When the weather is cool and you feel like staying indoors, it’s time to make a warm and comforting soup like this Italian Bean Soup with Sausage.
This delicious, hearty winter soup is sure to take the chill from your bones. It’s a classic Italian bean soup recipe made with dried beans.
This time of the year I crave comfort foods like BBQ Cowboy Beans, Cowboy Chili and this Italian Bean Soup with Sausage. Only a hearty soup or a pot of beans will do on a cool day.
How to make Italian Bean Soup with Sausage
This easy stove top bean soup can be made with mild or hot Italian sausage, depending on your taste. I’ve included some small pasta shells in this Italian soup, that are added towards the end of the cook time. You can omit this ingredient, but I think the pasta is a nice addition. However, the beans are the real star of this recipe and an absolute must.
To make this recipe incredibly easy, I used a brand new Hurst Beans product. Hurst’s Italian Bean Soup is a mix of 4 varieties of beans traditionally found in Italian cooking. It comes with a delicious seasoning packet, so a little salt and pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes are the only other seasonings I added to this soup.
Where can you buy Hurst’s Italian Bean Soup?
You can pick up a bag of Hurst’s Italian Bean Soup in the dry bean section of your local grocery store. Each package contains 15.5oz bean mix and 1 seasoning packet. I do most of my grocery shopping at Publix, and they just started carrying this new product. You can also order online at HurstBeans.com, if it’s not being stocked at your local grocer.
Can you make this Italian Bean Soup in the slow cooker?
I made my Italian bean soup on the stove top in a large enameled cast iron dutch oven, but you could easily adapt this recipe to be prepared in the slow cooker. Simply, brown the sausage first and place the drained cooked sausage in the slow cooker, along with the other ingredients. Cook on high for 4 ½ to 5 ½ hours or on low for 8 ½ to 9 ½ hours, until beans are tender.
I’m not great at meal planning, and usually don’t know in the morning what we’ll be having for dinner. This stove top soup is great! A stove top version recipe card is available to print at the bottom of this post.
To make this Italian Bean Soup with Sausage recipe you will need:
- 1 bag Hurst’s Italian Bean Soup (seasoning blend included)
- Italian sausage
- diced onion
- sliced celery
- shredded carrot
- minced garlic
- chicken broth
- diced fire roasted tomatoes
- red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper
- small pasta shells
Rinse and sort through the dry beans. Check for any unwanted debris and discard.
Remove a pound of sausage from its casing. In a 6 quart-dutch oven, add a teaspoon of olive oil, and cook sausage until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer with a paper towel lined plate.
To the leftover sausage grease, add the onion, celery and carrot. Stir, and cook for several minutes until softened.
Add the minced garlic, contents of the Italian seasoning packet, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a stir. Add the cooked sausage back to the pot, along with the dried beans, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes. Do not add the pasta shells. You’ll add those towards the end of the cooking time.
Place the lid on the pot and simmer on low heat for about 3 to hours, or until beans are tender. Remove lid, and stir in the pasta shells and cook for about 10 minutes until pasta is al dente.
Top with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, if desired, and serve with a loaf of Italian bread.
The Italian bread is a must in my opinion. You’ll want to sop up every last drop of this delicious soup.
Italian Bean Soup with Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 bag Hurst’s Italian Bean Soup seasoning blend included
- 1 pound Italian sausage casing discarded
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 stalks celery sliced
- 2 large carrots shredded
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 cans 14.5-ounce cans diced fire roasted tomatoes
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup small pasta shells
Instructions
- Rinse and sort through the dry beans. Check for any unwanted debris and discard.
- Remove a pound of sausage from its casing. In a 6 quart-dutch oven, add a teaspoon of olive oil, and cook sausage until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer with a paper towel lined plate.
- To the leftover sausage grease, add the onion, celery and carrot. Stir, and cook for several minutes until softened.
- Add the minced garlic, contents of the Italian seasoning packet, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a stir. Add the cooked sausage back to the pot, along with the dried beans, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes. Do not add the pasta shells. You’ll add those towards the end of the cooking time.
- Place the lid on the pot and simmer on low heat for about 3 to hours, or until beans are tender. Remove lid, and stir in the pasta shells and cook for about 10 minutes until pasta is al dente.
- Top with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley, if desired, and serve with a loaf of Italian bread.
This looks so good. I love comfort food when it is cold out and this looks perfect!
This looks so hearty and yummy for winter! I can’t wait to try!
Paige
This looks so good. I would love a bowl right now.
Looks amazing! Can’t wait to try the recipe!
This looks so good. It’s freezing cold here right now, so soup hits the spot.