Creamy Italian Sausage Kale Soup (Printable)
Italian-inspired creamy soup with sausage, sliced potatoes, and wilted kale in a rich garlic broth.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 medium russet potatoes, thinly sliced
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 3 cups fresh kale, stems removed and chopped
→ Pantry & Dairy
06 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
07 - 1 cup heavy cream
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
10 - Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook until browned on all sides, breaking it into bite-sized crumbles with a wooden spoon, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Drain any excess rendered fat if necessary.
02 - Add the chopped onion to the pot and sauté until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the sliced potatoes to the pot and pour in the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
04 - Stir in the chopped kale and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the leaves are wilted and vibrant green.
05 - Reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Season with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Simmer gently for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
06 - Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve hot, accompanied by crusty bread if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The creamy broth tastes like it took hours of fussing, but the whole thing comes together on a weeknight without breaking a sweat.
- That combination of crumbled sausage and tender potatoes is the kind of hearty comfort that makes everyone at the table go quiet and just eat.
02 -
- Adding the cream over too high a heat will cause it to break and look grainy, so always drop to low before pouring it in.
- Slicing the potatoes unevenly means some turn to mush while others stay crunchy, so take an extra minute to cut them uniformly thin.
03 -
- Brown the sausage in two batches if your pot is crowded, because steaming meat in its own steam never gives you those crispy caramelized edges that make the broth taste rich.
- Strip kale leaves from the stem by pinching the stem with one hand and pulling the leaf away with the other, a ten second trick that saves you from chewing through tough strings later.