Minestrone Soup with Sausage

A bowl of hearty minestrone soup with assorted vegetables and pasta topped with grated cheese, and fresh parsley, ditalini and a wedge of Parmesan on the side.

4.80 from 5 votes

This minestrone soup with sausage is a hearty, vegetable-packed meal built on Italian sausage, beans, and a rich, slow-simmered broth. Most of the cooking time is hands-off, making it an ideal make-ahead soup that delivers deep, hearty flavor in every bowl.

Prep Time35

Cook Time1 45

Total Time2 20

Course: Soups

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Author: Lynne Webb

Ingredients

2 cans cannellini beans 15-ounce, low-sodium
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 lb pancetta diced
1 small onion chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cloves garlic minced
1 lb sweet Italian sausage removed from the casing
1 cup dry red wine
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups diced tomatoes undrained
4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind optional
2 zucchini cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs optional
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 ounces ditalini pasta cooked and drained (optional - see notes)
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

Instructions

Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Set aside 1/2 cup of the beans, then transfer the remaining beans to a food processor and purée until smooth. Reserve both the purée and whole beans.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the pancetta begins to crisp, about 4–5 minutes.
Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, 6–8 minutes.
Sprinkle in the oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and a few grinds of black pepper. Do not add salt at this stage (see seasoning note below).
Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the Italian sausage, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink.
Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, cannellini bean purée, reserved whole beans, cabbage, and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese rind (if using).
Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a low, steady simmer.
After 1 hour, add the zucchini and taste the soup. Begin seasoning with salt in small increments, tasting between additions.
If you'd like a thicker consistency, stir in 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, simmer for 5 minutes, and reassess. Add up to 1/4 cup more if needed.
Cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Keep the soup warm over very low heat until ready to serve. About 5 minutes before serving, stir in the chopped parsley.
Ladle into bowls and add cooked ditalini if desired. Finish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Notes

SEASONING TIP: Because the cannellini beans, pancetta, Italian sausage, and diced tomatoes all contain salt, we never add any until the soup has been cooking for about an hour. At that point, the flavors will have developed and we find we need to make very few adjustments to the seasoning.

ABOUT THE PASTA: Cook pasta separately and add it to bowls at serving time to prevent the soup from thickening. Add cooked pasta to individual bowls just before serving and ladle the hot soup over it.

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