Creamy Italian Sausage Soup with Potatoes and Kale
This creamy Italian sausage soup is full of tender potatoes and robust kale. It’s hearty, comforting, and super easy! You’re only 5 main ingredients, 1 pot, and less than an hour from a warm, delicious, and nutrient-dense meal.
Creamy kale and potato soup loaded with Italian sausage ready in under an hour? Yes, yes, and yes!
This is my favorite winter soup. I crave it as soon as the weather cools down. I can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And believe me, I have! I’ve even forced myself to freeze some for later, and it freezes and reheats beautifully.
I’ve been making this for years and have tried different variations. It’s good with hot or sweet sausage. Spinach works in place of kale (but kale is muuuchhhh better). It’s like Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana but is more simple. Personally, I like this better!
It’s good with a clove or 2 of garlic or some diced onion. Bacon is also good. But I always come back, time and time again, to this simple recipe. It’s perfect as is and ridiculously easy. Only 5 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and 1 pot. It even includes leafy greens. This recipe is a winner. We are all obsessed with this easy soup. Try and you will be too!
Ingredients
- Italian sausage is the backbone and provides a ton of flavor for this soup. Use ground Italian sausage without casings. Sweet or hot Italian sausage both work great! Use whichever you prefer.
- Idaho potatoes make this creamy potato and kale soup ultra hearty and comforting. I leave the peelings on the potatoes as a personal preference. Especially if they have thin, tender skin. You can peel them if you want. Red, gold and russet potatoes also work well. If you don’t have a food scale, 2 pounds of potatoes equals about 5 cups of chopped potatoes.
- I like to use kale from my garden or a bundle of fresh kale from the grocery store. Wash it well and strip off the tough ribs. Any variety of kale works! Use what you have. You can also save time by buying pre-washed and chopped kale in a bag.
- Chicken stock or bone broth is the liquid for the soup. I love using homemade bone broth, but store-bought stock or broth works fine. I also like using roasted chicken better than bouillon if I don’t have any stock. That stuff is a lifesaver!
- Add heavy cream at the end to make this Italian sausage soup smooth, creamy, and perfect! Don’t use regular milk. It will be too thin and not creamy enough.
- Salt & pepper amplifies the flavor.
- Red pepper flakes are optional for a kick of spicy heat. You can leave these out for a mild soup. I prefer it with them, but my one-year-old is not a fan!
How to Make Creamy Italian Sausage Soup
First brown the sausage. Cook it over medium-high heat in an enameled Dutch oven or a medium stockpot. Take your time to get it nice and brown. That’s flavor baby! Then, remove the browned sausage crumbles and set them aside.
Now, go ahead and add your taters to the pot. Give them a stir to coat them in the sausage drippings. Then, add the chicken stock, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, and bring it to a boil. Wait for the potatoes to get tender…
Don’t worry, you can leave out those pepper flakes if you like it mild!
Then add the chopped kale. I know it looks like a lot. It’ll start to break down real quick!
Now, stir the sausage back in and add the cream.
Let it boil for a couple more minutes to let everything come together. Yum! It will smell so good.
Ladle it into your favorite soup bowl.
Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes if you like the heat. Salt it to taste. Curl up in your cozy spot and dig in!
Storage and Freezing
Refrigerate & Reheat: Store refrigerated in a covered container for 3-5 days. Reheat leftovers on the stovetop or in a microwave-safe bowl.
Freeze: Ladle the cooled soup into freezer safe pint containers, leaving an inch of head space. Label and seal the container. Or vacuum seal it in labeled bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or defrost quickly in the microwave. Then, follow the reheating instructions above.
How to Serve Creamy Italian Sausage Soup
- I love serving this hearty soup as a main course in the Fall and Winter. It’s warm, comforting, and delicious. It’s a perfect 1 pot meal.
- Serve it with crusty bread, cheddar biscuits, or a green salad.
- Try adding plain crostini as a topping.
- Serve a cup of soup as a first course for a cold-weather dinner.
- Go for the Olive Garden experience and serve it with soft breadsticks and an Italian Salad.
Need a way to use leftover kale?
Make my tahini kale salad! It’s so good!
More Easy Soups
Did you make this creamy kale and potato soup? Let me know how you enjoyed it! Comment below, and don’t forget to leave a star rating!
PrintCreamy Italian Sausage Soup with Potatoes and Kale
This Italian sausage soup only uses 1 pot and five main ingredients. Comforting and creamy kale and potato soup ready in under an hour.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: about 12 cups 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage (sweet or hot)
- 5 medium-sized Idaho potatoes scrubbed clean and chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 2 pounds)
- 6 cups chicken stock or bone broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 bunch of kale, washed, de-ribbed, and chopped (about 8 cups chopped kale)
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
- Sauté the Italian sausage in an enameled Dutch oven or a medium stockpot over medium-high heat. Use a spoon to break it up as it cooks. Take your time to get the sausage brown. It will add so much flavor. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the sausage crumbles to a bowl and set aside.
- Add the chopped potatoes to the pot and stir them to coat with the leftover sausage drippings.
- Add the chicken stock, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Then, increase the cooking temperature to high and bring it to a boil. Boil for about 8 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add the chopped kale and stir it into the soup. Continue to boil for about 3 minutes. Stir it a couple times to help break down the kale.
- Slowly pour in the cream while stirring. Return the soup to a boil. Then, decrease the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Notes
Notes about the potatoes
I leave the peelings on the potatoes as a personal preference. Especially if they have thin, tender skin. You can peel them if you want. Red, gold and russet potatoes also work well. If you don’t have a food scale, 2 pounds of potatoes equals about 5 cups of chopped potatoes.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Refrigerate & Reheat: Store refrigerated in a covered container for 3-5 days. Reheat leftovers on the stovetop or in a microwave-safe bowl.
Freeze: Ladle the cooled soup into freezer safe pint containers, leaving an inch of head space. Label and seal the container. Or vacuum seal it in labeled bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight or defrost quickly in the microwave. Then, follow the reheating instructions above.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 403
- Sugar: 7.2 g
- Sodium: 911.6 mg
- Fat: 23.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 35.6 g
- Fiber: 4.5 g
- Protein: 13.4 g
- Cholesterol: 66.7 mg
