We’re knee deep into soup season! We saw our very first snow flurries today so I’m already imagining cozy-ing up with a big bowl of soup tonight. This Tuscan Sausage and Kale Soup is really flavorful and hearty with white beans, kale, and ground Italian turkey sausage. Even better, it cooks in the Instant Pot in only 5 minutes!
No worries if you don’t have an Instant Pot (though I highly recommend one, or a similar pressure cooker), I included stove-top directions in the recipe card as well. All this takes is a little chopping and a little sauteing and you have a soup bursting with flavor.
We start with a typical soup base of carrots and onions, then add sausage. I use Italian turkey sausage links in this soup because it’s a little less fatty, but if you prefer pork sausage feel free to substitute that instead. Try to find Italian style so you get an extra punch of spices and flavor. Hearty white beans and kale make this soup a nutrition power house too, which is great for warding off winter colds.
What is Tuscan Seasoning?
Much of the flavor of this soup comes from a simple blend of Tuscan flavors. You can buy pre-mixed seasoning or make your own using dried basil, oregano, parsley, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, fennel, and black pepper. It sounds like a laundry list of herbs, but if you only have a few of these it’ll still taste fantastic!
How to make Tuscan Sausage Soup
Saute some diced carrots and onions in a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the turkey sausage and brown. I chopped up about 3 links, and then crumble them up more as they brown. Once the sausage is fully cooked (about 10 minutes on the saute function), add the remaining ingredients. Chicken or vegetable broth, a can of diced tomatoes, a big handful of chopped kale, cannelloni beans, and plenty of seasonings.
Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for five minutes, make sure the steam valve is turned to close and you’re all done. Have a glass of wine while you wait and toast up some good crusty bread for optimum soup dunking.
The idea of a nice big pot of soup simmering away on the stove for hours is appealing, but sometimes not that feasible. This soup is easy and quick to come together, making it a great weeknight meal when all you want to do is plop on the couch. Do yourself a favor and whip up this nourishing soup today! And if you do, please let me know how you like it in the comments!
Tuscan Sausage and Kale Soup
This hearty soup is made with Italian sausage, kale, and white beans for a nutrient packed and comforting meal. Serve with some crusty bread for ultimate cozyness!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 carrots
- 1 yellow onion
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb Italian turkey sausage about 3 links
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can white beans cannellini or northern beans
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chopped kale packed
- 1 tbsp Tuscan seasoning dried basil, marjoram, rosemary, fennel, oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Dice the carrots and onions and roughly chop turkey sausage links if you're not using ground meat.
Instant Pot Directions:
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Set IP to saute mode for 10 minutes. Add olive oil, carrots, onions, garlic, and sausage and cook until sausage is completely browned, breaking up into smaller pieces as desired.
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Add broth, white beans, diced tomatoes, kale, and remaining seasonings. Give everything a good stir and place the lid on and turn to the lock position. Make sure the vent is set to sealing.
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Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Since the pot is fairly full, it will take a little while to come to pressure. Use quick steam release when done. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Stove-top Directions:
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In a heavy bottom saucepan or Dutch Oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and add diced carrots, onions, and turkey sausage. Saute on medium heat until the sausage is cooked through.
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Add broth, white beans, diced tomatoes, kale, and remaining seasonings. Give everything a good stir, cover and simmer on low for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
Recipe Notes
- I prefer Italian turkey sausage because it's less fatty. I buy mine in links from Aldi and use 3 to get about 1 pound. I roughly chop them then break them up more as they cook.
- Feel free to use spinach instead of kale if that's what you have on hand.
- Tuscan seasoning is sold as a blend in most grocery stores, or you can make your own combination with dried basil, parsley, rosemary, fennel, and oregano.
This is without question the best soup I have ever made! The recipe was perfect…nothing needed to be modified. I used hot Italian turkey sausage, which gave the soup a great flavor. Definitely give this recipe a try. You’ll feel like you’re in Tuscany!
Thanks Lisa 🙂