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Creamy White Bean and Kale Soup with Italian Sausage

creamy white bean and kale soup with italian sausage - featured image
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A comforting and creamy soup featuring white beans, kale, and savory Italian sausage, perfect for cozy dinners and easy weeknight meals.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 ounces Italian sausage, sweet or mild, casing removed
  • 3 cups white beans (about 2 cans, 15 oz each), cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed
  • 4 cups kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped (can substitute with spinach)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 6 cups chicken broth, low sodium preferred (or vegetable broth)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Parmesan cheese, optional for serving

Instructions

  1. Prepare your ingredients: Dice the onion, carrots, and celery; mince the garlic; remove kale stems and chop leaves; drain and rinse white beans. This should take about 10 minutes.
  2. Brown the Italian sausage: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in your pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking it up with your spoon. Cook until nicely browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  3. Sauté the aromatics: In the same pot, add the remaining olive oil. Toss in onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant—around 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
  4. Add liquids and herbs: Pour in chicken broth, then add thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
  5. Add white beans: Stir in the drained beans and the reserved browned sausage. Let everything simmer gently for 15 minutes, letting flavors meld.
  6. Add kale: Stir in chopped kale leaves and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes until kale is tender but still vibrant.
  7. Make it creamy: Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to blend about one-third of the soup right in the pot until smooth. This thickens the broth naturally. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer a portion to a blender, puree, and return it to the pot.
  8. Season and finish: Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. If you want a touch of richness, stir in a splash of good olive oil or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese just before serving.

Notes

Keep an eye on the sausage while browning to avoid burning. Blend some of the beans to thicken the soup naturally without cream. Remove the bay leaf before blending to avoid bitterness. If soup is too thick after blending, thin with extra broth or water. Add kale near the end to keep it tender-crisp.

Nutrition

Keywords: white bean soup, kale soup, Italian sausage soup, creamy soup, easy soup recipe, comfort food, weeknight dinner

Find it online: https://coracooks.com/creamy-white-bean-and-kale-soup-with-italian-sausage-easy-homemade-recipe/