This Creamy Italian Sausage Potato and Kale Soup is hearty and so yummy. It combines sweet Italian sausage, tender potatoes, and fresh lacinato kale in a rich, creamy broth. Infused with fragrant thyme, it’s a comforting blend of savory, earthy, and herbal flavors.
I love a comforting bowl of this soup on chilly days! It’s delicious served with a side of garlic bread or a buttered slice of my Gluten Free White Bread if you want to make it from scratch. Try it with a bright salad like this Wild Rice Salad.
Ingredients
- Sweet Italian sausage: Use pork sausage for classic flavor or substitute chicken or turkey sausage if preferred.
- Salted butter: Used for sautéing the aromatics and creating the roux base.
- Sweet onion: I love the mellow flavor.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic.
- Flour: To thicken the soup with.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: Using low-sodium lets you control the final seasoning.
- Heavy cream: Adds delicious creaminess with the kale and sausage base.
- Worcestershire sauce or liquid smoke: I love the smoky, tanginess it adds.
- Fresh thyme: Fresh is better than dried, but you can use dried in a pinch. Just use a bit less.
- Crushed red pepper flakes: For some spice, leave them out if you don't like spicy food.
- Golden potatoes: Buttery, tender potatoes add texture and some bulk to the soup.
- Lacinato kale: AKA dinosaur kale. I like it because it's a little sweeter and more tender than curly kale.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This is precisely how I made my soup:
- Step 1: In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown the sausage. Remove the sausage from the pot and set aside.
- Add the butter and melt it. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes.
- Step 3: Sprinkle in the flour, garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir until the flour turns golden. Add the chicken broth and whisk to avoid lumps.
- Step 4: Add the diced potatoes, bring to a boil, and turn down the heat to simmer. Cover with a lid and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Return the cooked sausage to the pot and stir to combine. Pour in the heavy cream and stir in the chopped kale.
- Step 3: Simmer for 5–10 more minutes, or until the kale is tender and the soup slightly thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot.
Hint: For meal prep, I like to use these glass containers for easy portioning.
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Substitutions
Worcestershire sauce: Soy sauce or a dash of balsamic vinegar works well.
Golden potatoes: Swap with russet or red potatoes - Red potatoes hold their shape well, while russets break down more for a creamier texture.
Lacinato kale: Baby spinach or Swiss chard are great alternatives.
Variations
This recipe lends itself to a few variations – here are my favorites:
- Cheesy sausage and kale soup: Stir in 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar or parmesan at the end.
- Spicy Tuscan-style soup: Use hot Italian sausage and double the red pepper flakes. For brightness, finish with a squeeze of lemon.
- Low-dairy version: Replace heavy cream with canned coconut milk or a splash of oat cream. It keeps the soup creamy while reducing dairy content.
Equipment
To make this creamy Italian sausage soup, you’ll need a soup pot or Dutch oven. I used a knife, cutting board, spoon, and whisk to remove the lumps!
Storage
This soup will be kept in an airtight refrigerator container for up to 4 days.
Reheat it on the stove or in the microwave. You can freeze the leftovers, but I prefer not to. The potato turns grainy after thawing.
Top tip
You can adjust the spice level of the dish by adding more or less red pepper flakes. Chipotle or cayenne are both nice additions for extra heat.
FAQ
If your soup is too thick, add a little more chicken broth.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Creamy Italian Sausage Potato and Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 16 ounces sweet Italian sausage
- ¼ cup ½ stick salted butter
- ½ medium sweet onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 tablespoons flour *gluten-free flour may be used
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce or liquid smoke
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 pound golden potatoes diced small
- 1 large bunch of Lacinato Kale chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a soup pot or dutch oven, brown the sausage and then remove it and set aside.
- Remove most (but not all) of the grease from the pot.
- In the same pot, melt ½ stick of butter. Add in the onion and cook for a few minutes or until soft.
- Sprinkle in the flour, garlic, red pepper flakes and thyme. Stir until it dissolves and starts to slightly brown.
- Using a whisk, slowly add the chicken broth to the pot. Whisk until all of the flour mix dissolves and no lumps remain.
- Add the diced potatoes and bring the liquid to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer (medium to medium-low heat) and partially cover with a lid. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes become soft. The smaller you diced your potatoes, the more quickly they will become soft.
- As soon as the potatoes start to soften, add back in sausage.
- Stir in the heavy cream and chopped kale. Simmer on low for at least 5 more minutes or until the soup has thickened a bit and the kale is soft.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
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