Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup
Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup is a tasty slow cooker soup that starts with dried beans cooked all day in the slow cooker! If that’s just not going to work at your house, you can use canned white beans instead; see the recipe for how to modify for that.
PIN Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup to try it later!
After I kind of fell in love with turkey Kielbasa, I decided to try making a bean and sausage soup with this tasty ingredient. And this Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup could become a recipe template for more slow cooker soups in the future, since the recipe starts with dried beans that are cooked for 8-10 hours in the slow cooker until the beans are creamy and soft. Then when you get home from work you turn it into this tasty soup!
I’d heard that tomatoes will cause beans not to soften, but apparently a long cooking time will overcome that, because the beans in this white bean soup were creamy and delicious. I added the sausage at the very beginning with the beans, but next time if I was home I’d probably add that halfway through the cooking time so the sausage was a little firmer. Then stir in some chopped spinach at the end and you have a delicious soup.
This soup is gluten-free and it will be dairy-free if you skip the Parmesan. See below to make a version with fewer carbs or the option to make this tasty soup with canned beans; I hope you will try it!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- dried small white beans
- onion
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- ground rosemary (affiliate link), or dried rosemary, crushed
- Dried Thyme (affiliate link), crushed
- homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth (affiliate link)
- can of petite dice tomatoes
- pre-cooked sausage, cut into half-moon slices (I used turkey Kielbasa)
- fresh spinach
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
What Slow Cooker did I use for Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup?
I would use at least a 4 Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe. The recipe freezes well so if you only have a bigger size slow cooker you might want to double the recipe.
What greens can you use in the sausage and white bean soup?
We loved the spinach in this Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup, but you can also use kale, Swiss Chard, mustard greens, or collards. Some of those will take slightly longer to cook.
What beans can you use in the sausage and white bean soup?
We used small white beans for the Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup but you can use navy beans, Cannellini beans, or even pinto beans if that’s what you have on hand.
How to make this White Bean Spinach Soup lower in carbs:
This tasty soup has about 18 net carbs per serving as written (and 18 grams of protein!) If you want a soup that’s lower in carbs just use fewer beans and more sausage and spinach.
Want more ideas for Bean Soup?
Check out Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Bean Soup Recipes on my Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker site.
How to Make Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup :
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- I used turkey Kielbasa, but use any pre-cooked sausage you prefer.
- Cut the sausage in half lengthwise and then slice into half-moon slices.
- Chop onions, mince garlic or measure minced garlic, and crush the rosemary and thyme in a mortar and pestle if you have one.
- Put the dried beans, chicken stock, tomatoes, and spices in the slow cooker. (If you’re not going to be home, go ahead and add the sausage at this time. If you will be home, I would add the sausage about halfway through the cooking time.)
- Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the beans are creamy and as soft as desired (I like them quite well done; cooking time will depend partly on how fresh the dried beans are.)
- When the beans are done, measure 4 cups of spinach leaves, packed into the measuring cup. Coarsely chop the spinach leaves (or skip this step if you use baby spinach.)
- Add chopped spinach to the soup, turn the slow cooker to high, and cook about 30 minutes more.
- Serve hot, with Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the stew if desired.
How to make Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup with Canned Beans:
- Use three cans white beans (and the liquid in the can) to replace the dried white beans.
- Cut the turkey Kielbasa, chop onions, mince garlic, and crush dried herbs as described above.
- Add the canned beans with liquid, cut sausage, onions, garlic, and herbs to the slow cooker with the chicken stock and canned tomatoes.
- Cook about 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.
- Add chopped spinach (and turn to high if cooking on low) and cook about one hour more.
More Tasty Recipes with White Beans:
Weekend Food Prep:
This tasty Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup
Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup is a tasty slow cooker soup that uses dried beans that cook all day in the slow cooker!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried small white beans (see notes)
- 1 onion, chopped into fairly small pieces
- 1 T finely minced garlic
- 1 tsp. ground rosemary or dried rosemary, crushed
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
- 6 cupsย chicken broth
- one 14.5 oz. can petite dice tomatoes
- 14 oz. pre-cooked sausage, cut into half-moon slices (see notes)
- 4 packed cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Pick over the beans, removing any broken ones, and add beans to the slow cooker.
- Chop onion, mince the garlic, and crush the spices with a mortar and pestle (or meat mallet) and add to the slow cooker.
- Add the chicken stock and diced tomatoes to the slow cooker and start to cook on low.
- Cut the sausage in half lengthwise, and then slice it into half-moon slices.
- If you’re going to be cooking this while you’re not home, add the sausage now and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the beans are nicely softened.
- If you will be home, I would cook the other ingredients about 5 hours and then add the sausage. It will work either way, but the sausage will be softer if you add it for the entire cooking time.
- When beans are done to your liking, chop the spinach, turn the slow cooker to high, and cook about 30 minutes more.
- Serve hot, with freshly grated Parmesan cheese for sprinkling on the stew if desired.
- See NOTES for how to make this soup with canned beans.
Notes
One pound of beans is about 2 cups.
Homemade chicken stock would be great in this but chicken broth from a can or a carton will also be fine.
I used turkey Kielbasa sausage for this recipe.
How to make Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup with Canned Beans:
- Use three cans white beans (and the liquid in the can) to replace the dried white beans.
- Cut the turkey Kielbasa, chop onions, mince garlic, and crush dried herbs as described above.
- Add the canned beans with liquid, cut sausage, onions, garlic, and herbs to the slow cooker with the chicken stock and canned tomatoes.
- Cook about 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high.
- Add chopped spinach (and turn to high if cooking on low) and cook about one hour more.
This recipe was adapted from Real Simple Magazine.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 343Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 46mgSodium 1507mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 6gSugar 3gProtein 18g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions
Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup has about 18 net carbs as written, but just use fewer beans and more sausage and spinach for making a version that’s lower in carbs. Dried beans are a good choice for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, and using low-fat turkey Kielbasa keeps this South Beach Diet friendly.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup and Stew Recipes or Slow Cooker Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalynโs Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโm sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This slow cooker recipe for soup with sausage, white beans, and spinach was posted in 2012. It was last updated with more information and the option to use canned beans in 2024.
72 Comments on “Sausage White Bean Spinach Soup”
I always save the rinds from parmagiano reggiano cheese in the the freezer. ย To me this recipe would be great with a rind or two! ย A little extra umami can never be a bad thing! ย Any suggestions as to when I should drop them in? ย From the start or maybe further along in the cooking process?
I agree that would make a great addition to the soup. I’d probably put them in from the start.
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Hi Kalyn,
Iโve been making this recipe since 2013 (when I first printed it and added to my recipe binder). ย I would like to add more seasoning to it. My husband likes things well seasoned and this does not have enough flavor for him. I end up eating the whole batch myself! Which is ok, but would like him to be able to eat as well. ย Any suggestions on how to add more flavor?
I also use 1.5 cups of dry beans instead of 2. ย And 2 cans of tomatoes instead of 1. ย Thanks!
Hi Julie. Glad you are enjoying it. You could of course add more garlic and dried thyme. A commenter above added hot chili flakes, which I think sounds great. I’d love some Green Tabasco Sauce in this. Other seasonings that might be good are ground fennel, dried oregano, or a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end. I wouldn’t try them all at once, but maybe some of thing things will make it appeal more to your husband!
This is delicious! I did not soak (not necessary with slow cooker for white beans or pintos), and the beans were tender,(but not mushy) in 6 hours on high. I had every thing on hand, except chicken broth (which I nearly always have homemade in the freezer), but vegetable broth came to the rescue. This is not the first time I have thought veggie broth was superior to chicken. The soup was off-the-charts good in the flavor department. I did not bother to chop the garlic, just smashed it with the back of a knife, and also threw in some red pepper flakes (just a little, probably a scant 1/2 teaspoon). I give this recipe 5 stars and will make again!ย
I definitely like the idea of adding some hot pepper flakes! So glad you enjoyed it!
What is the yield on this? I need to bring 6 quarts to a soup swap.ย
I don’t know exactly how much it makes, but by adding up the ingredients I’d guess it’s not more than about 3 quarts.
I made this for a second time and it turned out with a very bitter taste. Any idea what could have caused it?
Sorry, but I can’t imagine what would have caused that if you used these ingredients.
i used a kolbasa beef sausage instead of the kielbasa turkey sausage and i think this is what made my soup a bit bitter as well. Did you
use a different sausage?
I wish I could help, but I none of the ingredients here are things that seem to me like they might be bitter, not even the sausage. Spinach is slightly bitter, but not overly so to most people.
Definitely going to the archives…I made this initally for myself as a South Beach Diet option but the family devoured the whole pot ๐
Glad to hear it was a hit!
This was easy and ย delicious! I will definitely make it again.
So glad you enjoyed it!
In the crock pot as we speak! Cant wait to try when i get home from work!
Hope you enjoy!
Do I need to drain the tomatoes before adding to the crockpot or does the tomato juice go in it too?
The tomatoes don't have to be drained, but you can drain them if you prefer a thicker soup.
I've been intending to make this for ages. I love soup and I love beans. The problem is, I live in Phoenix and with the heat here, hot soup isn't always something the family wants. I finally made this today (it's only 84 this early Nov. afternoon) and have been pretesting. I only had mixed beans from Sprouts on hand- the combination includes small red, white, black, pinto and split peas. I am planning on a bit less spinach because I know my family. Also, cooked on stovetop. Tastes good!
Lindi, glad you like it!
Ok. Thank you Kalyn. Kind of what I was hoping to hear.
I'd certainly taste it to see how the sausage tastes. Usually for me it's more of a texture issue; when it cooks the whole time it loses texture. If you don't like it when you taste it, I'd cook new sausage and then just cook in the slow cooker long enough to warm it through with the beans.
I made this and put in the kielbasa sausage for the full 8hr cook time. The sausage turned out kind of brown… did I ruin the dish? I have not tasted it yet… If the kielbasa is over done and tastes bad can i cook up some more kielbasa and add to the beans etc..?
Heather I really couldn't say how long this would take on the stove without trying it; white beans are really variable in cooking time due to how old the beans are.
How long would you cook this on the stove? Thanks!
Shibagurl, I think adding paprika is a brilliant idea! So glad you enjoyed it.
Wow! Made this tonight and it was AMAZING!! I added Hungarian hot paprika and it gave a nice kick. ๐ The beans came out perfect and are delicious ๐ definitely a keeper!!
I have made this soup now 3 times since finding it two months ago. My husband requests it every week and now people at his work are requesting it when they visit for dinner!!! Such a hit, my 3 year old LOVES it too!!! Thank you!
Sarah, I haven't tried freezing this but I do think it will freeze well. The spinach will get a little softer after it's frozen, but I still think it will be ok.
Thanks Kalyn. I found your blog and this recipe on Pinterest and just made this soup today. It is so hearty and filling, just like a Ham and Bean soup.
Do you think this soup would freeze well? I had one bowl and i'm stuffed so I'd like to try to freeze some to save for later!
Thank you!
Sarah
Tracee, browning the sausage can never be bad, in my opinion.
I use sausage in my soups all the time and I always slice and brown the sausage first. I cook it until it's nice and dark. I came up with this idea because I was tired of "soggy" sausage. It also provides some excellent pan drippings that add extra flavor! I also believe that the extra "fat" helps the dried beans soften quicker. However, I don't use a slow cooker since I am now staying home all day…but I tested my theory about the fat and it always helped my beans soften quicker.
Love the idea of a soup club! I can only guess, since I haven't done it that way but I'm thinking you could cook it on high with a few changes. I would definitely pre-soak the beans the night before if you're cooking for a shorter time. I'd also add the sausage part way through the cooking as I mentioned, rather than adding it at the beginning.
Another option that might be even easier for cooking at the office is to use canned beans (about 3 cans) and cook the sausage, beans, and tomatoes on high for about hours before adding the spinach. That might not be quite as good as fresh cooked beans, but still pretty good I bet.
Your idea of cooking partway and refrigerating is not something I'd recommend because the soup would be so hot, I worry it would not cool down to a safe temperature in the fridge. But if you're careful about cooling it down, that would probably work too.
Hi!
This recipe sounds so delicious! We just started a "Soup Club" at my office and I think I will try this for when my turn comes around.
Question – I need to start cooking in the morning (day of) to serve by lunchtime. Can I cook on high for 4-5 hours instead? Or can I cook on low for 4ish hours the night before, refrigerate overnight, and resume cooking on low for an addition 4-5 hours the next morning?
Thanks again! Can't wait to try! – Talia
JM, duh. I should have said the size; will edit! This was made in a 3.5 quart slow cooker, but as you can see it's just a little over half full. You should be able to check the size on the bottom of yours and adjust accordingly. (And thanks for catching that!)
Question: are the measurements in this recipe intended for a standard sized slow cooker and if so should I assume I should just cut the recipe in half? I just purchased a small, personal size slow cooker (the actual size escapes me but it's significantly smaller than the average.
Sara, thanks for sharing your tips for adapting this for canned beans!
I made this recipe last night and LOVVVVED it. I wasn't able to find turkey keilbasa so i used chicken instead. I stir fired the chopped onion till it was soft and added the chopped keilbasa to it and browned. I added 1 1/2 cans of white beans instead of dried. and pureed 1/2 can to slightly thicken the stew. It turned out AMAZING dinner was ready in half hour!! woohooooooo
Kieลbasa + white beans is really really common here in Poland :).
Perfect fall soup!
Kasia
Kristi, so glad you're enjoying the recipes and thanks for featuring my soup!
I've been loving your recipes for quite some time, Kalyn! Thank you for posting them…they are perfect for my low carb diet {your chicken fajitas are in my crock pot smelling good right NOW}!
Wanted you to know that this recipe looks amazing. I just put together a round-up of great cooler weather soups & stews for slow cookers and had to include this! Hope you can stop by! http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com/2012/09/twenty-slow-cooker-soups-perfect-for.html
Thanks again for all the time you put into this great site!
{HUGS},
kristi
So I seen this stew about two weeks ago and been dying to make it. I made two versions out of one pot. Started out in the cooker I used canned beans and cooked it on high for 3 hrs while I was at work. Than came home and added frozen spinach about 2 hand fulls and used chives oregano and curry instead of the other spices. After about another hour I separated half the stew and put it in just another pot, than threw in a about a cup of half and half and some more curry and turned in to a version of Zuppa Toscana. It was delicious both ways the original for me and creamy for my husband <3. Making this my number one soup recipe…
I had planned to make this a slow cooker meal as the recipe is written but I had some timing issues so I made a quick cook version instead. I used a can of rinsed and drained white beans instead of dry. I sauted the onion and garlic with the sausages and a little red pepper flakes to spice it up. Then I added the beans and other ingredients listed and a little smoked paprika. In under a half hour I had a delicious and hearty soup. I will definitely keep this recipe in my "quick meals" repetoire. Thanks!
Steve, glad you enjoyed it!
made this last night. added some cayenne for a little extra kick. turned out great! didn't even need to add any salt. the kielbasa had more than enough.
thanks!
When beans are old (meaning, they've been on the shelf for quite a while either at home or at the store) they can take forever to soften. That would be my guess.
I just don't know what is wrong with me, but I can never get beans to cook. I used navy beans, and the stuff has been in the slow cooker for 9 hours now, and the beans are hard as can be. So sad! Any ideas? I followed the recipe exactly, so it's not any weird modification that I tried.
Steve, I can't say for sure since I haven't tried it that way but I'd guess you would still want to cook it at least 4 hours on low to get the onions and tomatoes cooked and the flavors blended.
how long would you recommend cooking if using canned beans?
Thanks!
Sparkle Queen, so glad you liked it so much, thanks!
Hi Kalyn!
Thank you SO MUCH for posting this. I was honestly looking for a great and healthy, but still easy to make, soup for me and yours hit the spot! I absolutely loved it!
I shared my results and your links with my followers on my blog. Thanks again, and I look forward to more of your posts!
<3 The Sparkle Queen
Fun hearing from someone in Russia, but I don't know what perdvaritelno is?
In Ukraine, Russia often use white beans in soups, but perdvaritelno soaked in water (preferably overnight), then the cooking of soup is reduced by several times.
Thank you ๐
Troy, so glad you enjoyed it!
Made this today, and it was great. Really glad I found your site.
Emily, most sites that caution about red beans refer to red kidney beans, although I did find this site that says all red beans should be parboiled before using them in the slow cooker. I would probably err on the side of caution.
I don't know what would cause an off taste in this. I don't think it would be the garlic, since it's cooked all day. Mine was definitely good, but I used white beans.
Just made this today with small red beans (it's red kidney beans that have the toxicity issue, not small red beans…right?!) and there's an unpleasant off taste. Maybe it was the raw garlic? I was really excited about the recipe but the result is pretty crummy, in my case. Will rescue it with hot sauce and try a different recipe next time. FYI I followed the recipe except for the bean substitution, and added the kielbasa after 5 hours of cooking.
This method won't work for red beans (which need to be parboiled to be safe in the pressure cooker) but I think white beans, kidney beans, and butter beans could be cooked this way. I would probably just use one package of spinach, and thaw before you put it in the stew. Glad you are enjoying the recipes!
Super excited about cooking the beans without soaking. Love skipping steps. Will this work for other kinds of beans? Red beans, kidney beans, black beans, etc?
My market at this time of year only has fresh spinach as baby spinach in bags for salad and it is crazy expensive so I bought frozen chopped spinach in 9 oz. boxes. Should I use 1 or 2?
Thanks so much. I love yr recipes. I'm saving them to ziplist and have put ziplist on my phone so I can shop for my ingredients. I LOVE that I'm cooking real food from real ingredients (sometimes frozen) but using modern technology. Seems kinda subversive, which I love!!!
Terry, the fact that these beans softened so well with all-day cooking even though they were not soaked was a pleasant surprise for me. If you want to soak the beans, the stew will cook more quickly, but for cooking all day, this turned out so well.
A dumb question! When I use dried beans I always have soaked them overnight. Do you use these dried or pre-soaked?
Thanks!
Terry
Andrea, this was so simple and good!
Thanks Dara, I am so excited too.
This is another wonderful slow cooker recipe, Kalyn and I know my family would really enjoy the flavors in this (anything with sausage gets their vote). I'm so excited about your slow cooker site!
Kielbasa is one of my favorite sausages, and I love the idea of pairing it with the white beans. Great idea!
Joanne, thanks. I am excited too. And this could easily be a vegetarian soup with the same method.
Thanks Matt!
BurntApple, I am excited too! Glad you like this recipe.
I am so excited about your new slow cooker site! This recipe is amazing and I'm going to put it on my list of meals to try. Thank you!
It's sooo good, thanks so much for posting this recipe
If there's more of this deliciousness to come, then I'm super excited about the new slow cooker site (I mean…I knew that only deliciousness could ensue from that)! The white bean/kielbasa mix sounds like a delicious pairing!