With hearty turkey sausage, kale and creamy beans, this white bean soup is the most satisfying meal for a chilly evening! It’s flavorful and loaded with fiber and protein.
Cozy Kale, Sausage and White Bean Soup
This Italian white bean soup is one of my favorites when I’m looking for a hearty soup for those long, cold winter days. The cannellini beans and the sausage make this a high protein meal with about 35g of protein per serving, and the beans and kale make it high in fiber too. (I love kale in this Chicken Sweet Potato and Kale Soup too!) It’s naturally gluten-free, and you can even turn it into a vegan or vegetarian white bean soup by simply swapping the turkey sausage for a plant-based option and using vegetable stock in place of chicken stock.
What Makes This White Bean Soup Work
I love to top this hearty white bean soup with some good grated cheese like Parmigiano Reggianno or Locatelli and a nice piece of crusty bread like my homemade Sourdough Bread for a wonderful meal for 4 under $10!
- A meal-worthy soup: With protein-rich sausage and fiber-packed beans, this hearty soup is satisfying enough to be a full meal, not just a starter.
- Short list of wholesome ingredients: You don’t need very much to make this recipe and everything is easy to find at the grocery store.
- Weeknight-friendly: Using flavor-packed sausage means you don’t need a long simmering time to build flavor in this white bean soup.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are all the ingredients for this white bean soup with kale and sausage. See the recipe card above for the exact measurements.
- Turkey sausage: For this soup I used my homemade turkey sausage, but store-bought is fine too.
- Olive oil to brown the sausage and build flavor at the start.
- Garlic adds that signature Italian flavor and some savory depth.
- Kale: You can use curly kale or Lacinato.
- Cannellini or Northern beans are creamy and soak up the flavor from the broth.
- Chicken stock + water: I love to use my homemade chicken broth.
- Red pepper flakes for an optional kick of heat.
- Salt and black pepper for finishing the soup.
How to Make White Bean Soup With Sausage
This soup makes for an easy dinner! Here’s what you’ll need to do. See the recipe card above for printable directions.
- Brown the sausage: Heat the olive oil over medium-high and brown the sausage, breaking it into large chunks until fully cooked.
- Sauté the garlic: Add garlic and cook briefly until fragrant but not browned or burnt.
- Simmer: Stir in the water, stock, beans, and red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Add the kale: Stir in the kale and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Season and serve: Season with salt and pepper, then ladle the soup into bowls.
Turkey Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1.25 lb homemade turkey sausage meat
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 bunch kale – rinsed, leaves removed from the ribs & rough chopped
- 1 cup Cannellini or Northern beans – drained and rinsed
- 4 cups fat free chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 small pinch dried red pepper flakes, optional
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium-high heat in a medium sized pot.
- Add sausage meat breaking it up with a spatula or wooden spoon into large chunks.
- When completely cooked, add garlic and saute for 2 – 3 minutes (careful not to let the garlic burn).
- Add the water, stock, beans and red pepper flakes (if using) and stir thoroughly.
- Simmer on low for 10 minutes, covered.
- Throw in kale and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes covered. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide into four bowls and serve hot.
Last Step:
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Tips and Variations
- Add more veggies: Carrots, celery, or diced onion are great additions to white bean soup if you have them in your fridge.
- Make the soup creamier: Mash some of the beans against the side of the pot during the last 10 minutes of cooking time. The starches they release will thicken the soup.
- Add a Parmesan rind: This infuses lots of savory flavor into the soup. (It’s awesome in Minestrone Soup too.)
- Swap the kale for chard: Add the sliced chard stems with the sausage to soften and add the leaves when you’d stir in the kale.
- Or try spinach: Stir baby spinach into the soup just before serving as a milder alternative to kale.
Serving Suggestions
This white bean soup is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, or you can serve it with one of the following:
Proper Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Refrigerate white bean soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of broth or water to thin the broth if needed.
Loved this soup! I used packaged turkey sausage, added an extra clove of garlic and a small onion (diced).
Would this work with frozen kale?
Sure.
Hi Gina! I want to make this soup. Do you think the soup will still have good flavor if I just use ground turkey from the store instead of your homemade turkey?
If you use just regular ground turkey it will definately taste different, as it will be missing spices. You can use store bought turkey sausage.
It was a little liquidy – but flavor is good. I am going to add more beans the next time I make it as I like more beefer stews and soups.
It’s frigid here in Florida this weekend and I knew it was the perfect time to make this recipe. I used chicken sausage and removed the casing. I also added a small amount of onion and two sliced very thinly carrots. The depth of flavor of the broth was amazing and served it with a crusty baguette. I’m looking forward to the leftovers. Great recipe Gina!
Thanks Mary! Stay warm!
This is the perfect soup of those cold nights. I substituted for Italian turkey sausage and removed the casing before cooking. I was able to freeze the leftovers, as well, and I highly recommend this recipe.
Thanks Amy!
Quick and tasty, perfect for a winter night! I added a bit of diced onion and red pepper too. Served with grated pecorino romano and homemade sourdough as you recommended.
I loved this soup!! It was so flavorful. I added extra red pepper, salt & pepper based on others comments. I also added a few carrots and half an onion. It was delicious!
Love this soup! I use half hot sausage and half regular to add to the spicyness.
Yummy soup. I made the homemade turkey sausage and was extra generous with the sweet paprika and other spices. I tend not to like adding water to my soups, so I substituted store bought chicken bone broth for extra protein. I thought it was perfect.
An easy, healthy soup that you can make as is, or can adjust to your taste. I opted to make the sausage bc I have a hard time finding raw turkey sausage. I added a half teaspoon of salt as suggested by other reviews.
Next time, I’ll be a bit more generous with all of the spices and let it sit in the fridge for a bit. I like the idea of making mini meatballs, bc it wasn’t really “sausage”, more of a crumbled, tasty, turkey blend.
Made this recipe today. This soup was so good!
I loved the concept of this recipe (easy, versatile). I added a few extras to thicken it up (half a sweet potato, about a cup of cooked butternut squash, a few leftover veges in the fridge and some gochuchang sauce. Oh, and a couple tbsp of maple syrup! Loved it. I made the turkey sausage too .. also excellent, simple! Thank Gina 👍 👍
This was so easy and so flavorful! Excellent!
Y’all, for the flavor, ease, time and cost you can’t beat this recipe!
Fantastic taste. I used Rancho Gordo Royal Corona beans which I had soaked overnight and had cooked separately before making the soup.
This was a quick, healthful soup but not particularly memorable. I’ve enjoyed much better soups from this site. I found that one pound of sausage was plenty and more convenient to purchase than 1.25 pounds.
Have not made this yet but was thinking of adding a can of diced tomato’s…thoughts?
Delicious and easy! I was feeling under the weather and made this soup for dinner. It hit the spot! I added more garlic since I’m sick and some chopped carrots and leeks for more veggies.
Glad you enjoyed it! Hope you are feeling better!
Perfect soup for a snowy Sunday! I added onion and cubed sweet potatoes! Yum!
I rated 5 because I know it will great. But I’m questioning the WW points. Your sausage recipe (thanks much) reports as zero on the WW app. In the soup recipe it says 23 pts for the sausage. I’m gong with the ZERO for turkey sausage and only counting the olive oil. PS Love your recipes!😘
Rating a recipe you haven’t even tried is not helpful.
Has anyone used garbanzo beans instead of canelli/northern? I didn’t check my cupboards first
Delicious! First time using Turkey Sausage and wasn’t disappointed.
One if our favorite meals. Made a triple batch of the skinny taste turkey sausage recipe into mini meatballs. Now this soup will be even quicker to make.
I’ve actually been using this simply wonderful recipe for over 7 years now. I love it. I make it several times a year, especially when the weather starts getting chilly.
Thanks Sevi!
My family of picky eaters absolutely loved this recipe! Thank you!!! I served it with a side of roasted sweet potatoes which my 12 year-old son decided to dump into the soup. This made for a delicious and hearty addition. I will definitely be making this again soon!
Amazing!!!
My family really enjoyed this soup! I was looking for a recipe to use kale I received in a CSA box and this worked great. I used Italian seasoned turkey sausage with casings removed, doubled the garlic, added about 1/2 of a yellow onion and a few other seasonings. I might add a second can of beans next time. It’s definitely a recipe I’ll make again.
I made this with italian turkey sausage. I had no kale so i used a bag of spinach and also added some little dutch yukon potatoes i quartered and i had some green bean i cut into inch pieces. And also added. They were changes i made because it was what I had.
It was delicious especially the leftovers the next day. To be noted I have made it previously as written by Gina and it is also wonderful. Sometimes you just have to make substitutions. Went shopping today again no kale! I really love this filling soup.
I served with french bread and topped soup with parmesan. I used no salt in any thing except for the cheese.
I like the taste but wish it was thicker. Any suggestions to make it that way?
You could add extra white beans and puree them with broth
This was bland at first. I added sautéed onion and garlic powder (another garlic clove would have helped), salt, extra red pepper flakes, and white pepper. It was perfect and not too spicy.
This soup really impressed me. The flavor was outstanding! I only added a pinch more of the red pepper because I personally like things a tad on the spicier side. Preperation was super simple and it was done in no time at all.
This is a great recipe I have made many times-in fact it has become our Christmas Eve meal with good bread, cheese, and Christmas goodies!
I’ve made this for years. I rarely make a recipe as written, and this one is no exception.
I use flavored turkey or chicken sausage, such as Andouille, anything from Casual Gourmet brand or Sabatinos. Just don’t use anything with a mozzarella or feta cheese. The cheeses tend to get stringy in the broth. My favorite is Red Pepper & Spinach chicken sausage from Casual Gourmet. The flavored sausages give much more flavor than turkey alone does.
I brown the sliced sausage along with the garlic and onions.
I add sliced heirloom, organic tri colored carrots, and celery as well.
I also use bok choy instead of kale, cooking the white stem portion first and adding the green tops only a minute or two before serving. Once again more flavor.
I also add a good helping of spices like Trader Joes Everyday Seasoning in addition to the red pepper flakes. Any of the spice blends for chicken or pork work well here.
Serve with a nice crusty loaf of bread for a great low cal meal!
Hi there, I just made this soup. It was amazing, simple, tasteful and very satisfying. I did add 2 links of sweet Italian sausage without the casting. I will definitely will be making this again, I will cream some of the beans next time.
Can you make this ahead of time for the next day???
I can’t get the link to the sausage recipe to work. Help!
Thank you, I have corrected the link.
I made this over the weekend and it was delicious. I wanted a bigger batch so I used two cans of beans and 1 ea extra of broth and water. I also added a parmesan rind. I’ll definitely make it again and maybe puree one of the cans of beans to make it creamier/thicker.
I only used 4 store bought turkey sausages (approx 13 ozs) and plugged the ingredients into the WW app. It came to 3 freestyle points per serving based on a six serving batch.
Wow. This is excellent. The homemade sausage made it so flavorful.
This was as close to perfect as it gets! I used spicy Italian sausage links and dried beans. I made it in the instant pot and it was DELICIOUS! Even the picky ones loved it! Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Gina! This isn’t updated for Freestyle Points. I assume you’d really only count the turkey and olive oil? I made it with 99% fat free so it’s almost free points!
So good! I added more beans and sauteed mushrooms, but this was delicious!!!
Do you know how many new points this would be? Looks great!
I LOVE this soup. I did alter it a bit to make it go further/change the flavor a tad. I used 2 lbs turkey sausage, 2 cans beans (drained and rinsed), added a chopped onion (request from my boyfriend who would literally eat onions on ice cream). Also used 6 cups chicken bone broth (homemade) since I used more meat/beans, and instead of water, 1 can of lite coconut milk. The coconut milk gave it a little bit of a creamier texture and a hit of sweet to the taste – it was awesome! Also probably added more like 3-4 pinches of red pepper because I like its spicy 🙂 Already have the ingredients on my grocery list to make it again this week!
This soup is great. Made it for the family. I made the turkey sausage from scratch using Gina’s recipe. I had a bag of chard, spinach and kale so I used that. Some of us added the locatelli and some of us put a few drops of Braggs liquid aminos to our bowls. Both versions tasted great. Served with a thin slice of crusty whole grain seeded bread loaf.
Can you list directions to convert this recipe to be cooked in an instant pot?
I would just use the soup button.
Made this soup tonight with hot turkey sausage, the family loved it! Delicious! I did add a small onion and a carrot diced and pinch of fennel seed. I am enjoying your book! Thank you Gina for supplying the smart points for your book. 🙂
You’re welcome Kathy! 🙂
Can you provide the amart points for the Turkuy sausage, kale and white bean soup?
Does anyone know how many Smart Points this is ? The info only has points+ value. THanks!
Made this last night and it was amazing ! My boyfriend who was skeptical about it loved it !! Thank you
This is one of my FAVORITE soups! I am curious ,however, because I would not have thought it was 9 pts…
My son hates turkey and my husband is not a fan of kale, but they both loved this soup! They even asked me to make it again, so it's a keeper! Thanks Gina
I am making this now, with Butterball Hot Italian turkey sausage and a little extra fennel seed. My supermarket sells already cleaned and chopped kale so I eyeballed the amount. Very excited to eat dinner! Smells great!!
This tastes exactly like Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup except the potatoes are replaced with beans. Very good, and the recipe is measured perfect!
I absolutely loved this soup! I threw some celery and a small onion in there for more veggies. I also used pre cut kale in a bag because I'm lazy. This soup is filling, delicious, and healthy! I love your recipes!
Is the nutrition info just for the soup — not including cheese
Just made this and my boyfriend who doesn't like beans at all LOVED it. I'm definitely going to make a big batch and freeze it. Thanks again for another winner Gina!
This is a very tasty soup. We've made it 3 weeks in a row and headed for a fourth.
I love this soup! Made it tonight and it was delicous! I used Andouille sausage and frozen kale. Since I wasn't using a low cal sausage, I used a half a pound instead, and balance the liquid ration. yummy.
I used some Open Nature Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Sausage and some onion, extra garlic and extra pepper flakes. I too finished mine off with parmesan. Tastes wonderful! With homemade kale, this was way less than $10 at my house! 🙂
Just made this and it was soo delicious!!! Thank you for the recipe!!! I added onion to the sausage and a laurel leaf mistaking it with oregano… but delicioso!!! A mi familia le encanto!
On the stove right now with Chicken Sausage…..smells incredible. Dinner time can't come soon enough! LOL
Making this right now. I had some mushrooms I had to use so I decided to throw it in there and use a whole bunch of kale instead of half because i love the stuff, so I increased the amount of broth/water. Don't think this will affect the amount calories per serving much. Can't wait to taste it. It smells wonderful!
Can't wait to give this a go tomorrow! I heart kale.
I made this tonight but used Premio Chicken Sausage instead. It was delish! Thanks!
I made this tonight but used Premio Chicken Sausage instead. It was delish! Thanks!
I modified this by using All Natural Al Fresca Sausage b/c I didn't have time to make the homemade stuff. So yummy! I am addicted to kale lately.
I just made this for dinner, it was so delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
I can't wait to try this recipe! I've tried a couple of the recipes on your blog and loved each and every one of them, so I know this one won't disappoint 🙂
How can I reduce the sodium?
Use unsalted broth and don't add any salt.
Use unsalted broth and don't add any salt.
Love your site!! Would the points+ be the same if I used Jennie O Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage without the casing instead of the homemade stuff? (I like as many shortcuts as possible).
I've made this soup twice now. I just can't get enough!
Wow. This was really good. And simple/quick. And healthy. I did add Parmesan at the end. And I think deglazing the pan in the beginning with white wine would add a nice touch. But thanks so much for posting it!
Made this for dinner last night. Delicious. I added extra Kale and some frozen veggies that I warmed up to bulk up the amount of soup for zero extra points. I only had one cup for a serving and it was very filling. Leftovers for today…great comfort food with a crusty roll. Thanks for a great recipe.
This looks so great, going to make it today! Have made several recipes and they have all been a hit! Thank you so much!
trash them. they are super fiberous
when it says "leaves removed from ribs", are you supposed to then trash the ribs, or chop them as well? forgive me if this is a dumb question, i'm completely unfamiliar with kale!
Another awesome recipe! Perfect for this chilly rainy weather we're having here! My husband is absolutely loving it, he's asking what's on the menu for tomorrow! =) Thanks so much!
this soup is amazing [no shock all your recipes are wonderful] and is now in my rotation, and should be in everyone's 🙂 i made a little change. i added 1 cup of water and 1 can of stewed tomatoes [no salt added!]. mmmmm
Delicious soup. Have tried 4 or 5 recipes from your site and so far all have been a hit!! For this one I sub escarole for the Kale cause that is what I had and also a potato instead of beans because I am breastfeeding and trying to stay away from beans. It turned out delish! Took a little longer to cook with the potato, next time I will probably nuke the potato first then add to the soup. Hubby is not a big soup person and he really liked it.
This was so tasty and easy! Thanks! I've been using about 2 recipes a week from your site for the past month as part of my quest to eat fresh and more healthfully. You're awesome! I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything but the calories b/c your recipes are so flavorful 🙂 I tried this one with turkey brats that I took out of the casings..so good! Made some kale chips with the leftover giant bunch of kale. ~Kristen S.
Would this freeze alright? or would the kale go funny or too mushy?
Hi Gina, I made this last week and my family absolutely loved it! I substituted veggie meat for the sausage and seasoned it accordingly (my partner is vegetarian) and it came out great! This week I am making your sloppy joes!
Soooo delish!! Thank you for your blog and the hard work you put into it!!
I had this Soup last night and I got to tell you, WOW it was so Yummy, I did have to add a little Adobo seasoning to it, and that made it PERFECT in my book 🙂 I also used your Turkey Sausage Recipe in this soup, I love that recipe as well. I am so Happy that I found your Page!
Gina….do you have the nutritional info for this recipe…..the WW website won't let me input this in my online tracker without it. DELICIOUS, by the way!
This was out of this world! i actually found lamb sausages that were 2 for 140 calories, so I used 8 in the recipe, making it the exact same as the turkey meat. The lamb was so flavourful!!!!! huge hit!!
This was delicious. I used storebought turkey sausage and threw some onions in with it. A very delicious warming meal. Your website is really helping me in my weight watchers journey (I'm fairly new to it). I am happy I found you.
Thank you. — SBE
Made this for my family and it was delicious!! I added tortellini for my daughter, made it very hardy!!
This ws so delicious! Thank you for posting a great soup that was so easy to make. I loved the link to the turkey sausage, too. What a great site!
Scrumptious!! How could I have not know the awesomeness that is kale until now? What a satisfying soup and the sausage is easy to make and delicious!
I just made the soup, it was so good! I added a bit of evaporated milk and it reminded me of Olive Garden's Zuppa Tuscana.
So glad you liked it Mrs D!
Great soup. Especially love the turkey sausage recipe. It's so good to be able to control what you put in. My husband enjoyed it as well and said the leftovers are even better. Kale was perfect and I think I'll add celery and onion while browning the sausage next time. Thanks for the recipe
This is super yummy! I also added a can of chopped tomatoes and some carrots to have more veggies – delicious!
Made this last night, put extra kale, onions, carrots…lots of veggies. This was so great, I made a huge bowl and the two cups fills me up!!! Thanks again for another great recipe!
Tiffani
I LOVE this recipe…it is my go-to soup! Thanks Gina!
I made this soup last night and I can not believe how delicious it was! It was the first time I have ever had or cooked with kale and it was very good! I used chicken sausage instead because it was lower in fat and calories when I read the label in the supermarket! This is a keeper. Thank you Gina! You are amazing!
Do you have the fat/calories/protein/carbs for this one?
I just made this tonight…it's so delicious! My husband and I love it. I eat kale often and wanted to use it in a soup that was light and this fit the bill…good stuff! Thanks!
Thanks, I saw that on Kalyn's Kitchen. I must try Kale Chips soon!!
This soup is amazing! It reminds me of a Portuguese soup called Caldo Verde. I had a lot of left over kale so I did some research on the Internet about what I could make that was easy and came up with Kale Chips which were so yummy! You just pop kale in oven with olive oil and salt and they come out like chips! Great recipes Gina!
I made this soup last weekend…delicious!! I never had or used kale before, but it was very good in the soup. I love your site and your recipes! Thank you so much for all your work here!
This soup looks very yummy!! Could it be put in the crockpot and cooked on low for a few hours, rather than cooked on the stovetop?
Oh my goodness. I made this today for lunch and…wow! I nomally detest kale. Seriously, my husband has been trying to get me to eat it for a long time. This soup, though, totally changed my mind. It was amazing!!
If you don't care for kale, try baby kale as it is much milder and there aren't any tough stems or ribs …
Must have been great with bratwurst! Great easy idea!!
I made this soup for dinner tonight and my husband & I both loved it! I had to substitute spinach for kale because that's what I had, but I want to try it with kale next time. I used Honeysuckle White turkey bratwurst for the sausage, which was really good. Thanks for all the awesome recipes you post!
I just wanted to say that this has become a regular in our house. I usually use beans I've cooked from dry in the crockpot and usually use two cups instead of one. This is such a filling soup! And I absolutely love the kale in it!
You're welcome Kristen! Glad I can help!
@Laura – So glad you both enjoyed it!
This soup was incredible. I made it tonight and my husband loved it! Thank you for providing such delicious healthy recipes.
Oh thank you so much!!!! This soup was wonderful. I had some escarole in the fridge so I used that in place of the kale. My 9 years old, picky eater daughter loved it, too. It is my second of many recipes that I plan to try. You are an angel. I feel so lucky to have stumbled across your site. For medical reasons, I need to follow an all natural diet – no preservatives or addititves diet… just whole foods. I like to cook and I like good food but I didn't know how to do the diet without all that prepared diet food. Your web site gives me hope that it can be done. Monday I went through all the soup recipes and went to the market to stock up on ingredients so I can make several more of your recipes. Thank you thank you thank you! Kristen
@Thanks Erica and Grandma from Kalamazoo!!
@Kate – I've never been to the Olive Garden but I'm sure it would be good with potatoes too!
Looks great. Makes me think of my favorite soup from Olive Garden, but with potatoes instead of the beans. Planning on making this for dinner tonight.
You have a great site. I enjoy all the recipes as there are so many and they are pointed making it even better. Thanks.
Erica Olden said all the things I would like to say to you Gina. I love good food and your recipes are outstanding. You're at a busy time of your life right now and I congratulate you on many levels, especially the wonderful WW recipes.
70 year old grandma from Kalamazoo.
Gina-
I just don't know how to express how EXTRAORDINARY you and your blog are! Thank you for being a consistent place I can go- EVERY week- to plan healthy and delicious meals for my husband and I. You are an inspiration! Please keep the great recipes coming…Last week I made your crock pot minestrone and your cauliflower soup! Both were incredible! This week, onto your new soup (posted above-looks great) and your candied tomato sauce with whole wheat pasta! I just wanted to express my gratitude and say WAY TO GO, GIRL!!!! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! – Erica in Chicago
I love the photo! That soup looks so delicious and tempting…wish I had a bowl of that now!
mmm this looks great! 🙂