This comforting and hearty creamy bean soup with kielbasa sausage goes from cutting board to soup bowl in about a half an hour.
When I was little and still finding my way around the kitchen with a can opener, my favorite soups to make were from the red and white striped Campbell’s cans, especially the creamy bean soups with bacon or ham. Even when the directions suggested adding water, I always went the extra mile and used milk instead. Yep, even as a 10-year-old I was a recipe tweaker to make a recipe my own.
Fast forward to this creamy bean soup recipe that comes from my forever friend Krista, whose tastebuds and cravings are very much like my own. Of all my friends, Krista is the one who most often makes my FoodieCrush recipes, and reports back with her opinions—thankfully, all good so far! So when she texted me her own family favorite recipe, and told me I needed to give it a try, I was 100% ready to start cooking.
This soup isn’t one of those all day simmering affairs. It’s quick, it’s easy, and with fresh carrots, onion, green bell pepper, and kielbasa sausage, plus two different types of beans that blend perfectly in the creamy broth (without any cream!), it’s way better than soup from the can.
What’s In This Creamy Bean Soup with Sausage
Like so many family classics, the original recipe Krista texted me looks to have been cut from the side of a box from years gone by. Along with the photo of the original, Krista texted a list of her own additions and tweaks to the soup: More veggies, doubling the sauce, and serving it as a one pot meal instead of as originally suggested as a casserole.
Here’s what’s in this bean and sausage soup:
- Kielbasa sausage
- Carrot
- Onion
- Green bell pepper (Krista uses red bell pepper in her version)
- Garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Milk
- Worcestershire sauce — the ingredient that gives the creamy broth so much flavor
- Ground sage
- White beans and kidney beans, or one or the other
- Freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt
- Canola or vegetable oil
How to Make Creamy Bean and Sausage Soup
When there’s nothing in mind for dinner, this is the type of recipe I turn to. With long-lasting ingredients like kielbasa, onions, bell peppers, and carrots stocked in the fridge and pantry staples like canned beans, Worcestershire sauce, flour, and ground sage always in the pantry, this soup is ready to salvage meal time plans in just about 30 minutes. And even better, the recipe is so easy that any cooks of any skill level can master it.
Step 1: Develop Flavor
First, brown the sausage for flavor. Tasting like a hybrid of ham and hot dogs, kielbasa sausage can be found made with pork, or made healthier with turkey. Slice the kielbasa into coins, and if you prefer, halve the coins to get more sausage with every bite. Kielbasa sausage doesn’t put off much fat, so a drizzle of canola oil in the hot stock pot browns the sausage and develops flavor as it keeps it from sticking.
Add the chopped vegetables to the sausage. Sautéing the vegetables with the sausage adds a sweet caramelization as the vegetables soften and steam. Krista’s recipe didn’t include garlic, but I added it in because I pretty much add garlic to everything. However, I’m 99% sure this soup would be just as good without. Add flavor as you go by seasoning with the kosher salt and black pepper.
Step 2: Create the Creamy Soup Base (Without Any Cream!)
Step 1 of thickening: Add the flour. Sprinkle the sausage and veggie mixture with the flour, stirring to coat for 1-2 minutes as the heat cooks off the flour’s raw taste. Be watchful that the flour doesn’t begin to burn, but browns and smells toasty instead.
Step 2 of thickening: Add the milk. There’s no cream in this soup, where instead, a simple roux of flour and milk creates the creamy base. Slowly pour the milk into the pot and continue cooking and stirring, as the mixture thickens. I use 1% milk-fat milk, but full-fat or even non-fat will work equally well.
Step 3: Season and Flavor, and Get Yo’ Beans
Add the Worcestershire sauce and ground sage. In my kitchen, Worcestershire sauce gets used most often in bloody Mary’s and my famous clam dip, and that’s about it. I tell you, it’s underserved! But not anymore because it’s the main umami flavor builder in this soup, adding a bit of saltiness and earthiness that brings flashbacks of my bean with ham soup I loved as a kid. And while the amount of sage used in this recipe seems negligible, don’t skip it! The herb rounds out the flavors in a really lovely, but mellow way.
Rinse and drain those beans and dump them in. Krista suggests using two different types of canned beans: Dark kidney beans and white kidney beans, aka cannellini beans. The dark kidney beans are firmer and hold their shape better than the more delicate cannellini beans which break up just enough to add to the creaminess of the soup. If you choose to use only white cannellini beans in this soup, be careful not to cook the beans too long or they’ll break apart in the soup and disappear.
Step 4: Marry the Flavors
Simmer for 15 minutes for flavors to mingle. While longer cooking times are often interpreted to mean more flavor, with this soup there’s no need. Cooking the sausage, beans, vegetables, and creamy broth for a mere 15 minutes brings all of the flavors together, and ready to be served.
Make the broth thinner or thicker. If the soup broth is too thick, add more milk to thin as desired. Alternately, if it is too thin, make a slurry of 1 tablespoon of flour with 4 tablespoons of the broth (whisk well in a bowl) and add to the soup, cooking to thicken.
Ingredient Substitutions and Additions
This type of soup is one you can easily adapt and change to fit your taste or make with ingredients you have on hand. Here are a few ideas to make it your own:
- Use a different type of bean, such as Great Northern beans, pinto beans, or regular kidney beans
- Switch up the meaty protein and use ground pork sausage (drain off the extra fat), all beef hot dogs, ham, or bacon
- Sub in or add other vegetables like mushrooms, kale, celery, potatoes, corn, or green beans.
Make This Soup Ahead Then Freeze
Stored in gallon size freezer bags, this soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw, then warm over medium heat on the stove, or in the microwave.
What to Serve With Creamy Bean Soup
- Serve this soup with a loaf of warm french bread slathered with butter, or crackers to break into it.
- Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons
- Killer Garlic Fries with Rosemary
- Classic Blue Cheese Wedge Salad
- Killer Garlic Knots
- How to Make Homemade Croutons
- A Killer Grilled Cheese Sandwich
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a star rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Creamy Bean Soup with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 2 pounds kielbasa sausage , cut into 1-inch slices
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 2 cloves garlic , pressed or minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups milk
- 6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 15-ounce can Great Northern white beans , or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce can dark kidney beans , rinsed and drained
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or stock pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add the onion, green bell pepper, carrot, and garlic. Season with the kosher salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and pepper softens, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and veggie mixture and stir to coat, stirring and cooking for 1-2 minutes or until it loses its raw floury taste and begins to smell toasty. Slowly add the milk and stir until smooth. Cook until the the mixture begins to thicken and bubble, stirring often, then add Worcestershire sauce, sage and beans. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes or until the flavors come together, stirring occasionally. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a few sprinkles of fresh parsley and french bread for dipping or crackers on the side.
Nutrition
More Hearty Soup Recipes
- Split Pea Soup With Ham
- How to Make the Best Minestrone Soup
- The Best Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Easy Taco Soup (Stove Top, Crock Pot Or Instant Pot)
- Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean And Sausage Soup
- Easy Hamburger Vegetable Soup
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Patricia Ball says
It is great!
Krista says
Even though it’s still too warm to be soup weather I think this will be “what’s for dinner “ tonight!
Heidi says
Ah, you know when it’s the best time to make it Krista. Thanks for being the inspiration for the recipe :) Love you!
Denise Mayfield says
Made this for dinner last night. Outstanding !! My husband and I really enjoyed it. will be a special treat for the fall weather.
Heidi says
I’m so glad you both loved it Denise!
Pamela says
Looks great..! Will substitute with turkey kielbasa sausage and soy milk.. Yummo!
Sabrina says
love this even when it’s hot outside, all of these ingredients blended together are just what I’m craving, starting with kielbasa, thank you!
Patricia THOMPSON says
For a dairy free soup, would you use chicken broth or rice milk?
I make a lot of soups but do not freeze creamed because of the milk.
Heidi says
Patricia, try plain almond milk instead of the milk. It will provide a nice richness and is a good dairy substitute in soups.
Jeff says
Plastic wrapped upermarket kielbasa may have little fat but the real stuff from a good Polish deli, where there are several varieties, like home style and country style, may have quite a bit. Sometimes, for a little kick I substitute andouille sausage.
Ginette says
Delicious. I used coconut milk instead of dairy. I also used only one pound of keilbasa which was perfect. This will definitely be on our rotation.
Sheridan says
Oh my gosh! This soup is delicious and it was so easy to make! I did not use 4 cups of milk. I sifted the 1/4 cup of flour over the sausage and veggies, then I gradually added the milk, stirring, until the mixture was to my consistency. The sage and Worcestershire gave the soup a good taste. I hardly wait for lunch. I think I will eat it today with cornbread. Thank you for this recipe! Going to try the chorizo recipe next.
Sheridan says
Oh my gosh! This soup is delicious and it was so easy to make! I did not use 4 cups of milk, maybe only 1 1/2 – 2 cups. I sifted the 1/4 cup of flour over the sausage and veggies, then I gradually added the milk, stirring, until the mixture was to my consistency. The sage and Worcestershire sauce gave the soup a good taste. I can hardly wait for lunch. I think I will eat it today with cornbread. Thank you for this recipe! Going to try the chorizo recipe next.
Sandy says
This soup looked so good I had to try it but with adjustments to make is gluten and dairy free. I substituted 3 T. cornstarch mixed with a bit of water as a thickener in place of the flour and then added 1 can lite coconut milk and 2 cups of chicken broth in place of the milk. It was so creamy and delicious. Thank you!!
Cindy A says
Simmering now! Only 4 stars because I haven’t been able to taste it yet. Can’t wait. Came together easily :)
Toni Anderson says
Great soup recipe yum yum thank you so much! Made it yesterday all gone
Heidi says
Thanks Toni. So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the rating and comment.
Aimee says
Very rich and very savory – I added about a half cup of frozen peas toward the end for a bit of freshness, but this is very nice for a cold evening.
Followed the recipe as written except a smoked beef sausage in place of kielbasa and the addition of peas, and served with Bisquick drop biscuits.
Annette says
This was a really good soup! I made it as written and it was very easy, thank you for the recipe! The next time I make it, then only change would be to reduce the amount of worcestershire sauce by half to help keep the salt level down.
Erin M Lesko says
Is there no water or broth in this recipe? I don’t see any in the ingredients. Is the only liquid the milk you add?
Heidi says
Yes, that’s it!
Donna says
This is a great recipe! I added some pinto beans because…why not. I also added a cup more milk. Don’t leave out the Worchester. Is one of those dishes that gets better with time.
Sarah says
While the flavor wasn’t really to my tastes, my family loved it! Ended up super creamy even after I thinned it out with some chicken stock. Added some cayenne, great for a rainy day!
Veronica says
This was fantastic, only thing I did different was add a bit more sage. Definitely will make this again, thank for the great recipe :)
OraAnna says
One of my all-time favorite soups. I’ve made this several times and really dialed in my favorite version. I leave out the green pepper, use 2 cups of milk and 2 cups of chicken stock, and double the garlic. The last time I made this I used a can of tri-blend beans (red kidney, pinto, black beans) in place of just kidney beans and it was glorious! I’ll eat this for every meal, 3 days in a row.
Hallie says
I admit that I halved the recipe – just me and my husband, and we don’t usually finish a pot of soup between us (and I didn’t want to freeze leftovers). I regret it, because we loved the soup, and he took what little was leftover for lunch the next day. Cannot wait to make this again, and might even make an extra batch just to freeze. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Heidi says
Happy to hear you both enjoyed!