Although spring is officially here, it is still well below freezing and snowing out so I am in the mood for soup! This spinach, white bean and turkey sausage soup has to be one of my favourites and it is perfect for this time of year when it is still pretty cold out but I am already thinking about lighter spring fare. One of the things that I like most about this soup is how quick and easy it is to make and despite that it is so tasty and packed full of flavour! The turkey sausage and beans keep this soup light and healthy and I always like to include some greens like spinach, kale or swiss chard. If you have a parmesan rind lying around, toss it into the soup while it simmers to add an extra layer of flavour and hitting the soup with a shot lemon juice just before serving adds a beautiful brightness.
Feel free to bulk this soup up, and makie it even healthier, by adding more vegetables like zucchini!
Serve the soup with garlic rubbed crostini or garlic bread to make sure that none of that tasty broth escapes you!
Spinach, White Bean and Turkey Sausage Soup
A quick and easy soup with Italian turkey sausage, white beans and spinach that is full of flavour and nice and healthy.
ingredients
- 1 pound Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
- 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 (2 inch) piece parmesan rind (optional)
- 1 bunch spinach or kale or swiss chard, coarsely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- lemon juice to taste
directions
- Cook the sausage in a large sauce pan over medium heat and set aside, about 6 minutes.
- Add the oil, garlic and red chili pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the broth, sausage, beans, oregano, bay leaf and parmesan rind, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the spinach and simmer until it wilts, about 1-2 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, remove from heat, remove bay leaf and parmesan rind and serve while hot.
Pasta e Fagioli Soup (Italian Pasta and Bean Soup)
Lasagna Soup
Ham and Bean Soup
Lentil Stew with Italian Sausage and Kale
Tuna, White Bean and Kale Soup
Italian Sausage Stuffed Pepper Soup
Venezuelan Black Bean and Chorizo Soup
Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage & Spinach
Kielbasa Sauerkraut Soup
Jalapeno Popper Bacon and Bean Soup
Zuppa Toscana
Minestrone Soup
Tien says
January 8, 2009 at 1:49 amKevin,
You are always cooking up yummy stuff. It always makes me hungry looking at your blog.
Ben says
January 8, 2009 at 3:05 amOh very nice light soup. I think spinach is great in soups.
Mike, Ashley & Queen Mia says
January 8, 2009 at 3:08 amWhile I know that this is a food, cooking, eating type blog, I have to quickly comment on your photography. Simply amazing! As a fellow home chef I am inspired by the way you make your dishes look so tantalizing! Please keep the fabulous photos coming!
Astra Libris says
January 8, 2009 at 3:21 amI adore spinach and white bean soup! I love your addition of the turkey sausage – thank you for the terrific suggestion! I will definitely fix your version next time I fix spinach and white bean soup – which will be soon, for it definitely is the season for soups! 🙂
Sharon says
January 8, 2009 at 4:16 amYou read my mind! There’s a similar soup I made awhile back and I couldn’t remember what went in it.
Mochachocolata Rita says
January 8, 2009 at 4:47 amkev! i love this idea! simple and tasty, i shall try asap
hmmm i’d probably keep the sausages in tact…or replace em with minced meat?
bridgett says
January 8, 2009 at 4:54 amWhat a hearty and warming meal. Love it!
Christina says
January 8, 2009 at 5:11 amDelicious! Love the sausage edition. Coincedentally, I made a very similiar soup for my dinner tonight! Must be all the winter weather inspiring it!
Sharon says
January 8, 2009 at 5:45 amAwesome Kevin! Looks great!
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
January 8, 2009 at 6:08 amThis soup must be heavenly! I bet it tastes wonderful!
Cheers,
Rosa
Paula says
January 8, 2009 at 7:31 amYuuum! I eat soup like this all the time. White beans and spinach are such a great team! I’ll have to try your turkey sausage version. YUM!
TasteHongKong says
January 8, 2009 at 8:00 amMay I share with you soup lovers the recipes included in my newly published blog. Here they are: http://www.tastehongkong.com/recipes/type-soup.
Thanks for visiting.
TasteHongKong
Jeena says
January 8, 2009 at 10:39 amLovely warming soup Kevin. 🙂
Happy cook says
January 8, 2009 at 12:55 pmWow delicious and filling soup.
Delicious.
Chef Fresco says
January 8, 2009 at 1:29 pmLooks good man.
Hayley says
January 8, 2009 at 1:31 pmLooks beautiful. I’d love to try that pureed version with some farro. Sounds tasty.
Maria says
January 8, 2009 at 2:34 pmI love adding white beans to soups! And the spinach makes this one gorgeous!
Jacque says
January 8, 2009 at 2:41 pmYour flavorful dishes always look so good, especially after I’ve gotten myself into a sugar coma baking along with Tuesday’s with Dorie.
Your soup looks absolutely perfect.
j & j dish it out says
January 8, 2009 at 2:42 pmI just started South Beach Diet and this soup is PERFECT! No sugar, no carbs (minus the yummy looking bread). What great timing. I love all of your stuff and referred many people. They are amazed at your food and your pictures. Keep up the good work.
Mila says
January 8, 2009 at 3:33 pmThis looks yummy! Alton Brown made something like this on his holiday show. Except he used kale and kalbasa.
pigpigscorner says
January 8, 2009 at 3:53 pmWow this looks amazing! I love beans!
Kate says
January 8, 2009 at 5:42 pmThis looks lovely. I have several cans of white beans to use and I’ll adapt this to clear out the pantry. Thank you.
Pam says
January 8, 2009 at 5:56 pmLight, healthy and so tasty. This is my kind of soup.
Anonymous says
January 8, 2009 at 5:58 pmHello there, what a great looking recipe! I would like to try a version with farro. I wanted to know when in the cooking process you would add the farro, and whether you would add it cooked or uncooked. Thanks!
Colleen says
January 8, 2009 at 6:44 pmThis has all my favorite flavors in a soup!
Patsyk says
January 8, 2009 at 8:06 pmThat soup looks so appetizing today. It’s so cold outside, that’s all I want these days!
lisaiscooking says
January 8, 2009 at 8:13 pmA brothy soup with beans is the best!
Grace says
January 8, 2009 at 8:20 pmi have to admit–i’ve never had a soup containing spinach. doesn’t the stringiness of it seem weird in your mouth? meh, the presence of the beans is enough to help me get over it. 🙂
Dragon says
January 8, 2009 at 9:42 pmOn a cold day like today, this soup would warm things up nicely.
joe@italyville says
January 8, 2009 at 9:51 pmgreat for the weather we’re having around here! Looks delicious Kevin.
Anonymous says
January 8, 2009 at 10:39 pmOh MAN does this look good! I would eat soup every day in the winter if the huz would let me. he has it in his head that ‘soup isn’t a real meal’ and so he’ll eat it only once a week to please me.
I did a lovely one last night, a ‘southern new years soup’ with black eyed peas and kale. it was divine! just discovered your blog and I’m LOVING it kevin! and my heart always goes out to a fellow torontonian 🙂
Karen says
January 8, 2009 at 10:55 pmDelicious. I like the splash of lemon at the end. I bet it really wakes things up!
MaryBeth says
January 9, 2009 at 12:40 amOMG…this soup looks so heart warming and yummy.
Pam says
January 9, 2009 at 1:01 amYour spinach is so pretty. I think I had mine too early, it gets sort of gray looking.
Anonymous says
January 9, 2009 at 1:46 amWhat a super looking soup, Kevin!
I will definitely try your version with the turkey sausage and the spinach! We love soup!
I enjoy your blog, pictures and recipes! Thanks. 🙂
Kevin says
January 9, 2009 at 2:16 amAnonymous: I would add the farro when you add the stock as farro takes about 20 minutes to cook.
Kevin says
January 9, 2009 at 2:24 amMochachocolata Rita: The minced meat would work but the sausages would add more flavour.
noobcook says
January 9, 2009 at 2:28 amlooks really rich and comforting =D
Mrs Ergül says
January 9, 2009 at 2:40 amspot on on how to twist this basic dish into many delicious meals! This is good stuff!
ttfn300 says
January 9, 2009 at 3:05 ami’ve been meaning to make something like this!! lovely 🙂
Michelle says
January 9, 2009 at 3:13 amthis looks delicious and it’s finally getting cold enough here for soups. I can’t wait to try this.
Katie says
January 9, 2009 at 4:29 pmI love soups like this. I made one that was similar this weekend but this one looks fantastic.
Maggie says
January 9, 2009 at 11:13 pmDelicous looking soup! I think since the holidays have ended we’ve eaten soup 5 out of every 7 days. I have to give this one a try.
Jan says
January 10, 2009 at 12:53 amThis soup sounds totally scrummy, as does the cheesy garlic bread. I always use fresh garlic on my garlic bread – lots of it. 🙂
Gina says
January 10, 2009 at 2:50 amLove your blog and love your photos Kevin!
Anonymous says
January 10, 2009 at 6:33 pmThis reminds me of a version I get at a local italian place. Lovely presentation.
giz says
January 10, 2009 at 10:16 pmYup, we’re definitely on similar star patterns. I soaked a whole container of beans and used only half so now I’ll take the turkey from Xmas and mix it with the rest of the beans to make a soup. I like the addition of the sausage…
Robin Sue says
January 12, 2009 at 2:07 pmThis is one of my favorite types of soups. Looks so good!
Jeanne says
January 12, 2009 at 2:57 pmOh, that looks just right for the weather we’ve been having! Love the idea of pureeing some of the beans to add body to the soup.
The Culinary Sherpas says
January 13, 2009 at 1:42 pmThis has always been one of my fav soups. It’s light enough for our Tampa winters but still soothes the soul. Mmmmmmm.
j & j dish it out says
January 23, 2009 at 11:40 pmKevin, I made this yesterday and it was so good. Very light and clean tasting. Does that make sense? I am trying to watch carbs and sugar so this is perfect. I ate the leftovers for lunch today. I can’t wait to make it again.
liz says
February 7, 2009 at 11:44 pmyum! my husband and I are doing South Beach and this will be a perfect soup! I’m going to make it this week!
wolfenlion says
March 2, 2009 at 6:06 pmThis soup is delicious. I used 6c of broth instead of 4c but left all other measurements the same. I think this is my new favorite soup. I’ll definitely make it again soon.
Becko says
January 18, 2010 at 6:46 pmThis is my favorite version of this soup! It's a regular on our menu now.
THANKS!
Anonymous says
February 19, 2010 at 4:07 pmThanks for the inspiration! I made a small batch of this the other night with one link of hot Italian sausage, a can of cannelini beans and some fresh spinach I had bought for salad. Turned out great and the bit I had leftover was even tastier the next day.
Anonymous says
June 24, 2010 at 9:07 pmI'm a personal chef. I made this today for my clients. Great! We made it previously and decided it was a little strong on oregano. So, this time we used half oregano and half basil and added a can of diced tomatoes. Perfect! Thanks for the inspiration.
Greg says
September 7, 2010 at 3:45 pmJust stumbled across your site, great recipe!
Plain Ol' Me says
November 5, 2010 at 10:07 pmMaking this with the family right now! Your photo suggests that your recipe used ground turkey sausage? We'll see how it goes with sliced turkey sausage links.
Robyn says
December 20, 2010 at 2:40 pmI just made this yesterday for my family. I doubled everything because we're such a large group. THEY LOVED IT!! Thank you very much for this recipe. : )
Patricia says
September 4, 2011 at 2:00 pmYou know, Kevin, many of us have the same problem as you mention in your profile. Living on the same handful of standby meals day after day, year after year. Well, I found this recipe and am pleased to be getting dressed as we speak to get the beans (I have everything else). I can easily tell this will easily become one of my staple go-to meals. Simple and tasty. I've also liked you on Facebook. Good stuff, buddy!
Anonymous says
October 14, 2011 at 1:09 pmI made this last night and it was easy and so delicious, I didn't have stock, so i used broth and reduced it a little before adding the beans. It didn't even need salt at the end
thanks for a great recipe
Patricia says
November 24, 2011 at 7:55 pmJust wondering, Kevin (or anyone else who's already made the recipe). What's the lemon juice for? I just skip it but for anyone who uses it, any difference?
The last time I made the soup, I threw in some leeks, some fresh jalapeno, a touch of dill and I always use red onions instead of white.
Kevin says
November 30, 2011 at 9:24 amPatricia: I like the touch of brightness that the lemon juice adds. You could easily replace it with vinegar or omit it altogether.
One of the things that I really like about this soup is that you can play around with the recipe adding or replacing different ingredients to keep it interesting!
The Pontificator says
December 15, 2011 at 6:15 pmI know a winner when I see one and I can just tell this soup is a winner.
I'm going to add cooked soup pasta (Ditalini) to individual servings.
Thanks for posting this. I'm new to your blog and the recipes look very good. Definitely worth bookmarking.
The Pontificator says
December 18, 2011 at 3:21 pmI sent this recipe over to my mother and she made a double batch yesterday.
Delicious.
On my way out the door I noticed the recipe was tacked to the refrigerator door. Penciled on the paper was the highest compliment: "KEEPER!"
The Royal Me says
January 3, 2012 at 12:15 amJust made this with kale! Super delicious!!
Patricia says
February 6, 2012 at 12:24 amHey, Kevin! Me again. I just shared your recipe with yet another friend and I've got a pot on now so I can take some to work tomorrow. Mmmm mmmmm, good!
Emily says
March 5, 2012 at 8:27 pmI found this recipe via pinterest, and made it because I already had everything in my kitchen. I LOVE IT. I love the flavors, and the splash of lemon juice just helps to brighten everything and keep it light. Even my husband has really enjoyed it–so thanks for making our end-of-winter a bit tastier.
Patricia says
June 13, 2012 at 10:00 pmKevin, you're absolutely right – the lemon juice is NOT to be omitted. I was just preparing some salad greens for dinner tonight and remembered just yesterday I got a great sale on Hillshire Farms smoked sausage – but one get one FREE! That's huge! So tomorrow one of those one-lb. packages will be gone and into a pot of this delicious elixir. I'm also pinning this – gotta share you with Pinterest.
Unknown says
September 25, 2012 at 5:53 pmJust made this with spicy Italian chicken sausage and kale, it was delicious…even better the next day. I appreciate this simple recipe!
Patricia says
October 3, 2012 at 6:23 amMe again! Where are you finding 19 oz. cans of Cannellini beans? I can only find the 15 oz. by Goya or the HUGE (over 1 lb.) can which I do buy for double batches sometimes.
So is that just a typo or is there a 19 oz. can? Apartment smells good – 2:30 a.m. and I'm cookin' up some for the rest of the week! This is my favorite anytime soup – all year long.
Kevin says
October 4, 2012 at 1:43 pmPatricia: The standard size for cans of bean here in Canada seems to be 19 ounces and 15 ounce ones are harder to find. I say you can't go wrong with more beans so 2 15 ounce cans would be fine but then so would a single 15 ounce can. This is definitely one of my favourite soups as well, I just made a batch last week!
Jenny says
October 16, 2012 at 12:59 amI approached this recipe with skepticism because I thought it would be bland, but I decided to put my reservations to the side because everything I've ever made from this website has came out amazing. I am glad that I made this because it was great! Flavorful, comforting, light. A great soup as a meal recipe! Another great recipe from this blog.
Marie Matter says
March 21, 2013 at 2:50 pmI'm freezing right now and just want a big bowl of this!
Anonymous says
March 21, 2013 at 3:37 pmAgain it looks so amazing !
Anonymous says
March 22, 2013 at 8:31 amkevin, porque no pones por lo menos una foto a imprimir ? solo texto, se ve banal amigo mio
gracias
aurelia
Anonymous says
March 24, 2013 at 2:18 amThis was such a yummy soup. Comforting after having the flu, it hit the spot! Thank you!
Anonymous says
October 5, 2013 at 12:18 amLoved this!!! I added pkg sliced creminis and 3/4 c chopped onions when sauteeing the pork. Yummy.
kevin says
October 5, 2013 at 9:38 amAnonymous: Mushrooms would be a nice addition!
Anonymous says
September 14, 2014 at 12:28 amVery good soup! We used ground turkey and threw in Italian spices instead of the sausage and used the chard. I will be making it again
Connie says
February 6, 2019 at 5:27 amCan’t wait to make this great soup! Do you think escarole would be a good swap for the spinach? I’m thinking it would hold up better for reheating the soup, plus I really love it
kevin says
February 7, 2019 at 9:22 amEscarole would be good! Enjoy!