Hearty, flavorful, and packed with comfort, this Sausage And Kale Soup is your go-to bowl for cozy nights and chilly days.
My husband works outdoors, and during the winter months, he arrives home needing to warm up and thaw out. Fortunately, he loves soup! He often heats up a bowl for himself as a first course while one or both of us finish making dinner. When I first made sausage and kale soup, he turned up his nose at the kale. People love it or hate it, and he was in the latter category. However, this soup was a turning point! While he still doesn’t love kale on its own, in this soup, it is so good.
Sausage and kale soup is loosely based on the Italian Tuscan soup, or zuppa toscana. In the U.S., Olive Garden has popularized zuppa toscana but made significant changes—it’s heavy on sausage, potatoes, and cream, whereas the traditional Italian version relies on cannellini beans and stale bread. Both versions are delicious, and the recipe here is closer to Olive Garden’s. But it’s better, because you’re making it yourself!
You will love sausage and kale soup when you need a cozy soup that is also hearty. It is full of flavor, and you can go with spicy or mild Italian sausage, depending on your preference. The cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic provide a zesty trio of additional flavors. Meanwhile, the cream cheese gives the soup a velvety, wonderfully creamy texture, and means the soup is filling enough that it can be a light supper on its own or an accompaniment to a larger meal.
How To Prep Your Kale
When faced with a bunch of kale, it may seem like you need a machete to properly trim it down and make it manageable for a soup! However, kale does cook down significantly, so don’t be daunted by the volume when it’s raw. To prep kale, you want to thoroughly rinse the leaves before starting and then dry them with a clean dish towel. Once dry, simply fold the leaf to expose the stem on the right side. Slice off the stem vertically, then roll up the leaf and chop roughly. You’re done!
FAQs & Tips
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Cool leftover sausage and kale soup to room temperature and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Since it is a creamy soup, you always want to reheat it very gently to maintain the right texture.
I Don’t Eat Pork: What Can I Substitute?
If you do not eat pork, you can substitute turkey or chicken Italian sausage, ground turkey, or ground beef. If using plain ground turkey or ground beef, be sure to add some seasoning to the ground meat itself. Try amping it up with extra Italian seasoning and fennel seed on top of the regular salt and pepper.
Use Small Cream Cheese Cubes
When cutting the cream cheese into cubes, go small. Keeping the cubes small means that they will melt quickly and have less chance of curdling. I usually cut the cream cheese into cubes when it’s still cold from the fridge. Then I let the cubes come to room temp before adding to the soup.
Serving Suggestions
On its own, sausage and kale soup makes for a delicious light meal on a cold night. Pair it with a warm loaf of Boule Bread or homemade Focaccia and a side salad, like this Mango-Avocado Salad. For larger meals, consider serving sausage and kale soup as a starter or side for Homemade Cheese Lasagna, this Delicious Spinach Lasagna, or a pasta dish like Cheesy Baked Ziti.
Sausage and Kale Soup
Ingredients Â
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage casing removed and crumbled
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 pinches cayenne pepper
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- 2 medium potatoes diced
- 1 bunch kale stems removed and leaves chopped
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened and cubed
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
InstructionsÂ
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add crumbled sausage and cook until browned, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add diced onion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and cayenne to the pot with the sausage. Cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
- Pour in chicken broth and water; bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes, reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Add chopped kale to the pot and continue to simmer until the kale is tender and potatoes are fully cooked, about 10 more minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Add cream cheese cubes into the soup and stir to melt. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and serve hot.
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