Italian Sausage, White Bean, & Pasta Soup
This soup packs a healthy dose of flavor and heartiness! It is wonderful as a full dinner with some crusty bread to sop up all the juice!
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage We like it spicy!
- 1 cup carrots chopped (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1 cup onion chopped (about ½ of a large onion)
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1½ cups chicken or beef broth
- 2 cups canned chopped tomatoes (1 14.5-ounce can)
- 2 cups white beans (1 can or 1 cup dried, soaked, and partially cooked)
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 cup pasta shells, fusilli
- 6 ounces fresh spinach chopped
- fresh parmesan cheese to grate on top
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven to medium heat. If you are using sausages in casings, squeeze the sausage from the casings into the pot. Stir often, breaking the meat apart with a spoon, until browned and crumbly, 8-10 minutes. If there's a lot of fat left, spoon some out.
- Add carrots, onion, and garlic; stir often until the onion is translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, and basil. Simmer until the carrots and onions are tender, 15-20 minutes.
- Bring soup to a boil again, then add the pasta. Cook until the pasta is just tender to bite, about 10 minutes, or according to package instructions.
- Stir in the spinach and cook till it is wilted, about 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve in soup bowls with plenty of fresh Parmesan cheese to spoon on top.
Notes
I soaked one cup of dried navy beans overnight, then rinsed them and simmered them for about a half hour. I still wanted a little bit of a bite to them because I knew they would cook a bit more in the soup.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!