Description
A hearty and flavorful Slow Cooker Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage, packed with Italian sausage, white beans, vegetables, and fresh herbs. This rustic soup combines tender orzo pasta, kale or spinach, and a rich broth infused with roasted tomatoes and wine, perfect for a comforting meal on a chilly day.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 1/2 pound Italian Sausage
Vegetables
- 2 Onions, chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 stalks Celery, sliced
- 2 Carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 Green Pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup Roasted Red Peppers, diced
- 2 cups Baby Spinach (or chopped kale, optional)
- 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary (optional)
Pantry
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup Dry White Wine (or more chicken broth)
- 28 ounces Chicken Broth
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes (e.g. whole roasted cherry tomatoes)
- 1 (15 ounce) can Tomato Sauce
- 1/2 cup Orzo Pasta (uncooked)
- 1 (15 ounce) can White Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt (adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Brown Sausage and Vegetables: Brown the Italian sausage in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked. Remove the sausage and transfer it to the slow cooker. In the same skillet, add chopped onions, minced garlic, sliced celery, and sliced carrots. Cook the vegetables until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Deglaze the Pan: Stir in the tomato paste and Italian seasoning into the skillet. Pour in the white wine (or 1/2 cup chicken broth) and bring it to a boil, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove the skillet from heat and transfer the contents to the slow cooker along with the sausage.
- Cook the Soup: Add the remaining ingredients—chicken broth, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato sauce, diced green pepper, roasted red peppers, and fresh rosemary (if using)—to the slow cooker. Stir well to combine. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
- Finish the Soup: Stir in the uncooked orzo pasta, rinsed white beans, and baby spinach or kale. Continue cooking on HIGH for about 15 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Check seasoning and add salt to taste before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute kale for spinach or leave it out if preferred.
- If you don’t have dry white wine, additional chicken broth works well for deglazing.
- Adjust salt according to your preference and the saltiness of broth used.
- For a spicier soup, use spicy Italian sausage instead of sweet or mild.
- To make this recipe vegetarian, omit sausage and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
