Try making this Italian Sausage and Bean Soup this season! It's a quick and easy one-pot soup that cooks up in less than 30 minutes. Hearty and comforting for the whole family to enjoy.
If you're craving more easy soup recipes, then be sure to try making a batch of Potato, Kale, and Sausage Soup and Sweet Potato Miso Soup or some Homemade Tomato Soup.
It's that time of the year when the weather is cooler and you begin to crave a piping-hot bowl of soup.
The best thing about soup is that it's a great time saver because you basically add all of the ingredients into a single pot and allow the ingredients to come together to make a delicious meal.
Soup can be full of meat and hearty vegetables or a simple broth. When it comes to soup, the possibilities and flavor combinations are truly endless.
I prefer a soup that's easy to make but full of flavor. I also love a good soup that has minimal ingredients, so today I will share with you a recipe that does just that.
Let's get started!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Italian Sausage - Use ground Italian sausage in mild or hot, try to stay away from sweet for this particular soup recipe. Adds great flavor and forms the base of the soup.
- Pasta Sauce - I prefer to use a jar of pasta sauce that is roasted garlic and herb flavored. However, you may choose to use any store version or homemade sauce that you prefer.
- Great Northern Beans - This recipe requires two cans of soup that should be drained and rinsed. The beans are mild in flavor and provide a nice heartiness to the soup.
- Water - To keep this recipe simple, just use water. But for a rich and more flavorful broth, use broth or stock in the same unit of measure.
- Coleslaw Mix - Gives this soup texture and adds in more veggies.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredients and quantities.
Step By Step Instructions
Begin the recipe by grabbing a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground Italian sausage and break it into smaller pieces. Cook until it is no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain off any excess fat if necessary before moving on to the next step.
In the same pot still over medium-high heat, add the whole jar of pasta sauce, both cans of great northern beans, and water. Stir to combine.
Once the soup comes to a boil, add the coleslaw mix and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow the soup to cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve the soup warm topped with some shredded parmesan cheese and a side of crusty bread. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Drain off any excess oil from the cooked Italian sausage, but just know that it may still end up in the soup. It's perfectly okay and adds a little additional flavor to the broth.
- Substitute chicken or beef broth or stock instead of using water for additional flavor.
- For this recipe, I prefer to use mild Italian sausage. However, you may swap it for spicy sausage for a little heat. To make the process easy, I like to use the package of loose ground sausage, but you may also use the links as well by removing the casings before cooking.
- This recipe makes enough soup to enjoy about 4 to 6 dinner portions. You may break it down into small or larger portions to fit your needs. It can also be cut in half for 2 to 3 servings.
- Before serving the soup, try topping it with some finely grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy the soup on its own or pair it with a sandwich or side salad.
Storage
If you have any soup leftovers, then be sure to store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. When ready to serve again, reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave in a microwave-safe container. This soup tastes better on the second day in my opinion.
This sausage and bean soup can also be stored in the freezer if a longer time is needed. Place in an airtight freezer-safe container for 3 to 4 months. When ready to serve the soup, thaw it in the refrigerator the night before you plan to eat it again or you can reheat the soup from frozen as well.
Recipe
Italian Sausage and Bean Soup
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or large stock pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage (mild or hot)
- 24 ounces garlic and herb pasta sauce (or your favorite)
- 2 cans (15.8 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups coleslaw mix
Instructions
- Begin the recipe by grabbing a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the 1 pound ground Italian sausage and break it into smaller pieces. Cook until it is no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain off any excess fat if necessary before moving on to the next step.
- In the same pot still over medium-high heat, add the 24 ounce jar of pasta sauce, 2 (15.8 ounces each) cans of great northern beans, 3 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Once the soup comes to a boil, add the 1 ½ cups coleslaw mix and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow the soup to cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve the soup warm topped with some shredded parmesan cheese and a side of crusty bread. Enjoy!
- If you have any soup leftovers, then be sure to store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Drain off any excess oil from the cooked Italian sausage, but just know that it may still end up in the soup. It's perfectly okay and adds a little additional flavor to the broth.
- Substitute chicken or beef broth or stock instead of using water for additional flavor.
- For this recipe, I prefer to use mild Italian sausage. However, you may swap it for spicy sausage for a little heat. To make the process easy, I like to use the package of loose ground sausage, but you may also use the links as well by removing the casings before cooking.
- This recipe makes enough soup to enjoy about 4 to 6 dinner portions. You may break it down into small or larger portions to fit your needs. It can also be cut in half for 2 to 3 servings.
- Before serving the soup, try topping it with some finely grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy the soup on its own or pair it with a sandwich or side salad.
Nutrition
*All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.
Original post date 9/16/2013. Updated 11/28/2022.
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Have any comments, questions, or other delicious ideas and ways to enjoy this hearty and comforting Italian Sausage Soup with Beans? Please share them in the comments below!
Sharon
The beans and sausage together were enough to have me making this recipe, but then you came in with the addition of coleslaw mix and I knew this was going to be a regular on my winter soup rotation. Amazing!
LaKita
Thank you Sharon! Happy to hear you enjoyed the soup recipe 🙂
Colleen
This sausage and bean soup is a meal in itself. I love the addition of the coleslaw mix! Great recipe, thank you!
LaKita
Thank you Colleen, the coleslaw definitely gives it a little something extra!
megane
Such an awesome combination in a soup. I make this in bulk and freeze for easy meals when I cannot be bothered. It always is a favorite here.
LaKita
Thank you Megan! This is a great soup to have on hand!
Cathleen
I love this soup! It is so perfect on extremely cold days like today. Pinned to make over and over, thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
LaKita
Thank you Cathleen, I agree this is a great soup for cold days 🙂
Ashley
This looks like such a good soup! And I love adding the coleslaw mix to cut down on prep time. Genius!
LaKita
Thank you Ashley, yes we love a good shortcut around here 🙂
Jacqueline Debono
We loved this soup, sausage and beans together is a classic combo and the coleslaw mix gave it a great texture. Easy, hearty and warming!
LaKita
Thank you Jacqueline, happy to hear you enjoyed the soup recipe!
Mindy
So delicious and satisfying. We love it! I seriously could eat this everyday!
LaKita
Thank you so much Mindy, I completely agree!!
Enri Lemoine
My kind of recipe. I made it, and I must say this is comfort food at its best. The addition of the cabbage was genius! I can't wait to make it again when it gets colder in South Florida.
LaKita
Thank you Enri! I agree, it's such a great cold weather soup!
Lauren Michael Harris
I made this sausage and bean soup for dinner this weekend because it was so cold out. It was perfect - my husband is already asking me to make it again soon!
LaKita
Thank you Lauren, happy to hear you and your family enjoyed it!!
Lorraine
This is my kind of soup. However, what is coleslaw mix?
LaKita
Great Lorraine! It's a mixture of chopped cabbage combined in a bag and ready to use for coleslaw. You can usually find it with the bagged salad mix at the grocery store.
Damia
I just made this with home made crusty bread. It’s delicious!
LaKita
Thank you Damia! Glad to hear the soup was a success for you and with crusty bread is perfect!