Southern Swamp Soup Recipe

Name: Swamp Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 bunches turnip greens (or other dark greens like kale or collard greens); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 small yellow onion, diced; 3 ribs celery, diced; Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 3/4 pound kielbasa or other smoked sausage, diced; 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed; 1 (15-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes; 6 cups chicken broth; 1 cup water; 1 cup small pasta, like ditalini or orzo; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, optional

Why Make This

Smoked sausage gives the soup tons of flavor.
You can use whatever white beans (canned is fine) you have on hand.
You can add all the veggies you want.

Once the temperatures drop, my husband and I happily switch into soup mode. We pull out our favorite recipes, a wide range of creamy, hearty, brothy dishes that get us through the long, dark nights of winter. We can’t get enough of a good soup’s ease—throw in a little crusty bread or a bit of green salad, and you have a meal, as well as its ability to warm you from head to toe.

One soup we make over and over again every winter is swamp soup. Does it sound gross? Yes, yes, it does. It gets its name from its appearance: chopped greens floating on top. It doesn’t look as gross as it sounds, and it tastes a million times better.

The Southern soup features all of the major food groups and tons of flavor, making it a delicious meal unto itself.

What Is Swamp Soup?

One of those dishes without a clear origin, you’ll find swamp soup here and there throughout the southern U.S. I imagine it comes from a region with a swamp, but I can’t swear to it. All I know is it’s a perfect soup.

This soup reminds me of pasta e fagioli with a couple of flavorful and nourishing bonus ingredients. Creamy white beans are combined with a little tomato, smoked sausage like andouille, and small pasta like ditalini or orzo. The finishing touch is lots of chopped greens; turnip greens are the most common, but any hearty green will work.

The smoked sausage and chicken broth, along with sautéed aromatics, give this soup tons of flavor while keeping it balanced. We tend to eat it on its own since it’s warming and filling, but you can serve it with a fresh salad or bread.

Swamp soup in a dutch oven at a table setting with a bowl of parsley, a glass of water, a bowl of crackers, and a spoon — Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

A Very Riffable Recipe

The most common combo you’ll find in swamp soup recipes is turnip greens, smoked sausage, and white beans. And it really is a winning combo. However, it’s easy to tweak this recipe to suit your tastes, your diet, and what you have handy. Here are some ideas:

Beans: Any kind of white bean works great here, including cannellini, Great Northern, and navy beans. White beans are best since they have the creamiest texture, but you can use your choice of beans instead.
Veggies: Add more veggies, such as finely diced bell peppers or carrots.
Greens: While turnip greens are popular, other dark greens work just as well, like lacinato kale, collard greens, or Swiss chard. You can even use spinach—add it in the last few minutes of cooking so it doesn’t overcook.
Smoked sausage: Kielbasa gives this soup great flavor. Any non-smoked sausage works too. Just know that it won’t infuse the soup with quite as much flavor as a smoked sausage.

Soup’s Up!

Swamp Soup

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Total Time 45 mins

Servings 5 to 6 servings

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

2 bunches turnip greens (or other dark greens like kale or collard greens)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 ribs celery, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 pound kielbasa or other smoked sausage, diced
2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 cup small pasta, like ditalini or orzo
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, optional

Prepare the greens:

Trim the stems from the greens and separate into two piles. Trim any dry ends from the stems and finely dice. Chop the leaves and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics:

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced turnip stems, onion, and celery and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic and kielbasa and sauté for 3 more minutes.
Add the beans, liquid, and pasta:

Add the drained beans, undrained tomatoes, chicken broth, and water. Increase the heat to high and add the lid. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes.

To the simmering soup, stir in the pasta and chopped turnip leaves. Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer.
Add parsley and serve:

Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat and add the parsley. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
567	Calories
26g	Fat
56g	Carbs
29g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	567
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g	33%
Saturated Fat 8g	39%
Cholesterol 65mg	22%
Sodium 2048mg	89%
Total Carbohydrate 56g	21%
Dietary Fiber 12g	44%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 29g
Vitamin C 29mg	145%
Calcium 248mg	19%
Iron 8mg	42%
Potassium 1386mg	29%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.