Description
A hearty and comforting Pinto Bean Soup featuring savory ground sausage, fresh vegetables, and flavorful herbs simmered to perfection. This easy-to-make soup balances creamy texture with wholesome ingredients, making it a perfect meal for chilly days.
Ingredients
Scale
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
Protein and Fat
- 1 pound ground sausage (regular, hot, or mild)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon sausage drippings (reserved) or additional butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
Vegetables
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup carrots, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups spinach
Other
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 (15.5 oz) cans Pinto Beans, drained but not rinsed
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Cook the sausage: Remove casings from sausage links if using. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the sausage, breaking it apart while cooking. Once it is halfway cooked, reduce heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot, stirring occasionally to retain drippings. Cook until sausage is fully cooked, about 10-12 minutes.
- Drain and reserve drippings: Transfer cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the sausage drippings to use in the next steps; substitute with butter if you lack enough drippings.
- Sauté the vegetables: In the same pot, add the reserved drippings and 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots and cook for 4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add flour to thicken: Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw taste, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
- Incorporate seasonings and beans: Mix in the hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, dried herbs (basil, parsley, oregano), mustard powder, black pepper, and the drained pinto beans, combining thoroughly.
- Add broth and deglaze: Pour in the chicken broth and use a silicone spatula to scrape and clean the bottom of the pot to loosen flavorful browned bits. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Simmer soup: Partially cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Return sausage and continue simmering: Add the cooked sausage back into the pot and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
- Add spinach and finish: Stir in the spinach and allow it to wilt for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and, if desired, stir in ¼ cup heavy cream for creaminess.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if preferred.
Notes
- For a crockpot variation, cook sausage first, then add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- Mustard powder and hot sauce add subtle but important depth of flavor; it’s recommended to include them.
- You can use regular, hot, or mild sausage based on your spice preference.
- Low sodium chicken broth helps control the salt level in the soup.
- Heavy cream and Parmesan cheese are optional but enhance richness and flavor.
