Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup

This hearty Sausage, Kale & Potato soup is so simple to make and can be on the table in under an hour. And since it’s packed with kale (or your other favorite greens), it’s loaded with nutrition, too. Serve it up with some crusty bread for an easy meal that will warm you right up on a cold winter day. And if you love an easy soup for a cold day, check out my recipe for Stuffed Cabbage Soup, too!

Soup with kale is a classic, with versions of kale soup being found in many different culinary traditions. And while my recipe isn’t true to any particular tradition, it is inspired by both the Tuscan version of kale soup known as Zuppa Toscana and the Portuguese Caldo Verde. And truly, it’s one of our family favorites. The combination of chicken broth with tender bites of kale, a bit of zesty Italian sausage, chunks of creamy potato and a hit of smoked paprika is almost magical. In under an hour, you can have a homemade soup that tastes like it took all day to prepare.

Cook’s Tips:

• Don’t limit yourself to kale for the greens in this recipe. I’ve also used Swiss chard, spinach, or a combination of greens with delicious results.
• Be sure to use smoked paprika and not regular sweet paprika in the recipe – it’s just not the same without it.
• Use sweet Italian sausage or hot Italian sausage, depending on how spicy you like your soup.
• I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes in my soup, but you can use any kind of potato. Red potatoes will hold their shape and not fall apart, while russet potatoes will dissolve into the soup a bit more.

As always, I hope you try this recipe, and if you do, I hope you love it. Please let me know in the comments below.
Enjoy!

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Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 4 medium red potatoes, diced into ½-inch cubes
• 6 cups of chopped kale (or other greens like spinach or Swiss chard)
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven or soup pot. Brown sausage, using a spatula to break apart into smaller pieces.
2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a plate, leaving behind any oil in the pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and garlic to the remaining oil in the pot (add a little more olive oil if needed), and cook for 7-8 minutes, or until vegetables are beginning to soften.
3. Return browned sausage to the pot. Add chicken broth, bay leaf, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, potatoes and greens (the greens will stick up above the broth but will soon reduce down into broth). Stir to combine.
4. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, and greens are reduced down and tender. (It is OK if potatoes break apart a little bit - they will help to add texture to the soup).
5. Before serving, stir in Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.

For more great recipes, visit my friends at:

Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

Meal Plan Monday at Southern Bite

Weekend Potluck at The Country Cook