Description
This hearty Sausage and White Bean Soup combines savory ground sausage, creamy cannellini beans, and nutritious kale in a flavorful broth enriched with white wine, Dijon mustard, and Parmesan cheese. Perfect for a comforting meal, this soup features a balanced blend of herbs and a touch of spice from red pepper flakes, simmered gently to meld all the flavors perfectly.
Ingredients
Scale
Herbs and Seasonings
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb ground sausage (regular, hot, or mild)
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth (preferably low sodium)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (can substitute half and half)
- 2 (15.5 oz) cans Cannellini beans (drained but not rinsed)
- 3 cups kale, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare seasonings: Combine oregano, basil, parsley, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside. Measure out all other ingredients to have them ready.
- Cook sausage: Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the ground sausage and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon. When halfway cooked, reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and continue cooking while stirring occasionally until fully cooked, about 10-12 minutes. This method helps render the fat and develop rich drippings.
- Reserve drippings: Remove the sausage from the pot, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Set the cooked sausage aside. If needed, butter can be used instead of drippings in the next step.
- Deglaze pot: Turn off the heat temporarily. Pour in the white wine, then return heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to scrape and “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot to incorporate flavorful browned bits into the liquid.
- Sauté vegetables: Add the reserved drippings, butter, diced onions, and celery to the pot. Stir to combine and cook until the liquid reduces by half, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add aromatics and seasonings: Stir in the minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and the combined herbs and spices. Cook everything together for 1 minute to release the flavors.
- Add broth and cream: Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Stir well to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Simmer sausage: Return the cooked sausage to the pot. Cover partially and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to develop flavor.
- Add beans and kale: Stir in the drained cannellini beans and continue simmering for 10 minutes. Then add the chopped kale and cook until wilted, about 3-5 minutes.
- Finish the soup: Remove the pot from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese and fresh lemon juice. Adjust seasoning if needed and serve warm.
Notes
- For a Crock Pot method, brown the sausage separately, then combine all ingredients except kale, Parmesan, and lemon juice in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add kale, Parmesan, and lemon juice in the last 30 minutes.
- Use regular, hot, or mild sausage depending on your heat preference.
- White wine adds depth but can be omitted or replaced with chicken broth.
- Low sodium chicken broth helps control the saltiness of the soup.
- Heavy cream can be substituted with half and half for a lighter option.
