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A warm, hearty soup combining smoky bacon, savory Italian sausage, creamy cannellini beans, and fresh spinach, with a comforting and thickened broth made by pureeing some of the beans.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 oz Italian sausage (mild or spicy, your choice)
  • 4 slices bacon
  • 1 medium sweet onion (e.g., Vidalia), chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans (white beans), drained and rinsed
  • 6 cups chicken broth (low-sodium recommended)
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 3 cups fresh spinach
  • Salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook Italian sausage and bacon together in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the fat renders, about 15 minutes.
  2. Spoon the cooked meat onto a plate, leaving about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot.
  3. Sauté chopped onion in the reserved fat until soft and translucent.
  4. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Drain and rinse the canned cannellini beans.
  6. Stir in the beans, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and rosemary, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  7. Remove the pot from heat and purée a portion of the soup using an immersion blender, leaving plenty of beans whole for texture.
  8. Return the cooked sausage and bacon to the pot.
  9. Add chopped carrots, bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
  10. Simmer until the carrots are tender, about 20–25 minutes.
  11. Stir in fresh spinach and cook just until wilted.
  12. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper.

Notes

Do not pour out all the fat after cooking the meat; leaving about 2 tablespoons adds richness., If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can blend some beans in a regular blender or mash some beans with a potato masher., Be cautious with garlic; add it after onions soften and cook briefly to avoid bitterness., Use low-sodium broth and rinse beans to control saltiness due to sausage and bacon salt content., To freeze, omit spinach and add fresh spinach after reheating., If soup is too thick, add more broth; if too thin, simmer uncovered or blend more beans to thicken., Instant Pot method: sauté meats and aromatics, blend beans, pressure cook 8 minutes, add spinach after pressure release, thin with broth if desired., Swap spinach with kale or Swiss chard; use hot sausage or add red pepper flakes for more heat., Add diced potatoes for a heartier soup if desired., For a creamier texture, stir in ½ cup cream after cooking.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/italian-sausage-white-bean-soup/