Description
This comforting Pinto Bean Soup is a hearty blend of seasoned ground sausage, vegetables, and hearty pinto beans simmered to perfection in chicken broth. Enhanced with subtle spices like mustard powder and hot sauce, and finished with creamy spinach and optional Parmesan cheese, it’s a warming, flavorful meal perfect for any season.
Ingredients
Scale
Spices and Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound ground sausage (regular, hot, or mild)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup carrots, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 (15.5 oz.) cans pinto beans, drained but not rinsed
- 3 cups spinach
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Sausage: Remove casings from sausage links if using links. Preheat a large pot over medium heat and add the sausage, breaking it apart as it cooks. When halfway cooked, reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and continue cooking while stirring occasionally until fully cooked, about 10-12 minutes.
- Set Aside the Sausage: Transfer the cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon of sausage drippings in the pot; use butter if drippings are insufficient.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add sausage drippings and 2 tablespoons butter to the pot over medium heat. Add diced onions, celery, and carrots; cook for 4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add Flour: Stir in 3 tablespoons flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to eliminate raw flour taste, forming a roux to thicken the soup.
- Add Seasonings and Beans: Incorporate hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dried herbs, mustard powder, black pepper, and drained pinto beans into the pot.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Pour in 6 cups low sodium chicken broth. Use a silicone spatula to scrape and deglaze the pot’s bottom for additional flavor. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cook the Soup: Let the soup simmer partially covered for 20 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Add Sausage and Spinach: Return cooked sausage to the pot. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Then add spinach and cook until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in ¼ cup heavy cream if desired for richness. Ladle soup into bowls and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese as desired.
Notes
- The mustard powder and hot sauce add subtle flavor enhancements, so it’s highly recommended not to omit them despite their subtlety.
- If you want to use a Crock Pot (slow cooker) method, cook the sausage separately and then combine all ingredients except cream and spinach into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, adding spinach and cream in the last 10 minutes.
- You can use mild, hot, or regular sausage based on your preferred spice level.
- Using low sodium chicken broth helps control the salt level in the soup.
- The heavy cream and Parmesan cheese are optional but add a lovely creamy texture and depth of flavor.
