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 creamy sausage and bean soup is ready to salvage mealtime plans in just about 30 minutes.
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“This is our all time favorite soup! We have it at least a couple of times a month.” -Roxanne, FoodieCrush reader
The Dreamy, Creamy Sausage and Bean Soup We Love in the Winter
This creamy bean soup recipe comes from my forever friend Krista, whose tastebuds and cravings are very much like my own. When she texted me her own family-favorite recipe for bean soup and told me I needed to give it a try, I was 100% ready to start cooking.
I love a bean-heavy soup or stew, like my grandma’s minestrone or my creamy white bean stew. Not only do legumes bulk up a soup and lend a hearty dose of protein, but they can also thicken the soup and provide creaminess. This soup also gets its velvety creaminess from milk, rather than actual cream.
What I love most about this stellar smoked sausage and bean soup is that it isn’t one of those all-day simmering affairs. There’s no need to soak any beans. The soup comes together quickly and easily on the stovetop.
Made with fresh carrots, onion, green bell pepper, and smoky kielbasa sausage, plus two different types of beans that blend perfectly in the creamy broth (without any cream!) It just hits all the right notes.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Remember to rinse and drain those beans before you dump them in. This will prevent your soup from tasting metallic.
Mix and match your beans. 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.
Make the broth thinner or thicker. If the soup broth is too thick, add more milk to thin it 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.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Kielbasa sausage — Tasting like a hybrid of ham and hot dogs, kielbasa sausage can be found made with pork or made healthier with turkey.
- Veggies — I used a blend of carrot, onion, bell pepper, and garlic for color and flavor.
- Milk + all-purpose flour — There’s no cream in this soup, where instead, a simple roux of flour and milk creates the creamy base.
- Worcestershire sauce — The ingredient that gives the creamy broth so much flavor.
- Seasonings — A little ground sage, freshly ground black pepper, and kosher salt is all this kielbasa bean soup needs. (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.)
- Beans — Krista suggests using white beans and kidney beans.
- Canola or vegetable oil — I prefer these for their higher smoke point, but olive oil is also fine.
How to Make Creamy Bean and Sausage Soup
- Brown the sausage for flavor. 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 become tender. 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 it. Add flavor as you go by seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper.
- 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.
- Add the milk. 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.
- Add everything else to the pot. 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 is ready to be served.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Creamy Bean and Sausage Soup Recipe
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
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups milk
- 6 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ 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 soften, 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 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredient Swaps to Try
- Use a different type of bean, such as Great Northern beans, navy 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, bacon, or a leftover ham bone or ham hock
- Sub in or add other vegetables like mushrooms, kale, celery, potatoes, corn, or green beans
- Bay leaf or thyme would also be tasty
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese would be yummy just before serving
What to Serve With Sausage and Bean Soup
- A loaf of warm french bread slathered with butter, or crackers to break into it.
- Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons
- Kale and Butternut Squash Salad with Wild Rice
- Classic Blue Cheese Wedge Salad
- Garlic Knots or Garlic Bread
- Homemade Croutons
More Hearty Bean Soups and Stews
- Split Pea Soup With Ham
- 15 Bean Soup with Ham
- How to Make the Best Minestrone Soup
- White Bean Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean And Sausage Soup
- White Bean Stew
- Beef and Three Bean Chili
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Cindy
Can this soup be frozen
Yes, you could freeze the soup for up to 3 months.
Christine Thompson
Have made this several times; it’s a keeper of a recipe!
Kathy Temples
I made it last week and shared it with my neighbor. We both want it again so I am doing a repeat this week. Only change was I used Andouille sausage and I added an extra can of Great northern beans. It was a very good and hardy dish and will be a staple in my house.
I’m glad you both enjoyed it Kathy!
Casey
Made this tonight and it was great! Made a couple changes- orange pepper instead of green, added kale, and used coconut milk instead of regular for a sweetness. Didn’t have to add the flour since the kale made it thicker. This is a keeper and was a great start of fall (still a little early but can’t help it ) soup!
I’m glad you enjoyed Casey!
Barbara
Can cornstarch or another flour be used instead of white flour.
Yes Barbara, you could use cornstarch to thicken.
Hallie
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!
Happy to hear you both enjoyed!
OraAnna
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.
Veronica
This was fantastic, only thing I did different was add a bit more sage. Definitely will make this again, thank for the great recipe :)
Sarah
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!
Donna
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.
Erin M Lesko
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?
Yes, that’s it!
Annette
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.
Aimee
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.
Toni Anderson
Great soup recipe yum yum thank you so much! Made it yesterday all gone
Heidi
Thanks Toni. So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the rating and comment.
Cindy A
Simmering now! Only 4 stars because I haven’t been able to taste it yet. Can’t wait. Came together easily :)
Sandy
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!!
Sheridan
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.
Sheridan
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.
Ginette
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.
Jeff
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.
Patricia THOMPSON
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.
Patricia, try plain almond milk instead of the milk. It will provide a nice richness and is a good dairy substitute in soups.
Taz
I use canned coconut milk in place of dairy in soups.
Sabrina
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!
Pamela
Looks great..! Will substitute with turkey kielbasa sausage and soy milk.. Yummo!
Denise Mayfield
Made this for dinner last night. Outstanding !! My husband and I really enjoyed it. will be a special treat for the fall weather.
I’m so glad you both loved it Denise!
Krista
Even though it’s still too warm to be soup weather I think this will be “what’s for dinner “ tonight!
Ah, you know when it’s the best time to make it Krista. Thanks for being the inspiration for the recipe :) Love you!
Patricia Ball
It is great!