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Italian Sausage White Bean Soup with Pasta is a deliciously hearty bowl to cozy up with this winter! It's brimming with veggies, white beans, Italian Sausage, a tomato broth, fresh spinach and orecchiette pasta, the "little ears" shape! With rich Italian flavor, this one-pot soup just needs Parmesan cheese and crusty bread!
- A Hearty Italian Soup! - This sausage white bean and pasta soup is similar to our favorite Pasta Fagioli Soup. Its a satisfying meal with hearty Italian sausage, beans and pasta simmered in a silky tomato-y broth!
- All in One Pot! - This Sausage Orecchiette Soup is made quick and easy on the stovetop, layer by layer, for a one-pot dinner that's ready in under an hour!
- If you Love this Soup, try my Sausage Gnocchi Soup, Tuscan Chicken Gnocchi Soup, and my Tomato Tortellini Soup with Ground Beef.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
A homemade soup starting with fresh vegetables and pantry staples, you'll want to make this one all winter!
- Italian Sausage - Starting this soup with bulk Italian sausage gives you amazing flavor, plus most of the salt and seasoning you'll need for the whole pot. You can use mild or sweet sausage or cut open raw sausage links.
- Onion, Bell Pepper, Celery, Garlic - Healthy veggies add the base layer of Italian flavor. You could substitute the bell pepper or celery with shredded carrot or zucchini. Fresh garlic is best, but it could be subbed with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Canned Tomatoes - Whole peeled tomatoes are great because you can chop the tomatoes as chunky or small as you like, while the juices turn your chicken stock a lovely red color.
- White Beans - Beans add heartiness and extra protein. I used great Northern beans, but you can use cannellini or navy beans as well.
- Chicken Stock - We love making Homemade Chicken Stock from Bones and Veggie Scraps and keep it in the freezer for soup making. Beef or vegetable stock could also be used.
- Orecchiette Pasta - The Italian, "little ears" pasta cook up right in the soup as it simmers. You could also substitute small or medium shells, ditalini, orzo, bowtie, or a cheese tortellini pasta.
- Fresh Spinach and Herbs - Added at the end, fresh spinach and herbs add nice flavor. Fresh chopped kale could be substituted.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Italian sausage sautes alongside the veggies before everything gets added and simmered together.
Step 1 - Chop the veggies.
Step 2 - Begin to brown the sausage, breaking it up small with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.
Step 3 - Move the sausage to one side of the pot and saute the veggies in the fat it has released on the other side.
Cook both together, stirring each occasionally, but not too often. The contact with the hot pot helps them caramelize.
Step 4 - When the sausage is fully browned and crispy, add the garlic and everything can be stirred together.
Step 5 - Add the juice from the canned tomatoes to the soup pot, then chop the whole tomatoes.
Keep them as small or as chunky as you like!
Step 6 - Add the tomatoes, white beans, oregano, stock and dry pasta.
Simmer about 25 minutes, lowering the heat as needed to keep it at a gentle simmer. Give the soup an occasional stir.
Step 7 - When the pasta is al dente (taste one), add the spinach and fresh herbs and stir to wilt in.
Step 8 - Give the soup a taste, and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread!
Recipe Notes & Tips
- A Note on Salt - Italian sausage is very salty and it may be enough to season the entire soup. I usually add a pinch of salt and pepper to the raw vegetables when adding them. Then taste the finished soup and decide if you need a pinch or two more.
- Canned Tomatoes - The whole peeled tomatoes are nice because they add tomato chunks plus juice for a silky red broth. This is flexible however, if you don't want tomato chunks, you could do crushed tomatoes or pulse diced or whole peeled tomatoes in a food processor.
- Wait to add the Pasta - When the pasta is done, it's ready to serve, and will overcook it you let it keep simmering. If you don't plan to eat right away, you can wait to add the pasta. The rest of the soup is fine to simmer on a low burner.
- What to Serve it With - Parmesan cheese and crusty bread are a must! Try my Overnight Dutch Oven Bread or add a salad like this Italian Mixed Greens Salad with Crispy Prosciutto.
- Storage and Freezing - This soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. It will thicken as it cools as the pasta and beans release their starch. You can add water or stock when reheating. Soup with pasta is not the best to freeze.
Recipe FAQs
Beginning to brown the sausage alone allows you to cook the veggies in the fat it releases. Vegetables contain a lot of water. You want to keep them separate while they cook so their liquid doesn't keep the sausage from browning. Sausage needs contact with the hot pot to get caramelized and crispy, keeping the veggies to the side helps the sausage brown instead of simmer. Cooking them side by side saves time and makes this an easy one pot soup!
The onion, celery and red bell pepper could be pureed in a food processor before adding alongside the sausage. The canned tomatoes could also be pureed for a less chunky soup.
Yes! Either the celery or red bell pepper could be substituted with shredded carrots or zucchini. Fresh spinach could be swapped with chopped kale.
More Cozy Soups!
If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!
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Italian Sausage White Bean Soup with Pasta
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- 1 onion chopped (about 1½ cups)
- 2 ribs celery chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or dried thyme or Italian seasoning)
- 1 large can whole peeled tomatoes chopped with juices
- 2 cans white beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup dry orecchiette pasta (or sub medium shells, ditalini, or farfalle)
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 Tablespoon fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary, and parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a large soup pot over medium heat. Begin to brown the sausage, breaking it up very small with a wooden spoon, about 4 or 5 minutes.
- When the sausage is about halfway browned (a little pink is ok), move it to one side of the pot and add the onion, bell pepper and celery to the other side. Season the veggies with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Cook the sausage and veggies until the sausage is fully browned and crispy, stirring each side occasionally but keeping them separate. The hot contact with the pot will caramelize the sausage and veggies, so don't stir too often, about 10 more minutes. (Optional, you can drain excess fat at this time).
- Add the garlic and stir everything together, a minute until fragrant.
- Add the canned tomato (add the juice to the pot and chop the tomatoes), oregano, white beans, stock, and pasta.
- Simmer and stir occasionally, about 25 to 30 minutes until the pasta is al dente (taste one!). Adjust the heat down from medium to keep it at a gentle simmer. Stir in the spinach and fresh herbs in the last few minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.
Notes
- Pasta - The soup should be eaten immediately when the pasta is done to avoid overcooking. If you don't plan to eat immediately, wait to add the pasta, the rest of the soup can simmer over low heat.
- Salt - Italian sausage is very salty and you may not need additional salt. You can add a pinch to the raw veggies, then taste the finished soup and decide if you need more.
- Celery, Red Bell Pepper or Spinach could be omitted or substituted with shredded carrots, zucchini or chopped kale.
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