Easy Sausage Potato Soup
- PREP 10min
- COOK 40min
- TOTAL 50min
You will love this easy sausage and potato soup recipe, made with Italian sausage, potatoes, garlic, and kale. It is comforting and ultra-flavorful. For the best soup, use Yukon Gold potatoes. They have thin skins, so you don’t need to peel them. The red pepper flakes are optional and add a bit of spice to the soup. If you use hot Italian sausage (spicy), you may not need them.
You Will Need
8 ounces (226g) bulk Italian sausage or links with the casings removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 tablespoon
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
1 ½ pounds (680g) potatoes, cubed, 2 to 3 medium
5 cups (1182ml) chicken stock
1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream or half-and-half, or more to taste
4 cups chopped kale leaves with ribs removed or use baby kale
1/2 cup (28g) shredded parmesan cheese, optional, 1 ounce
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage. Cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon until crispy, about 10 minutes.
Add the onions and cook, stirring every few minutes, until they soften, 5 to 6 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper. Cook, stirring the garlic and spices around the pan for about 1 minute.
Add the bay leaf, thyme, and potatoes. Pour in the stock.
Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the broth reaches a simmer, but before it begins to boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot with a lid, and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes. As the soup cooks, stir every once in a while. If the soup simmers more aggressively, turn down the heat a bit.
Uncover the soup and remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.
Stir in the cream, kale, and parmesan cheese. Add a small pinch of nutmeg, and then taste the soup for seasoning. Adjust with more salt and pepper as needed.
Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid, and cook until the kale is wilted and soft, about 5 minutes more.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and reheat gently on the stovetop. Potatoes may soften slightly after freezing. The cream may separate when reheating, so do it over low heat or leave it out when freezing and add fresh after it has reheated.
- Thick and creamy soup: For a creamier and thicker soup, grab a potato masher and mash some of the potatoes in the pot just before adding the kale.
- Kale: The kale softens in the soup over time. If you like extra soft and tender kale, leave the lid on the pot and keep warm for 10 to 15 minutes more.
- Lighter soup: For a lightened-up version, replace the pork sausage with chicken or turkey sausage and substitute the cream/milk for additional stock.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.