Sausage Bean Soup (Stovetop or Instant Pot)

There's nothing quite like a steaming hot and hearty bowl of sausage bean soup when the weather turns colder. This version is simple to make and has loads of flavor to help warm you from the inside out!

I've long been a fan of bean soups and for good reasons: they're flavorful, filling, and more economical than most other soups. This is one of my easy go-to's and with grocery prices rising, I thought it was time to share the easy recipe.

I like to serve sausage bean soup with a crusty stuffed garlic bread or some cheddar bay biscuits. That makes a complete meal in my opinion, but if I do feel I need a side dish, I'll go with a quick roasted vegetable just to keep things simple.

Ingredients

• Olive oil: The sausage needs a little extra help since it doesn't have much fat, so just a tablespoon of olive oil will do the trick.
• Chicken sausage: I like to use chicken sausage since it's lower in fat, but any sausage you love will work great!
• Onion: I'll often double the amount of onion because we're serious onion lovers in my house. Start with the amount listed the first time - you can always tweak it to your liking later.
• Garlic: The same goes for garlic! Add a little extra if you like, but the three cloves the recipe calls for adds a nice amount.
• Low-sodium chicken stock or broth: Using a low-sodium broth or stock let's you control the amount of salt much easier.
• Water: You'll need to soak the beans if you use dried, which are much cheaper than canned. The extra step of soaking them is worth it!
• Dried cannellini beans: I like to use dried beans whenever possible, but I'll admit that canned are easier since there's no soaking involved. Both work really well in sausage bean soup, so just use what you like. And if you've got an Instant Pot, you can skip soaking the dried beans altogether (we've included both stovetop and Instant Pot instructions)!
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: I always opt for fire-roasted canned tomatoes whenever possible, as it just adds a little extra flavor without any more effort. That said, regular canned tomatoes are good, too!
• Crushed red pepper flakes: These are optional, but we like just a hint of spice. You can also opt to just serve this at the table (or do both)!
• Coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper: Season, season, season!
• Grated parmesan cheese: A sprinkling of parmesan over each bowl adds a ton of flavor and helps to season it, too. If you really want to get crazy, put the bowls under a broiler to brown the parmesan before serving (make sure the bowls are broiler-safe)!

Instructions

We're big fans of the Instant Pot, so we've included instructions for both the IP and the stovetop. If you go the IP route, there's no need to soak the beans and the recipe comes together much quicker.

Stovetop

1. If you're using dried beans, rinse them well and pick out anything that doesn't belong. Put them in a large pot, bowl, dish...whatever you have that will be large enough will work. Cover them with water at approximately a 3-to-1 ratio (ie. 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of beans). Then just let them soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. If you're using canned beans you can skip this step (just be sure to drain and rinse them before adding them to the soup).
2. Heat a large pot over medium heat, then add the oil. When it's shimmering, add the chopped sausage. Brown it on all sides, then remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
3. Add the onions to the pot and cook them until they're soft and translucent, about five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for about another minute.
4. While the onions are cooking, drain the beans and discard the water you soaked them in. Note: You'll add more water to the soup (or you can use all chicken broth or stock if you prefer), but I like to use "fresh" water for this.
5. Add the sausage back into the pot along with the stock, more water, and the tomatoes. Bring it to a low boil, then reduce the heat until it's just simmering.
6. If you used dried beans, you'll want to simmer the soup for about 2 hours or so, until the beans are fully cooked and tender. If you opted for canned beans, you'll only need simmer it for about 30 minutes (just enough time for all the flavors to come together and for the soup to be piping hot).
7. Now just season the sausage bean soup with salt and pepper, then serve! You can add crushed red pepper either before or after serving (or skip it entirely if you prefer). I like to serve the grated parmesan at the table, but it can be added directly to the soup pot, too. This recipe is very versatile so do what your heart (and taste buds) tell you!

Instant Pot

1. Press "Saute" to preheat your Instant Pot. When the word "hot" appears on the display, add the olive oil, then the sausage and cook until it's nicely browned. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook one more minute.
2. Add a small amount of the chicken stock to the pot and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Be sure to get it all from the bottom, adding more stock if necessary.
3. Add the remaining stock to the pot along with the water, beans, tomatoes and red pepper flakes.
4. Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Press "Manual" and immediately adjust the timer to 45 minutes. Check that the cooking pressure is on "high" and that the release valve is set to "Sealing".
5. When the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally. Season well to taste with salt and pepper.

Note: This sausage bean soup is a great candidate for a freezer meal. I like to double the recipe and freeze it in portions in my Souper Cubes for easy meals.

Variations

The beauty of this sausage bean soup is how flavorful it with so few ingredients. That said, here are some ideas for things you could add to switch things up!

• Different sausages: Italian sausage (sweet or spicy) or Andouille sausage
• Add a little bacon or pancetta! You could skip the oil and cook this first, remove it with a slotted spoon, and cook the onions in the grease left in the pot. Add it back in before simmering.
• Carrots & celery would be delicious and would add more nutrients.
• Bell peppers (any color)
• Stir in a little spinach just before serving. You could also add some chopped kale!
• A few dried herbs added at the same time as the onions, such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, or a bay leaf.
• Add a little smoked paprika or Cajun seasoning alongside the onions.
• A little tomato paste after the onions and garlic but before the rest of the ingredients.
• Crushed tomatoes or extra fire-roasted tomatoes can be added if you're a tomato lover. You might need to increase the stock or water amounts if it gets too thick.
• I love adding small pasta like ditalini or elbows, but you'll want to add extra liquid so it doesn't get too thick.
• Chopped potatoes or sweet potatoes are delicious! Again, add a little extra broth or water to compensate or the soup might be too thick for your liking.
• In place of the cannellini beans, try chickpeas or pinto beans.
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end
• If you prefer a creamier sausage bean soup, add a little heavy cream, half-and-half, or small pieces of cream cheese about 10 minutes before the soup is done simmering.
• Fresh parsley or basil as a garnish

Related Recipes

Looking for more bean soup recipes? Try these:

Continue to Content

Sausage Bean Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Additional Time: 8 hours

Total Time: 10 hours 40 minutes

This sausage bean soup is very versatile and simple to make. It's hearty, filling, and filled with flavor!

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound chicken sausage, diced (or your favorite sausage)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth
• 2 cups water (plus more for soaking the beans)
• 1 pound dried cannellini beans
• 1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• grated parmesan cheese, for topping

Instructions

Stovetop

1. Rinse the dried beans well and pick out anything that doesn't belong. Put them in a large pot or bowl and cover them with water at approximately a 3-to-1 ratio (ie. 3 cups of water for every 1 cup of beans). Let them soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. If you're using canned beans you can skip this step (just be sure to drain and rinse them before adding them to the soup).
2. Heat a large pot over medium heat, then add the oil. When it's shimmering, add the chopped sausage. Brown it on all sides, then remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside.
3. Add the onions to the pot and cook them until they're soft and translucent, about five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and cook for about another minute.
4. While the onions are cooking, drain the beans and discard the water you soaked them in.
5. Add the sausage back into the pot along with the stock, more water, and the tomatoes. Bring it to a low boil, then reduce the heat until it's just simmering.
6. If you used dried beans, you'll want to simmer the soup for about 2 hours or so, until the beans are fully cooked and tender. If you opted for canned beans, you'll only need simmer it for about 30 minutes (just enough time for all the flavors to come together and for the soup to be piping hot).
7. Now just season the soup with salt and pepper, then serve! You can add crushed red pepper either before or after serving (or skip it entirely if you prefer). I like to serve the grated parmesan at the table, but it can be added directly to the soup pot, too.

Instant Pot

1. Press “Saute” to preheat your Instant Pot. When the word “hot” appears on the display, add the olive oil, then the sausage and cook until it's nicely browned. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook one more minute.
2. Add a small amount of the chicken stock to the pot and scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Be sure to get it all from the bottom, adding more stock if necessary.
3. Add the remaining stock to the pot along with the water, beans, tomatoes and red pepper flakes.
4. Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Press “Manual” and immediately adjust the timer to 45 minutes. Check that the cooking pressure is on “high” and that the release valve is set to “Sealing”.
5. When the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally. Season well to taste with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 261Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 587mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 23g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is a chef, recipe developer, and five-time cookbook author. A former personal chef and cooking instructor, she loves creating easy, delicious recipes to share!

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