Description
This Tuscan White Bean Soup is a hearty and comforting dish featuring mild Italian sausage, fresh vegetables, tender Great Northern beans, and baby spinach in a creamy broth. Perfect for a quick yet flavorful weeknight meal, this soup blends traditional Italian seasonings with rich textures to warm you up in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
Vegetables
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 ribs celery, diced
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- Parsley, chopped for garnish
Pantry
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Brown the sausage: In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the mild Italian sausage for about 10-15 minutes until browned and cooked through, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks.
- Sauté vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium and add the diced onion, celery, and sliced carrots to the pot. Cook these together until the vegetables have softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, allowing the garlic to release its aroma without burning.
- Combine seasonings and broth: Mix in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and ground black pepper. Then pour in the chicken broth and add the drained Great Northern beans. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 6-7 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Add cream and spinach: Stir in the heavy whipping cream and fresh baby spinach. Continue cooking until the spinach wilts gracefully into the soup, about 5 more minutes.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with freshly chopped parsley for a bright, fresh finish. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use mild Italian sausage for a balanced flavor; spicy sausage can be used for a kick.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute the heavy cream with coconut milk or omit entirely.
- To make this dish vegetarian, use vegetarian sausage and vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Adjust crushed red pepper according to your preferred spice level.
