Italian White Bean Soup with Kale (Printer-Friendly)

Hearty Italian soup with spicy sausage, creamy white beans, Tuscan kale, and roasted garlic for ultimate comfort.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 6 cloves garlic, peeled
07 - 1 bunch Tuscan kale, stems removed, leaves chopped (approximately 6 oz)

→ Beans

08 - 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans or Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

09 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 cup water

→ Herbs & Seasonings

11 - 1 tsp dried thyme
12 - 1 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

15 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
16 - Extra virgin olive oil
17 - Crusty bread for serving

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Place garlic cloves on foil, drizzle with olive oil, wrap, and roast for 20 minutes until soft and golden. Cool, then mash into paste.
02 - Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking it up with spoon, and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 6-8 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
03 - Add remaining olive oil to pot, then add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until softened, approximately 6 minutes.
04 - Stir in mashed roasted garlic, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Add beans, cooked sausage, chicken broth, and water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
06 - Stir in chopped kale and continue simmering for 10-12 minutes until kale is tender but vibrant.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Serve hot, garnished with Parmesan, olive oil drizzle, and crusty bread.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours on it, but you'll have it ready in just over an hour, which honestly feels like a magic trick.
  • The roasted garlic is secretly the reason this soup tastes so restaurant-worthy and it's foolishly easy to make.
  • It's hearty enough to be a complete meal but light enough that you won't feel weighed down afterward.
02 -
  • Roasting the garlic first instead of just adding raw garlic cloves is the secret that makes this taste special, the flavor becomes mellow and almost nutty.
  • Don't skip draining and rinsing the canned beans, it removes excess sodium and starch that would make the broth cloudy.
03 -
  • Don't rush the garlic roasting step, those 20 minutes make all the difference between a good soup and one that tastes like you know what you're doing.
  • Taste as you season and remember that the flavors will concentrate slightly as the soup sits, so be conservative with salt at first.
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