Italian
Slow Cooker Creamy Tuscan Sausage and White Bean Soup
A cozy slow cooker soup filled with browned Italian sausage, creamy white beans, tender vegetables, kale, garlic, herbs, and a lightly creamy Parmesan broth. Browning the sausage before it goes into the slow cooker builds deeper flavor, while adding the kale and cream near the end keeps the greens fresh and the broth smooth. This hearty soup is easy enough for a weeknight but substantial enough to serve as a complete cold-weather dinner with crusty bread.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 380 min
- Total
- 400 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- Italian
Ingredients
- 1 pound mild Italian sausageSubstitute:
Turkey Italian sausage — Replace 1 pound pork sausage with 1 pound turkey Italian sausage. Cook the turkey sausage to 165°F before transferring it to the slow cooker.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, if needed
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsedSubstitute:
Great Northern beans — Replace the two 15-ounce cans of cannellini beans with two 15-ounce cans of Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed.
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups chopped kale, tough stems removedSubstitute:
Baby spinach — Replace 4 cups chopped kale with 5 ounces baby spinach. Stir the spinach in during the final 5 minutes of cooking because it wilts much faster than kale.
- 1/2 cup heavy creamSubstitute:
Half-and-half — Replace 1/2 cup heavy cream with 1/2 cup half-and-half. The finished broth will be slightly lighter.
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Additional Parmesan cheese for serving, optional
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Save to My Recipe BookInstructions
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until browned and cooked through to 160°F. Drain excess grease if necessary.
If the skillet is dry, add the olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften.
Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Transfer the sausage and vegetable mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
Add the cannellini beans, diced tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the vegetables are tender.
About 20 minutes before serving, stir in the chopped kale. Cover and continue cooking until the kale is tender.
Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, just until the soup is hot and the cheese has melted into the broth. Do not allow the soup to boil aggressively after adding the cream.
Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
Ladle into bowls and serve with additional Parmesan if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Mild or hot Italian sausage can be used depending on how much heat you prefer.
- Browning the sausage before slow cooking improves both flavor and texture and prevents excess grease from collecting in the soup.
- Rinse the canned beans well before adding them so their packing liquid does not make the broth overly thick or salty.
- Add the kale near the end of cooking rather than at the beginning so it retains better color and texture.
- The lemon juice brightens the finished soup and balances the richness of the sausage, cream, and Parmesan.
- Refrigerate cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Avoid a hard boil because the cream may separate.
- The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. For the smoothest texture, freeze the soup before adding the cream and Parmesan, then add them after thawing and reheating.
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