth, plus extra to thin, if desired
1 bunch fresh kale, stems removed and roughly chopped (about 8-10 ounces)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional for serving: chopped fresh parsley; thick slices of toasted bread

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and garlic and cook, stirring regularly to break the meat up with a wooden spoon, until sausage is no longer pink – about 5-7 minutes.
Add all but 1 cup of the beans and the entire can of tomatoes, setting aside the remaining 1 cup of beans to use later. Cover and simmer gently for about 5 minutes.
Place remaining 1 cup of beans in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. You may need to add a splash of water or broth to get them to blend. Transfer the pureed beans to the pot.
Stir in broth and kale. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Remove from heat and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Serve with toasted bread.

I used turkey Italian sausage here, but any variety of sausage will work. If you can't find bulk Italian sausage, just cut the casings off of sausage links.
This is a thick, stew-like soup. If you prefer a soup with more broth, use 5 or 6 cups of broth instead of 4.
If you use regular chicken broth, you probably won't need any extra salt. To reduce the sodium in the soup, try using low-sodium chicken broth instead, and then season to taste.
For an authentic presentation, cut a crusty Italian bread into thick slices. Rub with olive oil and toast until golden brown. Place the toast in a bowl and spoon soup over top.
Omit the kale and make a spinach and white bean soup instead! If using fresh spinach leaves, wait until the last few minutes of cooking time to add the spinach to the pot. It's a delicate leaf, so it will wilt instantly and doesn't need as much time to cook as the kale does. Real Simple has a different Spinach and White Bean Soup recipe here, if you're interested.
Instead of the sausage, try making your soup with ham or bacon.
Can you freeze white bean soup? Absolutely! This is a great freezer-meal. To freeze, allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Package in airtight containers or Ziploc freezer bags and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.