Sausage Potato Kale Soup is a hearty, comfort soup the whole family will love! Loaded with velvety red potatoes, savory sausage, salty bacon and tender kale, this cozy one pot recipe is reminiscient of Zuppa Toscana, uses simple, everyday ingredients and is sure to find a place in your regular dinner rotation!
If you love Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana, you are going to be over the moon about this easy Sausage Kale Potato Soup recipe. It’s so thick, rich and creamy, you’ll never feel the need to go out for soup and salad again!
RELATED RECIPE: Slow Cooker Short Cut Potato Soup
This isn’t a copy cat recipe. This Italian-style potato soup has a richness and depth of flavor of its own. Each bowl carries its own soul-satisfying comfort. And while this recipe is easy enough for nights at home, it’s also special enough for guests and important occasions!
What is Zuppa Toscana?
Zuppa Toscana literally means Tuscan soup. And while this recipe is certainly not an authentic Italian dish, it’s creamy, rich potatoes, tender kale and savory sausage all simmered in a swirl of cream is considered Italian-inspired and is definitely a popular comfort soup!
Ingredients
- baby red potatoes
- sweet Italian sausage
- thick cut bacon
- curly kale
- shredded carrots
- yellow onion
- chicken stock (or broth)
- half & half cream
- shaved parmesan
- flour
- Italian seasoning
- minced garlic
- bay leaves
- salt & pepper
See recipe card for measurements & full instructions.
How to Make Sausage Kale Potato Soup
Create the Base. In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, brown the bacon and sausage. Add in the diced onions, minced garlic and shredded carrots and cook until tender. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat all of the ingredients.
Layer in the Soup Ingredients. Stir in chicken broth, removing any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add in seasonings, herbs and cubed potatoes. When potatoes are fork tender, stir in the cream and parmesan, then add the kale. Simmer until tender.
Serve. Serve with extra bacon, parmesan and red pepper flakes for extra yum!
Recipe Variations
- Not a fan of kale? Try using spinach or collard greens in this soup instead. Keep an eye on your soup though. Spinach has a very quick wilt time, making your soup ready to go in 3-5 minutes. Collards require a much longer simmer to become tender.
- Use hot Italian sausage instead of sweet or mild for a spicy kick. You can even use sliced smoked sausage for something different.
- Give your soup a new depth of flavor by using peeled and cubed sweet potatoes instead of baby reds.
What Are The Best Potatoes to Use
Baby red potatoes are the best to use for this recipe. However, Yukon Gold potatoes will work too. Neither types of potatoes need to be peeled, but you can if desired.
Russet potatoes don’t work well for this recipe because they break down too much when the soup is stirred.
Slow Cooker Instructions
To cook this soup in your crock pot, complete the first 2 steps (found on the recipe card below) in a skillet on the stove top. Transfer your soup base to the crock pot, add the seasonings, herbs and potatoes. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4. Add cream, parmesan and kale. Cook for another 20-30 minutes. Stir and serve.
Leftovers & Storage
Store your potato soup leftovers in the refrigerator tightly covered for 4-5 days. To reheat, add a little broth or water (the soup will thicken in the refrigerator) and reheat over low heat on the stove top or in the microwave.
Sauage Kale Potato Soup isn’t ideal for freezing because the cream will separate and the potatoes break down. If you think this recipe will make too much for your family, halving the recipe is the best approach.
What to Serve with Sausage Kale Potato Soup
- Rosemary Cheddar Biscuits
- Stuffed Olive Cheese Bread
- Shortcut Pull Apart Rolls
- Green Salad with Easy Mayo Vinaigrette
- Italian Green Bean Salad
Other Hearty Soup Recipes to Love
- Creamy Chicken & Ravioli Soup
- Italian Tortellini Soup with Sausage & Spinach
- Easy Southern Chicken & Dumplings
- Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
- Southern Sweet Potato Soup
If You Love Comfort Soups & Have Made This Recipe, Give It All The Stars & Leave A Fun Comment! Or Tag Me @SouthernDiscourse On Social Media To Be Featured. I Love Hearing From You!
Hearty Sausage Kale Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 3-4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into small -medium pieces
- 1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic (3 garlic cloves)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken stock (or broth)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1.5 pounds baby red potatoes, unpeeled & quartered
- 4 cups half & half cream
- 1 cup shaved Parmesan
- 1 small bunch curly leaf kale, stems removed & chopped to bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon pieces to almost done. Add in ground sausage and brown. Spoon out some (but not all) of the fat and discard, leaving some fat in the pot with the meat.
- Add onions, carrots and garlic to the Dutch oven and cook until tender. Sprinkle in flour and stir to coat all ingredients. Add in chicken broth, stir to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and continue stirring to make sure all of the flour is dissolved.
- Add in Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and bay leaf and bring to a low boil. Add potatoes and simmer until tender (about 10-15 minutes). Stir occasionally to keep potatoes from sticking.
- When potatoes are fork tender, pour in cream, stirring the soup as you are adding it. Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and stir until all of the cheese is melted. Finally, add the kale and allow to simmer until tender (this could take 10 minutes). Stir occasionally. Serve with extra bacon, red pepper flakes and parmesan, if desired.
Looks delicious and the recipe sounds good.
Hi, Alicia! Thanks so much! I hope you make it soon!
Great!!
Hi, Catherine! Thanks! I’m just tickled you loved this soup!
I just made this soup for the first time. I made a few adjustments to reduce the fat, but the result was still delicious and satisfying! A perfect recipe for a snow day! Thanks!
Hi, Patty! Love it! This put a big smile on my face!