Creamy Tuscan White Bean Soup (Printable)

A rich, hearty Italian soup with white beans, sausage, and spinach in a creamy broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 12 oz Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 3.5 oz fresh baby spinach

→ Legumes

06 - 2 cans (14 oz each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

→ Broth & Dairy

07 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Herbs & Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb mix
11 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ For Serving

13 - Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Crusty bread, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add crumbled sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5 minutes.
02 - Add onion and carrots to the pot. Sauté for 4 minutes until vegetables soften. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the beans, Italian herb mix, and red pepper flakes. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
04 - Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream. Simmer gently for 5 to 7 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
05 - Add spinach and cook until wilted, approximately 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls, top with freshly grated Parmesan, and serve with crusty bread if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been simmering it all day, but actually comes together in the time it takes to watch three episodes of your favorite show.
  • The sausage does most of the flavor work while you're chopping vegetables, which feels like cheating in the best way.
  • One pot, genuine comfort, and a finish that looks fancy enough to serve to people you want to impress.
02 -
  • If your soup seems too thin, mash a handful of beans against the pot's side before adding cream—the starch thickens everything beautifully without flour.
  • Add the cream slowly and keep heat low, because rushing or high heat can cause it to separate and break, turning your luxury into something grainy and sad.
03 -
  • Use a sharp knife for the vegetables and actually take the two minutes to dice them evenly—it's not fussiness, it's the difference between vegetables that finish cooking together and some pieces that are crunchy while others are mushy.
  • Grate the Parmesan fresh rather than using pre-shredded, because the fine shreds melt into the soup like little flavor bombs instead of turning stringy and separate.
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