Italian Cannellini Bean Soup Recipe (Tuscan Kale Soup)

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A healthy, delicious recipe for Tuscan Kale White Bean Soup made with Cannellini beans, lacinato kale, vegetables, and Italian sausage.

Three white bowls filled with tuscan kale soup with silver spoons in the middle.

What I love about this Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup Recipe is that it's hearty and healthy, packed with leafy greens, sauteed vegetables, white beans, and spicy Italian sausage. The sausage is technically optional but similar to Zuppa Toscana Soup, adds extra protein and so much flavor. For extra depth, we add to the stock a parmesan rind which is a classic Italian staple, and the juice of one lemon which helps brighten the soup and balance the flavors. To quote my best friend, "This soup tastes like something you'd get in an authentic Italian restaurant" which was exactly our goal.

For more homemade soup recipes, check out my Zuppa Toscana Soup and Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili. This soup would be great to serve with crusty bread such as Irish Soda Bread, garlic bread, or sourdough bread.

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Why you will love this Italian white bean soup
Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Storage
FAQ
Recipe
Reviews

Why you will love this Italian white bean soup

Healthy - This nourishing Tuscan white bean soup is packed with lots of flavors, full of protein, and loads of vegetables.
One pot meal - Easier clean up and you can store the soup in the same pot when refrigerating.
Easy to make - With just a few simple steps, this hearty soup is straightforward and takes less than an hour to make!

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The olive oil helps saute' the vegetables and brown the sausage.
Spicy Italian Sauage: This gives the soup a hint of spice and provides so much flavor. You could also use sweet Italian sausage, bacon, pancetta, chicken, or turkey sausage as a substitute.
Yellow Onion, Celery, and Carrots: Finely dice the vegetables and saute' in the olive oil until tender for optimal flavor.
Minced Garlic, Thyme, and Oregano: Blooming the aromatic garlic and spices for 2-3 minutes until fragrant is key to help bring out their flavors.
Salt and Black Pepper: A little salt and pepper helps enhance the flavors.
Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes: Although fire is in the name, I do not find these tomatoes to be very spicy. They blend well with the chicken broth and provide a flavor similar to a minestrone.
White Cannellini Beans: The hearty white beans give so much creaminess to the soup. You can also use great northern beans or navy beans if you can not find cannellini beans.
Chicken Broth: This flavorful broth pairs so well with Italian herbs. You can also substitute vegetable broth.
Parmesan Cheese Rind and Lemon Juice: In a classic Italian soup you'll often find lemon juice, maybe a pinch of nutmeg, and a parmigiano reggiano rind of two. The parmesan cheese rind gives depth to this soup while the lemon helps brighten up and balance the parmesan's salty rich flavor
Tuscan Kale: Also known as lacinato kale, gives this soup texture and color. Remove the tough woody stems and cut or tear the curly kale into slices.

Instructions

Four photos showing the process of making Tuscan kale soup. First brown the sausage, then sauté the vegetables, bloom the spices, and add everything remaining to the pot.

Finished Tuscan soup with adding the kale to the pot and then simmering until the kale has wilted.

Brown the sausage. Heat a large Dutch oven or large pot with a lid, over medium-high heat. Once hot, add ½ tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of the pot and the Italian sausage. Cook the sausage until it is no longer pink, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it browns. (I do not drain the grease, but you can transfer the ground sausage to a small bowl and drain any excess grease if needed while reserving some for the vegetables, then return the sausage to the pot. )
Saute the vegetables. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot with the finely diced onion, carrots, and celery. Add a pinch of salt to the pot. Continue to cook for 6-8 minutes until the onion becomes translucent.
Bloom the spices. Add the minced garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the spices are fragrant.
Add remaining ingredients. Add the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, cannellini beans, chicken broth, and parmesan rind, to the pot.
Boil and then simmer. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let the soup simmer for 25 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Add the kale and lemon juice. Toss in the kale and lemon juice, and stir until combined. Let the Tuscan soup simmer for 5 minutes until the kale has wilted.

Variations

Vegetarian or Vegan: Leave out the sausage and parmesan rind and swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
Add Cream: If you want to make a creamy soup, scale back 1 cup of broth and add 1 cup of heavy cream of full-fat coconut milk. You can also blend an extra can of creamy cannellini beans in a food processor and then add it to the stock. The gives a rich creamy texture without adding dairy.
Fresh Herbs: A lot of Italian soups use fresh rosemary or fresh thyme which can be substituted for dried spices. Another option is dried Italian seasoning in place of the dried thyme and dried oregano.
Use Fresh Spinach: Fresh baby spinach can replace the kale.

Storage

To Store: Store any leftover Tuscan bean soup in an airtight container. You can also store the leftover soup in the same pot it was made in. Refrigerate for 4-5 days.

To Reheat: For best results, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Close up of a white bowl with Tuscan kale white bean soup. A silver spoon is inside the soup with grated pepper and parmesan cheese in the center.

FAQ

Can you use kale stems in soup?

It's fine if a few stems are in the soup, but they leave a bitter taste and are better left out.

What happens when you put a Parmesan rind in soup?

The rind will soften but not fully melt. It slowly infuses flavor into the soup. Prior to serving, remove the parmesan rind.

Can you freeze this soup?

Yes, you can freeze Tuscan kale soup in a freezer-safe container for 1 month.

What are the best beans for white bean soup?

I love the creaminess of cannellini beans but great northern beans and white kidney beans work too.