Sausage and Bean Soup

This satisfying, cozy sausage and bean soup is packed with nutrition, heat and fantastic flavors. A perfect meal in a bowl with some hot crusty bread.

The soup is easy to make and, with any luck, you’ll have great leftovers the next day. Needless to say, it’s a perfect make-ahead soup.

My friend, Cathy Kreuter, shared this hearty soup recipe with me. I tried it and loved it. I know my husband loved it too because he polished off half the pot in one sitting.

There are many similar recipes on the internet. This is a good one. As with most soups, both Cathy and I tweak them to our tastes. You can too. 

The core ingredients are sausage, beans and tomatoes. We added lots of veggies and some baby pasta to amp up the nutrition and comfort factors. The pasta thickens the soup slightly, making it a cross between a soup and stew. 

Tip: Make lots! Serve it with some hot crusty bread, a great salad or a Puff Pastry Tomato Tart.

This sausage and bean soup has all the components we love in a soup:

• versatility (add what you like and have available)
• body
• exceptionally good nutrition
• comforting and filling
• great leftovers for lunch
• super tasty

The answer is YES!

• Can I make this in the Instant Pot? How about in a Slow Cooker? 
• Can I make a vegetarian version?
• Can I make a low salt version?  

You will find instructions for the Instant Pot and slow cooker versions in the recipe notes. 

Is sausage and bean soup healthy?

Yes. This hearty soup is high in fiber, protein, potassium and iron and contains considerable vitamin A and C. It’s also pretty low in saturated fat as you can drain off most of the fat once the sausage is cooked.

Tailor To Your Taste

Here are several variations and substitutes you can try. 

• Vegetarian version: Replace the sausage with a vegetarian sausage such as Beyond Meat or leave it out altogether. And, of course, substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth. For added depth, add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste. 
• Low salt version: Skip the Parmesan cheese. Use cans of  low salt beans and low salt tomatoes. 
• Sausages:
  • So many choices here – spicy, mild, cooked, fresh, chicken, turkey, pork, beef. Here’s a good article on sausage types from Spruce Eats. 
  • Use fresh sausages (used in this recipe) such as spicy Italian sausages or Chorizo. Or mild fresh farmers or garlic sausages. For fresh sausages, remove the meat from the casings before pan frying. Most of the fat is drained out of the sausage when you saute it which means less fat in the soup.
  • Smoked cooked sausages—such as andouille or kielbasa can be added with the simmer as no pan frying is needed. Even a smoky hot dog will work.
  • Go as mild or spicy as you like. 
• Vegetables: We use onions, carrots, celery and spinach. Other good options are zucchini, mushrooms and green beans. 
• Pasta: Instead of orzo, try acini di pepe, baby penne, fine egg noodles, macaroni, etc. Leave out the pasta if you prefer (the soup will be thinner). Or replace it with diced potatoes. 
• Spice level: You can control the heat to some extent by buying the sausage as spicy as you like. If you are using a less spicy sausage, just add a pinch of chili flakes to make up the difference.   

Shortcut

• Instead of dicing the vegetables with a knife, throw them into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. It’s fine if a few bigger pieces remain.
• Buy cooked smoked sausage and slice it into small pieces. With this option, you can skip the pan fry step. 

Make Ahead 

• The sausage bean soup will keep well in the fridge in a sealed container for 4-5 days. If it thickens up too much in the fridge, just add more broth.
• The soup can also be frozen for several months. Defrost and reheat in the microwave or in a pot.

Other hearty soups you might enjoy

• vegetable barley soup
• root vegetable soup with barley
• ground beef vegetable soup recipe
• red lentil soup recipe with vegetables
• chicken lemon orzo soup Thai-style
• French onion soup recipe (instant pot)

How to make sausage and bean soup

This sausage and bean soup recipe, originally published in 2017, has now been updated.