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
- 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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Bren
I used only great northern beans, also added 2 c. Chicken broth. So good!
Hayley
Thanks for giving this a try, Bren. We’re glad you enjoyed it!
Bren
I used only great northern beans, also added 2 c. Chicken broth. So good!
Paula
Recipe looks amazing and I want to try it. Can you use dried beans? Recipe talks about no need for soaking beans but it does talk about draining and rinsing them. Have some dried beans to use up so would love to use them here
Hi Paula, if you use dried beans you’ll need to soak and cook them prior to making this recipe. Here’s the recipe I use for cooking cannellini beans.
Alice Ax
The best soup ever! Can you freeze it?
So glad you enjoyed it Alice. I haven’t tried freezing it so I’m not sure, but I’m betting it would be fine.
Erin
Do you have ideas for making this in the crockpot?
Hey Erin, I haven’t made this in the crockpot but I bet you could saute the veg first and then add it all to the crockpot for the flavors to cook and build.
Jana
Great basic recipe for using up leftovers. Substituted leftover blackeyed peas and mustard greens from New years, Cajun kielbasa from the freezer, thinned with leftover chicken stock, added some Cajun seasoning – voila! Great lunch! Thanks for such an adaptable and forgiving recipe!
So glad you liked it Jana, and what a great idea for New Years! Thanks for the comment and 5-star rating.
Shelley D
First, let me say this is a five star recipe and I am making it for a second time, which I don’t often do with recipes, because there are so many to try and so little time! But is 2lbs of kielbasa for six servings correct? My package says a serving size is 2 ounces and contains 190 calories and you have this soup listed at just over 400 cal per serving.
I might try making it (a third time) with just one package of sausage and cutting it into smaller chunks but for now, I will enjoy “as written”.
Also for those that had said this didn’t have flavor, I would say be sure to really brown the sausage because for me, so much of the flavor comes from that!
Rosemary Nishikawa
I don’t see when you mention to add the beans?
Hi Rosemary, add them with the Worcestershire and sage. Enjoy.
Stephanie
I made this as written and wish I would have cut down on the Worcestershire and sage. It’s overwhelming. Tasty concept though!!
Thanks for the recipe note Stephanie.
Nikolina
Same. I added 3 tbsp of Worcestershire and it still had such a sour aftertaste.
Robin
It’s soup season! Love this recipe. 2nd time making it. Definitely a keeper! Love your Easy hamburger vegetables soup too! We’re making our way through your soups. Thanks!!!
Yes to soup season Robin. We’re eating all the soups at my house too. Glad to hear you’ve found some keepers. Thanks for the comment and 5-star rating.
Rene
Loved it! I did change quantities of some ingredients. I used 1 lb. Turkey kielbasa, 2 yellow peppers, 4 carrots, 2 C. each of milk & vegetable broth, 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, and 3/4 tsp. sage. The rest was the same. Excellent! Thanks for the recipe!
Happy to hear you made it your own Rene. Thanks for making it and leaving a comment with a 5-star rating.
K Ruff
I didn’t have enough milk, subbed 2c milk with 2c vegetable broth. Husband loved it.
Glad you guys enjoyed it!
Laura
This is my new go-to recipe. Husband approved.
Hayley
We’re so happy you both enjoyed it!
Taz
I used dried beans. I cooked 1 cup of pinto and 1 cup of cannellini beans in 10 cod water in my instant pot for ten minutes with natural release of ten minutes. Drained them, then did that again. I only used one kielbasa as it’s all I had.
Two kielbasa would have been too much.
I used three cups bone broth and one cup milk and one cup half and half.
Everyone liked this. BUT, next time I will cut the Worcestershire sauce in half.
Thanks for the Instant Pot feedback Taz. Glad you liked it.
Anne S
I substituted turkey kielbasa and needed a little more oil to brown everything. I thought 6 TBL was a bit too much so I thinned it out with some more milk. Next time I will cut back to 3 or 4 TBL.
Jay
due to lack of ingredients, I had to change it up a little, I used beer bratwurst sausage, added a bit more sage, and I only had black beans. :( I also used “Dano’s original seasonings) about 2 table spoons. this is my new favorite!
Glad you used what you had and it turned into a favorite. Thanks for the 5 star rating.
Elaina
This was so delicious! Followed directions exactly and was easy to make. I didn’t have Worcester so I mixed soy sauce w/ a dab of ketchup as substitution. Soup was amazing served with fresh French bread.
Hayley
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Elaina!
BOBBY Z
Worcestershire sauce cut back to 4 added paprika and a little balsamic vinegar, added chicken stock to loosen it up a bit, added add’l spices as well, PS Used Real Polska Kielbasa
Red
This is by far the best recipe that I found in internet. Super delicious, super easy to make and I will make this again. So good.
Bailey Ellis
This is one of my favorite meals to make!! Is it possible to make this in the crockpot? It would be helpful when I just need to throw it all together and let it do it’s thing :)
I’m glad you enjoyed Bailey!
Adrianne
I can’t do dairy, so I subbed almond milk in this. It wasn’t a good sub. The flavors were much too strong of Worcestershire sauce, even though I only added 4 of the 6 tablespoons and the hillshire farms kielbasa that our rural grocer sold wasn’t good (their beef version likely would be Ok, but they only had turkey in, which had an odd texture and bland flavor). When it was done, I had to add more herbs (I did Italian seasoning) to make this work for us and even then, my kids just ate biscuits for dinner, and I couldn’t blame them. If I made this again, I would sub chicken broth for the milk, use a beef sausage with flavor, and use salt instead of the Worcestershire sauce. That said, the next day the flavors mellowed a little and it was somewhat better, but overall, this looked far tastier than it was.
Eli
Can you use Almond milk?
Hayley
Hi Eli, we haven’t made this with almond milk before so we can’t vouch for the results, but if you give it a try let us know!
Amanda
We have made this several times. I use almond milk since I’m allergic to dairy and add some kale in during the last 5 minutes of cooking. It is amazing!!!
Happy to hear you enjoyed Amanda!
Denise
Lenny just told me to go look at the bean soup on your IG account, saying we had to make it this week!
Cannot wait – this sounds heavenly.
Wende Wise
OMG! This recipe is SUBLIME! I altered it slightly by adding beer and extra flour soup slurry and a few more dried herbs. AMAZING!
Hayley
We’re so glad to hear you loved it, Wende – thank you!
Betty
So yummy! Add a some curry paste but keep it same!! So easy to make! Great comfort food! Thanks!