Name: Sausage and Bean Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 2 tbsp butter, tallow, or chicken fat; 1 cup chopped onions; ½ cup sliced celery; 2 tsp unrefined salt, divided; ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper; 2 tsp paprika; 4 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 cups peeled and cubed potatoes; 3½ cups chicken stock (or other stock of your choice), divided; 1 cup chopped carrots; 1 bay leaf; 2 cups cooked or canned beans; 2 cups cooked, sliced sausages; ¼ cup chopped parsley or coriander, to garnish

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This classic sausage and bean soup recipe is creamy, hearty, and nourishing—a true meal in a bowl that’s perfect for chilly fall and winter days. You can make it with dried beans (just soak and cook them first) or save time by using canned beans. In this post, I’ll show you step by step how to make the best sausage and bean soup, share simple tips for building rich flavor, and explain how to serve and store leftovers. I’ll also answer common questions, like what beans are best for bean soup and how to thicken soup without flour or cornstarch.

white bowl with sausage and bean soup garnished with fresh coriander

Why You’ll Love This Sausage and Bean Soup

It is a comforting, traditional recipe, perfect for a chilly fall or winter day.
It is nutritous and filling, full of protein from the beans and sausage, fiber from the beans, and minerals from the fresh veggies.
It uses frugal ingredients and can be easily adapted to whatever staples you may want to use from your pantry or cold storage.
It can be made ahead of time (it actually tastes even better the next day) and can be frozen in portions for easy meal prep.

Ingredients for a Flavorful Sausage and Bean Soup

a bowl of celery a bowl of chopped carrots a bowl of chopped sausages a jar lid with a piece of butter a jar lid with salt pepper and paprika a bowl of red beans a lid with fresh chopped coriander a bowl of chopped onions some garlic cloves a bay leaf a red bowl with chopped potatoes a jar of chicken stock

Step-by-Step: How to Make Sausage and Bean Soup

NOTE: If you are using dried beans, you will need to soak them first for about 12 hours and then cook them in water until tender before adding them to the soup.

chopped onions and celery in a metal; pot

Melt the butter on medium low heat and sauté the onions and celery for about 5 minutes until softened. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

chopped onions and celery peeled garlic cloves and paprika in a metal pot

Add the garlic and paprika, then sauté them for another couple of minutes.

chopped potatoes onions celery paprika and chicken stock in a metal pot with a wooden spoon on the side

Add half of the potatoes and 2 cups of stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

blended sausage and bean soup base in a pot with an immersion blender inserted

Blend everything with an immersion blender until smooth.

sausage and bean soup base with chopped carrots potatoes and bay leaf

Add the rest of the potatoes, carrots, bay leaf and the remaining stock. Sprinkle in a little more salt. Simmer this for about 20 minutes until the carrots are soft.

sausage and bean soup in a metal pot with a wooden spoon inserted

Once the carrots are tender, add the beans and sausages. Simmer the soup for a few minutes until everything is heated through. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

two bowls of sausage and bean soup garnished with fresh coriander with a lid full of chopped coriander and a bottle of olive oil on the side standing on a ceramic tile

Serve garnished with some fresh chopped parsley or coriander.

Tips to Make Your Soup Perfect

Make sure to sauté the onions and celery for a good 5 minutes – this helps to build flavor in the soup.
Add salt frequently in small amounts. First season the onions and celery, then add a little more salt when you add half of the potatoes and stock. After you blend the soup, add the carrots and remaining potatoes and salt them lightly. Once the soup is ready, taste it and adjust the seasoning. Salting little and often is better than one large dose of salt at the end. You will need about 2 teaspoons of salt for this soup altogether.
Use fresh and flavorful vegetables and good quality homemade stock – the quality and flavor of ingredients will transfer into the soup.
Use freshly ground black pepper if possible.

two bowls of sausage and bean soup garnished with fresh chopped coriander standing on a ceramic tile

Serving Suggestions

This soup makes a full meal by itself, but it can also be served with some buttered sourdough bread or warm cornbread on the side. It would also be lovely served with some hot from the oven sourdough biscuits.

Storage & Freezing

You can keep this soup in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. For longer storage, freeze it in an airtight container. Let it fully defrost in the fridge before reheating it gently on the stove.

Variations on Classic Sausage and Bean Soup

Try a smoky version with smoked paprika (or smoked sausage!).
An Italian version with cream and kale (skip the paprika) would be equally delicious.
Or try a farmhouse version with winter vegetables such as rutabaga, turnips, and parsnips.

Sausage and Bean Soup FAQs

I like to thicken my soups by blending the onions, celery and sometimes some of the potatoes. This creates a rich, creamy texture for soups without the need for flour or starch. If you have some leftover mashed potatoes from last night’s dinner, you could use them as a thickener too (stir in a bit at a time into the soup until thick enough for you).

When it comes to the best beans for sausage and bean soup, I recommend white beans such as cannellini, navy, or great northern. They turn soft and creamy while still holding their shape. Pinto beans are another good option, though they tend to stay a little firmer. For this batch, I used red beans (often great in Mexican dishes) simply because that’s what I had on hand, and they worked out just fine too!

Yes! Beans are full of protein, fiber, and minerals, and when paired with the sausages and vegetables they make a delicious and healthy hot meal in a bowl.

Yes, you can freeze this soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

You can keep this soup in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it throughly before serving and don’t let it sit at room temperature for too long.

Conclusion

This sausage and bean soup is such a cozy, nourishing meal for cold weather—I hope you’ll give it a try! It’s also easy to adapt to what you have on hand. Leftover cooked ground beef can stand in for sausage, and you can swap the carrots and potatoes for turnips, rutabaga, or parsnips for a delicious twist.

If you’d like more traditional, from-scratch recipes and homestead cooking inspiration, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Pinterest.

And if you enjoyed this sausage and bean soup, you might also love some of my other hearty, warming soup recipes:

Homemade Tuna Chowder

Italian Pasta Fagioli Soup

Green Lentil and Broad Bean Soup

Mexican Tripe Soup (Menudo)

Sausage and Bean Soup

This hearty sausage and bean soup recipe is a classic, creamy, and healthy family meal that can be made with canned or dried beans and freezes beautifully for easy meal prep.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Serving Size 5

Equipment

immersion blender

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter, tallow, or chicken fat
1 cup chopped onions
½ cup sliced celery
2 tsp unrefined salt, divided
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp paprika
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
3½ cups chicken stock (or other stock of your choice), divided
1 cup chopped carrots
1 bay leaf
2 cups cooked or canned beans
2 cups cooked, sliced sausages
¼ cup chopped parsley or coriander, to garnish

Instructions

Melt the butter on medium low heat and sauté the onions and celery for about 5 minutes until softened. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add the garlic and paprika, then sauté them for another couple of minutes.
Add half of the potatoes and 2 cups of stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Blend everything with an immersion blender until smooth.
Add the rest of the potatoes, carrots, bay leaf and the remaining stock. Sprinkle in a little more salt. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the carrots are soft.
Once the carrots are tender, add the beans and sausages. Simmer the soup for a few minutes until everything is heated through. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Your soup is now ready to be served with some chopped fresh coriander or parsley on top and some buttered sourdough bread on the side.

Notes

This soup will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
For longer storage, freeze it in an airtight container.

How to Make Traditional Sausage and Bean Soup from Scratch