When I need an easy meal to warm up with on a cold day, I turn to soups such as Zuppa Toscana, chicken and wild rice soup, taco soup, lasagna soup and this simple, yet totally satisfying white bean soup.
Tuscan White Bean Soup Ingredients
To make Tuscan white bean soup you will need olive oil, Italian sausage, white onion, celery, carrots, garlic, Italian seasoning, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, white beans, baby spinach, chopped parsley, salt and black pepper. You can serve this soup with some of my favorite side dish recipes like cheesy pull apart bread, homemade dinner rolls or tangy garlic knots.
How Do You Make Tuscan White Bean Soup?
When you make this Tuscan white bean soup recipe, start by cooking Italian sausage in a pot with a little olive oil until it browns and cooks through. Add onions, carrots and celery to the pot, then cook until the veggies are softened. Stir in garlic, along with herbs and seasonings. Pour in chicken broth, then add the tomatoes and white beans. Bring the soup to a boil then let the soup simmer until the flavors have combined and the vegetables get tender. Add some fresh spinach leaves and simmer until the greens wilt. Finish the soup with a sprinkle of fresh parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Soup
Brown your sausage so that it gets a little crispy on the outside for extra flavor and a nice texture. Be sure to rinse and drain the beans before you add them to the soup to remove excess sodium. You can purchase Italian seasoning in the store or make your own Italian seasoning blend. I like to serve this soup with freshly grated parmesan cheese, as well as some bread.
Flavor Variations
This soup is delicious as-is, but you can absolutely use other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
Protein: Swap out the Italian sausage for sliced smoked sausage such as kielbasa, ground turkey, ground beef, pancetta or diced cooked chicken. Greens: Instead of spinach, try using kale, escarole or Swiss chard. Beans: This is a white bean soup, but if you don’t have any white beans on hand you could make it with other varieties such as red kidney beans. Vegetarian: You can omit the sausage and use a vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for a vegetarian option. Creamy: For a creamier soup you can add 1/4 cup of heavy cream when you add the spinach leaves. Spicy: Feel free to use hot Italian sausage or some red pepper flakes for extra heat. Flavorings: Amp up the flavor with kalamata olives, bay leaves, a parmesan rind, sauteed mushrooms or fresh herbs like basil, oregano or fresh rosemary. You can finish each bowl of soup with a drizzle of high quality olive oil.
Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup
This recipe can easily be adapted to make in the slow cooker. Cook the sausage and vegetables on the stove top as directed, then add them to a crock pot along with the rest of the ingredients, except for the parsley. Cover and cook on low for 2-4 hours. Uncover, add the parsley, then serve. This white bean soup is on my regular meal rotation during the colder weather months. It’s a great way to enjoy your veggies!
White Bean Soup Video
