Sausage Potato Kale Soup
This Sausage Potato Kale Soup is healthy, hearty, and satisfying, with the perfect trio of smoky Andouille sausage, Yukon gold potatoes, and fresh kale. This is a great weeknight friendly meal to keep in the fridge, and only takes 35 minutes to make. Round out the meal with Homemade Cornbread, Cheddar Drop Biscuits, or Focaccia.
Soup is the most underrated category of food in my opinion, and easily one of my favorite things to make and eat.
And my favorite part about this Sausage Potato Kale Soup is it has an incredibly short ingredients list, but still manages to have tons of flavor. Those are the best recipes!
Like most soups, one of the best parts about this recipe is that the leftovers keep beautifully. On days when I don’t feel like cooking lunch or dinner, it’s nice to be able to heat a bowl of this up in the microwave and eat something nutritious.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
There are only 6 ingredients involved here, and they are:
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- andouille sausage
- yukon gold potatoes
- kale
- chicken broth
Oh, and salt, but that doesn’t usually count as an ingredient. Despite this short list, the sausage soup manages to be hearty and delicious, with lots of flavor from the smoked andouille sausage.
Since there are so few ingredients in this easy soup, it’s essential to use a good quality, flavorful andouille sausage. This is especially true since it’s not a creamy broth soup.
I buy smoked andouille sausage, which adds a smokiness, spiciness, and meatiness to the soup. The one my grocery store carries is made by Wellshire Farms and I really like it!
If you prefer, you may also swap in some sweet italian sausage (or hot italian sausage). I recommend finding one made with pork, and not using chicken or turkey sausage, which usually are not as flavorful. There shouldn’t be much excess grease from the pork sausage here, since the amounts are minimal.
Tips for Best Results
Use good chicken broth – I once did a taste test comparing several brands of chicken broth, and the differences were staggering. My favorite brands are Imagine and Swanson, but you may want to do your own taste test with the options available at your local grocery store.
I also recommend determining if you prefer broth or stock more. Although many people think of them as interchangeable, they are different. Broths are typically made more with meat whereas stocks are made more with bones, giving a different type of mouthfeel. Either will work here, it’s just personal preference.
Remove the stems and ribs from the kale – While optional, I recommend stripping the kale leaves from the stems. You can do this by either cutting the stems out with a knife, or running your fingers up and down the length of the stem to separate the leaves. The leaves are much more tender.
Step by Step Overview:
To get started, brown some sliced andouille sausage over medium heat in a big soup pot or dutch oven with olive oil, or your fat of choice. Butter and lard are also delicious.
Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat behind, and cook chopped yellow onion with a pinch of salt, until softened:
There should already be some heat from the andouille sausage, but if you wish to add red pepper flakes for some extra spice, or any other seasonings, add it to the onion.
Next add big chunks of Yukon gold potatoes to your large pot:
Can you use other varieties?
My favorite potato to use here is Yukon gold, but you may use any type of waxy potato that you prefer. Red potatoes are another great choice. Russet potatoes, which are typically used for things like French Fries or Hash Browns are not the best choice, as they are too starchy.
Now add chicken broth or chicken stock to the pot:
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, cooking until the potatoes are fork tender.
Finally, add one bunch worth of kale leaves, and the reserved sausage, and cook for 2 minutes until the kale is wilted:
It is always surprising to me that those 2 minutes are all that’s needed for the kale to lose any traces of bitterness.
I love the flavors of the hearty soup, all without any heavy cream. It’s wonderful on cold winter nights and is one of our family favorites.
For a chunkier texture throughout, use an immersion blender to break up the cooked potatoes more. This thickens the broth slightly. Enjoy!
How to Serve
This simple soup is now ready to serve in bowls, piping hot, and enjoyed with some crusty bread.
Soups very classically pair with recipes like Drop Biscuits and Asiago Black Pepper Bread, but it’s simply great as is if you wish to keep it lower carb. You can also make it low carb by leaving out the potatoes, but I love the heartiness they bring.
This soup is Whole30 friendly, as is this Carrot Coconut Soup, which also makes for great leftovers. Other favorites are Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili, Cheesy Lasagna Soup, and Quick Chicken Noodle Soup. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
This homemade soup takes well to substitutions and changes. Here are some of my favorite ways to adjust the recipe.
Bone broth – To make this recipe even healthier, use bone broth instead of the chicken broth.
Sweet potatoes – Feel free to add or swap in some sweet potatoes for the yukon golds.
Smoked paprika – To add an extra layer of smokiness to the broth, add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to the onion during saute time.
Kale – Try swapping in other greens such as swiss chard.
Recipe Tips and FAQ
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Yes, store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Because the liquid will expand as it freezes, make sure you leave some extra space in the container. To thaw, leave in the fridge overnight for best results.
The microwave is the most convenient option. Heat servings in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second intervals until warmed through. You may also reheat on the stovetop over medium high heat until warm. If reheating straight from frozen, I recommend reheating on the stovetop.
Yes. After sauteing, cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Then add the kale and sausage, let sit for 2 minutes, and serve. If you want a softer texture to the kale, add it to the pot before the high pressure cook.
Did you enjoy the recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Sausage Potato Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb smoked andouille sausage sliced into 1/4″ rounds
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 1 lb yukon gold potatoes diced into large pieces
- 8 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 large bunch curly green kale stems and ribs removed
- salt
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot set over medium heat, and add the sausage. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until browned.
- Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a plate, leaving the oil behind, and add the chopped onion. Season with a pinch of salt, and cook for 10 minutes, until softened.
- Add the potatoes and chicken stock, then cover the pot with a lid, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- Add the kale and reserved andouille sausage to the soup, and cook for 2 minutes, until the kale has wilted.
- Make any final seasoning adjustments with salt and pepper, if needed, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
12 Comments on “Sausage Potato Kale Soup”
Add Fresh thyme, increases flavor. Use polish smoked kielbasa, makes the whole recipe 10 times better.
Also, browning the onions before adding broth elevates and flavor.
Sounds great! Does it freeze well?
This looks delicious!? but what can you substitute to Andouille sausage as we don’t eat pork? Thanks!
Hi Mickey, hm, is there anything that you do eat that’s very smoky and flavorful? Bacon is pork as well so that wouldn’t work…but the meaty, smoky quality is fairly important for the soup. It can be omitted but likely won’t be as flavorful.
Oh i see. Well, i think it’s a very important ingredient:) anyways thanks maybe next time i can cook this (when my muslim mate are not around;))
YES! So easy and so good.
This looks delicious! For some reason I really like kale in soup. Haha! Wish I could find that brand of andouille sausage in our town – the ingredients look great!
I made it tonight and we loved it. It has a slightly sweet taste, to my surprise, which plays nicely with the kale and Andouille. Very well balanced. I did not use the Wellshire Farms brand of sausage and wished I had because a smoky flavor would be great.
Hi Scott, wow that was fast! I’m glad you enjoyed the soup. If you have liquid smoke, a drop or two might work, but it’s not something I usually keep on hand. Enjoy!
This soup looks great and we certainly have the weather for it this week.
Hi Craig, oh my goodness, this weather!!! I’m ready for it to be over, haha.