Kielbasa Bean Soup — Bringing the Summerfest Spirit Home, One Bowl at a Time

Summerfest. Three visits, as promised. Visit one: with the brewery crew. Marcus came, which shocked everyone because Marcus does not voluntarily attend events with more than four people. He lasted two hours, drank three beers, and said, "This is fine," which from Marcus is the equivalent of "BEST NIGHT EVER." We listened to a reggae band and a country singer and a rock cover band, and I ate a cream puff and cheese curds and a corn dog, and I regretted nothing. Visit two: with Dad. Classic rock night. We stood in the pavilion and listened to REO Speedwagon — actual REO Speedwagon, not a cover band — and Dad sang along to every word of "Can't Fight This Feeling" while I pretended not to know him and also secretly loved every second. Dad doesn't sing. Ever. But give him REO Speedwagon and two Miller Lites and the man becomes a rock star. Visit three: solo. Wednesday afternoon. I walked the grounds alone, eating slowly, people-watching. Milwaukee at a music festival is Milwaukee at its best — every neighborhood, every age, every background, united by music and beer and the shared understanding that summer is short and you'd better enjoy it. I ate a pulled pork sandwich from a truck and thought about how food brings people together, how a festival is really just a giant kitchen where everyone's invited. At the brewery, Kowalski Lager is finalized. Marcus approved it for the year-round rotation starting in August. Year-round. My beer, on the board, permanently. Not seasonal, not rotating. A staple. I stood in the brewhouse after close and stared at the tanks and thought: three years ago I was loading kegs. Now I have a year-round beer. Made a Summerfest-inspired meal at home: beer-battered fried cheese curds (because if Summerfest has taught me anything, it's that cheese curds should be fried and eaten immediately), a sausage and pepper sandwich with kielbasa instead of Italian sausage (because I'm me), and a funnel cake (because I wanted one and nobody was going to stop me). The funnel cake was a disaster. The batter was too thin, the oil was too hot, and the result looked like a crime scene. I ate it anyway. It was delicious. Beauty is overrated.

After three trips to Summerfest and a sausage-and-pepper sandwich that I still think about, I needed to bring some of that energy into my own kitchen — and since I’d already proven I couldn’t be trusted around funnel cake batter, I wanted something a little more forgiving. Kielbasa was already on my mind, and turning it into a big, smoky, satisfying soup felt like exactly the right call: the kind of meal you make when you’re celebrating something quietly, like a year-round beer approval and a summer that delivered. This one’s for Marcus, who would call it “fine,” and for Dad, who would eat two bowls without saying a word.

Kielbasa Bean Soup

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb kielbasa, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 cans (15 oz each) white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, with juices
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt to taste
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Brown the kielbasa. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa rounds in a single layer and cook for 3–4 minutes per side until browned and slightly caramelized. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
2. Sauté the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and celery to the pot and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
3. Add the vegetables. Stir in the carrots and red bell pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften slightly.
4. Build the soup. Add the diced tomatoes (with their juices), chicken broth, smoked paprika, thyme, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.
5. Simmer with the beans. Stir in the cannellini beans and the reserved browned kielbasa. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavors meld and the vegetables become fully tender.
6. Adjust and serve. Taste and season with salt as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread or on its own.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 390 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 870mg