A sale on Italian Sausage started it all. Not long ago, I was flipping through my phone for recipe ideas. I probably do that about seventeen times a day. I ran into an Italian sausage soup with white beans and spinach and thought it sounded amazing.
Beans are a nutritional workhorse and cheap to boot. My two favorite things about making soup are: 1.) Only one pot to wash, and 2.) Cook once, eat twice because soup's always better the next day!
A couple of weeks later, I was zipping through a neighborhood grocery store for a few items and spotted a great deal on Italian Sausage. A light bulb went off in my head! No wonder. My head is always dancing with thoughts of food, pictures of food, descriptions of food, and recipe ideas.
Wait! How about a marriage of Italian Sausage, beans, spinach, and Parmesan? Bellissimo! I couldn't wait to scurry home and give Italian Sausage Soup a try.
If you want that, you've come to the right place! Let's run to the store. Grab a package of bulk Italian Sausage and head to the canned goods aisle for a can of petite diced tomatoes and some white beans! I prefer navy beans because they're smaller, but Great Northern Beans or other white beans will work, too.
Make a quick visit to the produce section and grab a bag of fresh spinach. If you don't have a sweet onion or garlic at home, you'll need those too!
Next, stop in the soup aisle! Pick up some Better Than Bouillon chicken base and a package of Knorr Vegetarian Vegetable Bouillon cubes. Please make these items a staple in your pantry! They're fabulous products, and both add incredible flavor to your homemade soups!
Since I first wrote this post, COVID happened, and I have not been able to find the Knorr Vegetable Bouillon cubes in the store, but they are available online. They may be available where you live.
I use their product so much and in so many recipes that I've started buying Knorr's Vegetable flavor base in the restaurant pack that makes eleven gallons of broth. It has a long shelf life, and we eat lots of soup, so it's been a great solution for me!
A topping of grated Parmesan is totally up to you, but skipping it on this soup is like a kiss without a hug. And I'm talking fresh grated Parmesan here and not the yucky powdered kind like at the pizza place. You know you want it. Last stop, the cheese section!
Plop that Sausage in a tall stockpot. Brown it a bit and break it up. When it loses its pinkness, drain any excess fat and add the onion and garlic. Let that all saute a bit until the onions get soft and fragrant.
Once the onion and garlic get soft and fragrant and the Sausage gets a little tinge of brown, drain any excess fat. Next, drain and rinse the beans, add them to the pot, and dump in the can of un-drained petite diced tomatoes for more color and Mediterranean flavor.
Finally, add the water along with the chicken base, pepper, and vegetable bouillon cubes. Simmer for a few minutes and stir to ensure the base and the bouillon dissolve completely.
Remove any large stems, and chop the spinach coarsely. Add it to the soup for the last five minutes, just long enough for it to wilt and get tender. It adds so much bright color!
That's it! Less than 30 minutes after dropping your grocery bags on the counter, ladle yourself a steaming bowl of Italian sausage soup, top it with a handful of grated Parmesan, and sit down to enjoy it.
Garlic toast is a perfect accompaniment to this yummy Italian sausage soup! While you've got the oven on, why not stir up a batch of easy cake mix lemon bars for dessert?! You don't even need to get out your mixer!!
This hearty, flavorful soup tastes like it simmered all day but it's ready in 30 minutes so it's perfect for a weeknight meal! Brimming with tasty sausage, creamy white beans, spinach, and tomatoes for a taste of Tuscany!
Both the Knorr product and Better Than Bouillon are available as low-sodium options.
If you liked this recipe, you are my people! So please share this post on your social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest if you enjoyed this recipe today. It would really tickle me, and I'd be ever so grateful; thank you!
Love, GB (Betty Streff)
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Just made this but left out the spinach. Even my husband liked it and he is a picky eater. Will definitely be making this again.
Great!! I'm so glad to hear that!
Hello, just wanted to say, I loved this blog post. It was helpful.
Keep on posting!
<3 Thank you!
Could you make this using broth instead of the bouillon?
what kind of broth?
Chicken or veggie?
I used Better Than Bouillon Chicken base for my broth. Veggie might be good too though!
Chicken! Better Than Bouillon has a ham base now that might be good too!
Try it! It might not have the depth and richness but t would probably still taste good!
I made this and love it! Except I made too much. Can I freeze it once it’s cooked?
Yes, it should freeze just fine. It does keep a few days in the refrigerator and tastes even better the second or third day! So tickled you enjoyed it! My friend Cindy adds tortellini and LOVES it that way!