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    Ask Chef Dennis » Recipes » Starters » Soup Recipes » Sausage and Bean Minestra Recipe

    Sausage and Bean Minestra Recipe

    Published: Jun 27, 2021 · Modified: Jun 23, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley · 46 Comments·This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    5 from 19 votes
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    Pinterest image for sausage and bean minestra

    It doesn’t have to be cold outside to get me cooking up delicious hearty soups for my friends and family and my Sausage and Bean Minestra is a perfect light dinner any time of year.

    bowl of sausage and bean minestra with the soup pot behind it

    With all the fresh vegetables in the market, summertime is my favorite time to make this delicious Italian soup. It’s the kind of soup that almost begs to have a piece of crusty bread dunked into it!

    What Ingredients do I need to make a Sausage and Bean Minestra?

    ingredients to make sausage and bean minestra

    Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Sausage and Bean Minestra. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.

    Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed up the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

    Do I have to use Chicken stock to make this soup?

    No, you don’t. If you want to keep it completely vegetarian use vegetable stock. You can also use beef stock if you prefer a heartier beef flavor.

    How do I make Sausage and Bean Minestra?

    four images showing how to make minestra

    My soups almost always start with a mirepoix or as the Italians would call it a soffrito, which is a diced combination of celery, onions and carrots.

    Always starting your soup by allowing your vegetables to cook a bit before adding in any water, this process is called sweating down the vegetables.

    four images showing the next steps in making my sausage and bean minestra

    After the initial cooking of the vegetables you can add the stock, and the remainder of the ingredients to the pot.

    Do I have to use all of the ingredients to make a Minestra?

    No, you don’t. Whatever I happen to have on hand can find its way into my soup pot. While I start most of my soups from fresh ingredients these days, there was a time that the soup served another purpose, and that was an outlet for leftovers and scraps.

    Those were the soups that we loved and some were hard to duplicate because of what was used. I do still make about 50 percent of my soups that way, utilizing leftovers, but some soups just need to be started from scratch.

    finished sausage and bean minestra in pot with a white ladle

    Creating soups that your family and friends will enjoy eating isn’t difficult. Use the ingredients that they like. If you’re not fond of beans leave them out. If you don’t want to use sausage leave it out or replace it with chicken. It’s really that easy.

    spoon holding minestra above bowl with pot in the background

    Wouldn’t your family love to sit down to a bowl of this delicious soup? I promise it will bring smiles to your table and requests for seconds!

    More Soup Recipes You’ll Love!

    • Italian Wedding Soup with Tortellini 
    • Manhattan Clam Chowder 
    • Tuscan Bread Soup
    • Tomato Bisque

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    overhead view of bowl of sausage and bean minestra with partial views of additional soup bowls
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    5 from 19 votes

    Sausage and Bean Minestra

    When its time for a soul-warming soup, that means its time for my Sausage and Bean Minestra.  You'll love the flavors of this soup which makes a delicious dinner any time of year!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time50 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Italian
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 276kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 3 carrots diced
    • 1 small onion diced
    • 4 stalks celery diced
    • 1 cup green beans cut into ¾-1 inch pieces
    • 1 green squash diced
    • 2 cups chopped escarole or greens of your choice
    • ½ lb sweet sausage
    • 16 ounces cannellini beans one small can drained
    • 1 cup uncooked soup size pasta ½ pound
    • 4 cups chicken stock more if needed. (vegetable stock can be used)
    • season with black pepper and sea salt to taste
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    Instructions

    • in a small stock pot add a tablespoon of olive oil, the diced carrots, celery and onion. Allow them to cook for 5-7 minutes.
    • Add the diced zucchini, and green beans and continue to cook for about 5 minutes
    • Remove the sausage from the casing and add it to the stock pot, break apart the sausage and allow it to brown
    • Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, turn down the heat and allow to simmer.
    • Add the cannellini beans and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes.
    • Add in the pasta and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
    • add in the escarole and allow to wilt.
    • serve with a sprinkle of grated cheese and crusty bread.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 538mg | Potassium: 453mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4281IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg
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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Katie Youngs

      June 30, 2021 at 9:59 am

      5 stars
      This is one of my favorite soup recipes.

      Reply
    2. Addie

      June 29, 2021 at 8:56 pm

      5 stars
      Love all those veggies in there! So yummy!

      Reply
    3. Alice | SkinnySpatula

      June 29, 2021 at 7:15 pm

      5 stars
      This is exactly my kind of soup!

      Reply
    4. Kayla DiMaggio

      June 28, 2021 at 9:43 am

      5 stars
      This looks amazing! It is packed full of vegetables which I love!

      Reply
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