Go Back
+ servings
creamy kale and sausage soup in a blue pot on a marble background
Print Recipe
4.69 — Votes 48 votes

Creamy Kale and Sausage Soup

This creamy soup brings together crispy Italian sausage, potatoes, and kale for a hearty but healthy soup that the whole family will love!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Cassy Joy Garcia

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon diced
  • 2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 pounds potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (we used russets)
  • 8 cups chicken broth store-bought or homemade
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 head curly kale de-stemmed and chopped
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice about 2 lemons
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional

Instructions

  • Add the bacon to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot and drain off the fat.
  • Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sausage and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the sausage is brown and crisp, breaking it up as it cooks. Remove the sausage from the pot and drain the excess fat.
  • Add the olive oil to the pot along with the onion and garlic, and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion is transluscent and garlic is fragrant. Add the sausage back to the pot along with the potatoes, broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  • Cover and reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
  • Add in the kale, then cover and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, until the kale is wilted and bright green.
  • Stir in the heavy cream, lemon juice, and crushed red pepper flakes, and bacon, and cook for a 3-5 minutes, until warmed through, then taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if needed, and serve!

Notes

Instant Pot Method:
Complete steps 1-3 in your Instant Pot, then cover and seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Once it is done, release the pressure immediately and stir in the kale. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the kale is wilted, then proceed to Step 6.
Slow Cooker Method
Proceed with steps 1-3, then add the onions, garlic, sausage, potatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to your slow cooker. Cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, then stir in the kale and cook for 2-3 minutes, until wilted and bright green, and proceed with step 6.

Nutrition

Calories: 664kcal | Carbohydrates: 24.6g | Protein: 24.9g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 20.9g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 2441.4mg | Fiber: 3.4g | Sugar: 4.6g