This cozy, Tuscan sausage and white bean soup with kale is an easy, flavourful and quick dinner. To make this white bean soup recipe soup-er flavourful, I recommend using a homemade stock, like my parmesan rind stock. It's so good, and actually very easy to make. It works perfectly in this cozy Tuscan white bean soup with sausage.

I've been making different iterations of this Tuscan white bean kale soup for years. And I love this version with parmesan rind broth the most. It's full flavoured, rich, hearty and absolutely delicious. And also, a perfect way to use up different veggies you may have in your fridge. So if you don't have carrots, swap in some parsnips, or add celery and omit the garlic. Either way, this Tuscan sausage and white bean soup is really versatile.

Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you'll need to make this Tuscan bean and sausage soup. Check out substitutions for more options and swaps if you need.

• Italian sausage: sweet, mild or hot will work here, depending on your preference.
• extra virgin olive oil
• carrots
• yellow onion
• garlic
• cannellini beans: or another similar type of white bean such as Great Northern beans, navy beans or butter beans.
• kosher salt
• red pepper flakes (optional)
• parmesan broth (or chicken broth)
• lacinato kale (or regular curly kale): this holds up better than spinach, so I do recommend using some type of kale or other sturdy green (see substitutions).
• fresh lemon juice

Cannellini Beans

If you're new to cannellini beans, let me introduce them to you! They're truly one of my favourite beans to use in soups, stews and anywhere else you want to use a white bean. They come from Italy and can also be referred to as white kidney beans due to their shape and size. Here's why I love them.

• They're meatier than other beans.
• They retain their shape fairly well.
• Have a great, mild flavour that pairs well with ingredients like sausage, various spices and meats.
• Inexpensive and fairly easy to find.
• A great source of fibre, protein and carbs, with minerals and other essential nutrients (similar to other beans).

How to Make Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Soup

This soup is really easy and straightforward to make.

I do recommend using a homemade stock for the best flavour. And I love using my parmesan rind broth recipe as the base for this Tuscan bean soup with sausage and kale.

If you're also going to be making the homemade parmesan rind stock, prepare that in advance. You can find the recipe for that broth recipe here.

Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, toss in the sausage and cook, breaking it apart, until browned and cooked through, about seven to eight minutes. Remove and set aside on a plate lined with paper towel.

Drizzle in the oil. Add the carrots and onion and sauté for eight to ten minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds, adjusting the heat as needed to avoid burning.

Add in the beans, salt and chili flakes if using and stir for 30 seconds.

Pour in the broth and return the sausage to the pot and add the kale. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for ten minutes.

Stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide into bowls and top with extra finely grated fresh parmesan. Enjoy!

Substitutions

There are so many ways to make this soup, so check out some substitutions and other ideas below.

• Celery: add chopped celery to the soup for more veggies.
• Lacinato kale: I prefer lacinato, or Tuscan kale in this sausage and white bean soup, but either will work. Simply remove the center tough stem and roughly chop the leaves.
• Spices: depending on the type of sausage you're using, you can add additional spices while sautéing the veggies. Spices like oregano, thyme, fennel, rosemary or use an Italian mix.
• Italian sausage: feel free to use spicy if you like some heat (I like using spicy), or mild or sweet. I recommend buying the best quality you can to ensure less fillers and other unnecessary ingredients that can be in commercial sausages.
• Cannellini beans: if you can't find cannellini beans, feel free to use another type of white bean, such as Great Northern beans, navy beans or butter beans.
• Broth: this Tuscan sausage and white bean soup tastes best with a homemade broth in my opinion. But feel free to use your favourite broth, chicken broth would be the best substitute if not using my parmesan rind stock recipe.

Tips

• Make the broth ahead of time. You can keep it stored in the fridge or freezer depending on when you want to make it.
• Add less salt to start with and then taste and adjust to suit your preference. The amount of salt you'll use depends on the type of broth you're using as well.
• Brown the sausage to get the most flavour in the Tuscan bean and sausage soup and be sure to do this in the same pot you're going to make the soup in.
• Scrape up any bits from the pot before adding all the broth, this is where so much flavour comes from.
• Add more veggies to add more fibre. You can easily sneak in more veggies if you'd like. Ingredients such as chopped cauliflower, zucchini, peppers, peas, potatoes or tomatoes would all work.
• Use kale or another sturdy leafy green to avoid them becoming too wilted. My preference is for either curly kale or lacinato kale, or you can use Swiss chard or collard greens. Simply remove the stem and roughly chop the leaves. If using a less sturdy green, only add these at the end of cooking so they can still maintain some of their structure and don't get lost in the soup.

How to Store & Freeze Tuscan White Bean Soup

This Tuscan sausage and white bean soup with kale can be stored in a glass jar, or container in the fridge for up to four days.

You can also freeze portions of the soup in an airtight freezer safe plastic bag, or container for up to three months. Avoid freezing the soup with the kale if possible and add it in fresh when you're reheating it.

What to Serve with Tuscan Bean Soup

Although I find this soup very filling and hearty on it's own, here are some other options for what to serve with it.

• Salad: I love serving soup with a simple salad. I love this fig and arugula salad with ricotta salata, or my go-to kale parmesan salad (feel free to omit the prosciutto).  
• Fresh bread: serve with a side of toasted, or fresh sourdough or Italian bread. This soup is made to be dipped into with fresh bread, yum!
• Side of veggies: roasted veggies are also a great idea.

More Soup Recipes to Try

• Healthy Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Healthy Loaded Potato Soup
• Vegan Cauliflower Soup
• Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage & Kale
• Instant Pot Ramen with Crispy Pork

I hope you enjoy this easy Tuscan sausage and white bean soup!

If you make this white bean and sausage soup with kale please share with me, by tagging me on Instagram or leave a comment and/or review below. I truly love seeing and hearing form you!

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