This Tuscan White Bean Soup is a delicious meal you can make in one pot. It has Italian sausage, veggies, herbs, and spices, along with creamy white beans and spinach. It's a full and yummy dish! And it tastes even better the next day because all the flavors mix together more.
This delicious soup was inspired by our Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Soup), a delicious Olive Garden copycat recipe.
The Best Tuscan White Bean Soup
- It is quick and easy, needing just one pot and 30 minutes to make.
- It's ideal for busy weeknights or quick meal prep.
- Plus, it's easy on the wallet. You only need basic ingredients, which you likely already have at home.
- It's filling, cozy, and delicious, with a blend of Italian sausage, beans, tasty spices, and veggies in every spoonful, making it the perfect comfort food.
✅ You'll Need
- Mild Italian Sausage: Adds a gentle spice and rich flavor to the soup. If you prefer a spicier version, you can opt for hot Italian sausage. For a lighter version, turkey or chicken sausage can be used.
- Yellow Onion: Provides a sweet, aromatic base. It's important to dice it finely to ensure it blends well with the other ingredients. You can also use white or red onions.
- Celery and Carrots: These add crunch, color, and a blend of flavors. Dice the celery and slice the carrots into thin coins for even cooking.
- Garlic: Adds a key aromatic flavor. Fresh garlic is preferred for its stronger flavor compared to pre-minced or powdered garlic.
- Tomato Paste: Enriches the soup with a deep, concentrated tomato flavor. Cook it for a minute with the vegetables before adding liquids to reduce its raw flavor.
- Italian Seasoning: Brings classic Italian flavors to the soup. It usually includes oregano, thyme, basil, and rosemary.
- Red Pepper Flakes & Ground Black Pepper: Adjust the amount of crushed red pepper to control the heat level.
- Chicken Broth: Provides the soup with its liquid foundation and adds depth. You can also use vegetable broth.
- Great Northern Beans: These beans are chosen for their mild flavor and creamy texture. Ensure they are drained and rinsed to remove excess sodium. Cannellini beans or navy beans are suitable alternatives.
- Heavy Cooking Cream: Adds a rich, silky texture to the soup. For a lighter version, you can use half-and-half or whole milk, but the soup will be less creamy.
- Fresh Baby Spinach: Adds color, nutrients, and texture. It wilts quickly, so you need to add it at the end of cooking. You can use kale or Swiss chard, but they will need a longer cooking time to soften.
- Fresh Parsley: Adds a fresh, herbaceous note when sprinkled on top before serving.
🔪 How to Make This Hearty Tuscan White Bean Soup
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break it apart and stir occasionally. Cook until it turns brown, which should take around 10-15 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, and carrots. Cook until the onions become soft, about 3-5 minutes. Next, mix in the garlic and cook for one more minute.
Stir in the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and black pepper until combined.
Add the chicken broth and beans to the pot and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes.
Mix in the heavy cream and spinach, and cook until the spinach wilts, which should take around 2-3 minutes.
Garnish with parsley, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (optional) and serve.
What To Serve With Tuscan White Bean Soup
Tuscan White Bean Soup is tasty and hearty enough to stand as the main course. To turn it into a full meal, accompany it with some side dishes. Here are some tasty choices for what to serve:
🗄️ Storage and Reheating
To store Tuscan White Bean Soup, first make sure it's fully cooled. Next, put it in a sealed container (or several containers if you're preparing meals ahead of time) and refrigerate. It will stay good for 3-4 days. You can warm it up again using the microwave or by heating it on the stove over medium heat.
Can I Freeze This Soup?
To store for a longer time, you can freeze it. First, let the soup cool down. Then, put it in containers that are safe for the freezer, but don't fill them all the way to the top because the soup will expand when it freezes. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you want to eat it, thaw the soup in the fridge overnight and then reheat it.
More Soups You'll Enjoy
Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
Ground Turkey Soup with Vegetables
If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! I will be happy to hear from you!
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- 1 large yellow onion diced, about 1 ½ cups
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 2 large carrots sliced into coins
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cans 15.5 ounces each Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup heavy cooking cream
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped for garnish
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, place the SAUSAGE. Cook it, breaking the meat apart with a wooden spoon and stirring now and then, until it is browned (this should take about 10-15 minutes).
- Lower the heat to medium and add the ONIONS, CELERY, and CARROTS. Cook until the onions are soft, about 3-5 minutes. Then, stir in the GARLIC and cook for an additional minute.
- Mix in the TOMATO PASTE, ITALIANSEASONING, CRUSHED RED PEPPER, and BLACK PEPPER, stirring well to combine.
- Pour in the CHICKEN BROTH and BEANS, and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the HEAVY CREAM and SPINACH, cooking until the spinach has wilted, which should take about 2-3 minutes.
- Garnish with PARSLEY and serve.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Cheryl says
The Tuscan White Bean Soup is to die for, my guy absolutely loved it. Instead of the tomato paste I added a can of fire roasted tomatoes. This recipe is a keeper!
Tatiana says
Thanks, Cheryl! I’m so glad it was a hit! Using fire-roasted tomatoes instead of tomato paste sounds like an amazing idea—what a great way to add extra flavor.
Lori says
Can you make this in the crockpot?
Tatiana says
Hi Lori! Yes! Brown the sausage first, then add everything except cream and spinach to the crockpot. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hrs or HIGH for 3-4 hrs. Stir in cream and spinach in the last 20-30 mins, then serve with fresh parsley.