This Italian-inspired sausage, kale, and potato soup takes a well-known restaurant’s soup and makes it even better. Pair this soup with a crusty sourdough with herbs and cheese for a hearty, big family friendly meal everyone is sure to enjoy.
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Sausage, Kale, & Potato Soup
Ingredients
1 lb ground breakfast sausage
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed and diced
5-6 small potatoes
8 ounces diced tomatoes
32 ounces chicken broth
1 cup kale (or 1 can of spinach)
2 cups millk
1 block cream cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large soup pot, brown the ground breakfast sausage. While that is browning, dice onion and garlic. Once the sausage is almost done, add the onion and garlic to the pot and stir well. You may drain the sausage grease before adding onion and garlic if you prefer. I prefer the extra flavor and animal fats.
Turn the heat down to medium low and then peel, rinse, and thinly slice potatoes. Add the potatoes to the soup pot and stir into sausage mixture. Allow potatoes to cook for 5 minutes while stirring often.
Next, add diced tomatoes and herbs to the soup pot (do not drain) and chicken broth as well. Place lid on the pot and allow the contents to simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, in a small sauce pot add milk and cream cheese over low heat. Allow the milk and cheese to heat up while stirring often. Do not let the milk burn to the bottom of the pan. The goal is for the milk and cheese to mostly smooth into a liquid-y paste. Add more milk if needed.
Now whisk in the liquid-y milk and cheese to the soup pot slowly. Mix until well incorporated then add in kale. Put the lid back on the pot and allow the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes.
Lastly, add salt and pepper to your taste preference then enjoy this hearty soup with a crusty thick piece of homemade bread. Plenty of those recipes on my blog: www.johnsonhomenc.com
Soup serves about 8-10 people.
Does the sausage, kale, and potato soup require tomatoes?
If you are not a fan of tomatoes, subtract them from the recipe but do add about 1 cup of water to the soup pot.
Originally, I would make this soup and not add tomatoes. One day I accidentally put a can of diced tomatoes in the pot and didn’t hate the outcome. Now tomatoes are in this soup recipe to stay.
What can I use instead of kale?
Fresh is best so if you do not have access to homegrown kale, then you can substitute with fresh spinach in sausage, kale, and potato soup.
Alternatively, you can use canned spinach.
I have even made this soup using some chopped collards from my fall garden and it still tasted wonderful.
A Garden Hack with Kale
I do grow kale in my fall and spring gardens. In the south, we sometimes call it “sallet” but it sounds like “salad”. Occasionally you’ll see that printed on a sign offering it for sale. It is not a tossed salad! It is a dark green grown in the fall and spring. Similar to collards but with smaller leaves.
GARDEN HACK WITH KALE: harvest, rinse, and freeze it! When you’re ready to use it like for this sausage, kale, and potato soup, it breaks out beautifully when you reach your hand in the ziplock bag.
Can this soup be made in the crockpot?
Yes!
If you choose to make this soup in the crockpot, I would make two suggestions:
- use russet potatoes cut about 1 inch thick.
- Add milk and cheese mixture before serving.
Russet potatoes are better for a low and slow cooking because they hold up a little better than yellow, red, or gold potatoes. Slow cooking potatoes still has the potential for this soup to become a stew. Feel free to add more broth, water, and/or milk to thin it out.
Adding the milk and cheese mixture about 15 minutes before serving the sausage, kale, and potato soup is ideal so the milk doesn’t scorch or the cheese curd. Whisk in the milk and cheese mixture then allow the soup to sit for 15 minutes before stirring.
Cook on low in the crockpot or slow cooker for 8 hours.
It’s fall, y’all
Fall is just the perfect time for cozy socks, long cardigans, a mug of something warm and a steaming bowl of something hearty for dinner.
You’ll love how filling this soup is with it’s vegetables and sausage too. One pot and a side of crusty buttered bread ought to make the family happy.
Try this EASY YEAST BREAD to get started on your homemade bread baking journey. Then venture into SOURDOUGH with this one.
Sourdough isn’t that intimidating. You simply have to get started and play around with it. More info and recipes about sourdough on my blog.
If you liked this soup, you must try:
My mama’s Ranch Potato Soup is OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious!
A whole chicken roasted for the family is never a bad idea, either.
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Sausage, Kale, and Potato Soup
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large soup pot, brown the ground breakfast sausage. While that is browning, dice onion and garlic. Once the sausage is almost done, add the onion and garlic to the pot and stir well. You may drain the sausage grease before adding onion and garlic if you prefer. I prefer the extra flavor and animal fats.
- Turn the heat down to medium low and then peel, rinse, and thinly slice potatoes. Add the potatoes to the soup pot and stir into sausage mixture. Allow potatoes to cook for 5 minutes while stirring often.
- Next, add diced tomatoes and herbs to the soup pot (do not drain) and chicken broth as well. Place lid on the pot and allow the contents to simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering, in a small sauce pot add milk and cream cheese over low heat. Allow the milk and cheese to heat up while stirring often. Do not let the milk burn to the bottom of the pan. The goal is for the milk and cheese to mostly smooth into a liquid-y paste. Add more milk if needed.
- Now whisk in the liquid-y milk and cheese to the soup pot slowly. Mix until well incorporated then add in kale. Put the lid back on the pot and allow the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Lastly, add salt and pepper to your taste preference then enjoy this hearty soup with a crusty thick piece of homemade bread. Plenty of those recipes on my blog: www.johnsonhomenc.com
- Soup serves about 8-10 people.
