Easy Swamp Soup Recipe (Turnip Green Soup)

This easy swamp soup recipe is loaded with smoky andouille sausage, tender turnip greens, creamy white beans and ditalini pasta. Everything simmers in a savory Southern-style broth with just enough hot sauce to give it a gentle kick.

Also known as turnip green soup, it’s a satisfying one-pot meal that feeds a crowd and reheats beautifully. Serve it with cornbread for soaking up that flavorful broth.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A hearty one-pot meal: Sausage, beans, greens and pasta make this soup substantial enough for dinner.
• Smoky with a little heat: Andouille sausage and hot sauce give the broth plenty of flavor without making it overwhelmingly spicy.
• Easy shortcuts: Canned turnip greens, canned beans and vegetable recipe mix keep preparation simple.
• Flexible ingredients: You can substitute kielbasa, turkey sausage, different white beans or other leafy greens.
• Feeds a crowd: One pot makes 12 servings, and the leftovers are excellent for lunch.

What Is Swamp Soup?

Swamp soup is a Southern-style soup made with leafy greens, smoked sausage, beans and broth. The greens give the soup its characteristic swampy appearance, which is how it earned its playful name.

The exact ingredients vary from kitchen to kitchen. Some versions contain tomatoes, potatoes, or black-eyed peas, while others include pasta and white beans. My version combines andouille sausage, seasoned turnip greens, Great Northern beans, navy beans, and ditalini in a light, smoky broth.

Ingredients

• Sausage – I use cajun andouille sausage for its spicy, smoky flavor. (See swap suggestions below.) I recommend slicing the sausage and then quartering it.
• Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix – You’ll find this in the soup section of the store and in fact, it used to be called soup mix but it’s “vegetable recipe mix” now.
• Ditalini pasta – These tiny tube-shaped pasta cuts are perfectly sized so as to enhance the soup without overwhelming it.
• Chicken broth – Use a low-sodium prepared chicken broth or mix it up yourself using water and low-sodium chicken bouillon.
• Turnip greens – Seasoned canned turnip greens (like Glory or Margaret Holmes) are just perfect for this southern-style swamp soup recipe.
• White beans – I use two cans of great northern beans and two cans of navy beans. Rinse and drain them to reduce the sodium and starch content.
• Hot sauce – I love Texas Pete hot sauce, but you can use your favorite hot sauce or jarred hot pepper vinegar sauce. The hot sauce adds just a hint of heat to the turnip greens soup recipe.

Swaps and Additions

• For a milder flavor, replace the andouille with kielbasa or another smoked sausage. Chicken or turkey sausage will also work. Or use chopped ham or a ham hock to replace the sausage.
• Substitute collard greens, mustard greens or spinach for the turnip greens.
• Cannellini beans or black-eyed peas can replace either variety of white beans.
• Substitute tubetti or elbow macaroni for the ditalini. Stick with a small pasta that won’t overwhelm the soup.
• Leave out the pasta for a lower-carbohydrate version.
• Make the soup vegetarian by omitting the sausage and using vegetable broth.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Add andouille sausage and onions to a stockpot on the stove over medium-high heat until the sausage chunks have browned a bit and the onions are soft and fragrant. Add the garlic; cook and stir one more minute.

Step 2: Add chicken broth, vegetable recipe mix, beans, turnip greens, hot sauce and black pepper and stir together.

Step 3: Bring mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer, covered for an hour to allow flavors to develop and mingle. Add cooked ditalini in the last 15 minutes or so.

How to Make Swamp Soup in a Slow Cooker

Brown the sausage and onion in a skillet on the stovetop. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Add the chicken broth, vegetable recipe mix, beans, turnip greens, hot sauce, and black pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Stir in the cooked ditalini during the final 15 minutes, or add the pasta to individual bowls before serving.

Helpful Tips

• Wash fresh turnip greens carefully because dirt and grit can cling to the leaves.
• Thaw frozen greens before adding them to the soup.
• Rinse and drain the canned beans before using them.
• Use low-sodium chicken broth and taste the finished soup before adding salt. I don’t usually find that it needs any additional salt.
• Keep cooked pasta separate if you plan to freeze the soup.
• Add a splash of chicken broth when reheating if the soup has thickened.
• Serve the soup with honey glazed cornbread donuts, pumpkin cornbread or warm pumpkin biscuits.

How to Store and Reheat Swamp Soup

Let leftover swamp soup cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Refrigerate it for up to four days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or warm the soup gently in a saucepan on the stove. Add a splash of chicken broth if the beans and pasta have absorbed some of the liquid.

To freeze swamp soup, let it cool completely and transfer it to freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room for expansion. For the best texture, freeze the soup without the ditalini and add freshly cooked pasta after reheating. Freeze for up to three months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.