Description
This Creamy Italian Sausage Soup with Potatoes and Kale is a hearty and comforting meal perfect for chilly days. Featuring flavorful browned Italian sausage, tender Idaho potatoes, nutritious kale, and a rich creamy broth, this soup brings together savory and spicy notes for a satisfying and delicious dinner.
Ingredients
Meat
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage (sweet or hot)
Vegetables
- 5 medium-sized Idaho potatoes, scrubbed clean and chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 2 pounds)
- 1 bunch of kale, washed, de-ribbed, and chopped (about 8 cups chopped kale)
Liquids & Seasonings
- 6 cups chicken stock or bone broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
- Brown the Sausage: In an enameled Dutch oven or medium stockpot over medium-high heat, sauté the ground Italian sausage. Use a spoon to break up the sausage as it cooks until it is golden brown and fully cooked, about 10 minutes. This step develops deep flavors essential to the soup.
- Set Aside Sausage: Transfer the browned sausage crumbles to a bowl and set aside to add back later.
- Cook Potatoes: Add the chopped potatoes to the pot with the leftover sausage drippings and stir to coat them thoroughly.
- Add Broth and Seasonings: Pour in the chicken stock, then add salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for about 8 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add Kale: Stir the chopped kale into the boiling soup and continue boiling for 3 more minutes, stirring a couple of times to help soften and break down the kale.
- Add Cream and Simmer: Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring continuously. Bring the soup back to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high and let it simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to combine flavors fully.
- Finish: Return the sausage crumbles to the pot, stir them into the soup until heated through, and serve warm.
Notes
- You can use either sweet or hot Italian sausage depending on your spice preference.
- Idaho potatoes hold their shape well in soup and provide a creamy texture when cooked.
- Removing the kale ribs before chopping improves the soup's texture and eating experience.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or milk, but the soup will be less rich.
- Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
