Italian Bean Soup with Sausage
Looking for something cozy and satisfying? This Italian bean soup with sausage is pure comfort in a bowl! Hearty, flavorful, and ready in about 90 minutes.
Servings 12 servings
Calories 231kcal
Equipment
- Cast iron dutch oven or this kind of dutch oven
Ingredients
- 2 large white onions, diced
- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 2 bunches escarole, cleaned, trimmed and cut into 2 inch chunks
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes canned
- 28 ounces tomato sauce canned
- 70 ounces beans, 5 fourteen ounce cans total, undrained (the original recipes says a mixture of white, pink and red beans).
- 1 pound ditalini pasta, cooked to al dente as per package directions
- Romano or Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add sausage, onions and garlic and brown stirring often and using a wooden spoon to break up the sausage.
- While the sausage browns, blanch the escarole in a large pot of boiling water for 1 minutes and drain.
- Place the drained escarole back into the large pot and add the chicken broth., crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and sausage mixture.
- Bring to a boil over medium high heat and once boiling reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring periodically.
- Stir the beans and their liquid into the pot and continue simmering for another 30-45 minutes, stirring periodically.
- Serve immediately with cooked pasta on the side and top with Romano or Parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- Use good-quality sausage for the best flavor. Combining hot and mild gives balance.
- Blanching the escarole is a must. It softens the greens and mellows bitterness.
- Don't drain the beans! Keeping the liquid adds extra flavor and gives the broth a nice, creamy texture.
- Serve the pasta on the side. Honestly, this soup’s filling enough without it, but I like to give people the option. Having it on the side keeps it from soaking up all the broth.
- This Italian sausage soup recipe makes a huge batch, so feel free to cut it in half if you don’t need as much. Trust me, it’s still plenty!
- Season gradually and taste often, especially after adding beans.
- A generous sprinkle of Romano or Parmesan on top really brings everything together.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Dice onions, mince garlic, and wash escarole in advance to speed up cooking.
- Leftovers and storage- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for longer. Reheat gently on the stove and add pasta fresh if desired.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 2mg | Sodium: 1150mg | Potassium: 1237mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 3150IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 4mg