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Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

This recipe creates a hearty soup by combining thinly sliced potatoes with browned Italian sausage and onions in a flavorful broth enriched with milk, half-and-half, and seasonings. The soup is finished by simmering with kale and a touch of heavy cream until tender.
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Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course lunch/dinner
Cuisine central europe
Servings 12 people
Calories 5464 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Medium Pot For boiling potatoes
  • 1 Large Pot For cooking the main soup
  • 1 Knife For chopping vegetables
  • 1 Cutting Board
  • 1 Ladle For serving

Ingredients
  

Main

  • 12 red potatoes thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 pounds bulk Italian sausage
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh or dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Splash of heavy cream
  • 2 bunches kale picked over, cleaned and torn into bite-size pieces

Instructions
 

  • Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil until they're just starting to soften, then drain and set aside.
  • In a large pot, crumble and brown the Italian sausage with the onions over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Drain as much of the fat as you can (blotting the surface with paper towels helps). Add the chicken broth, milk, half-and-half, oregano and red pepper flakes to the pot with the sausage and onions, bring to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt, pepper and more red pepper flakes if needed.
  • Add the potatoes and a splash of heavy cream for richness, then stir in the kale. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, then serve.

Notes

Ensure potatoes are only slightly softened before adding to the main pot; they will finish cooking in the soup. Draining excess fat from the sausage is key for a balanced soup base. Taste and adjust seasoning liberally before adding potatoes and kale. For a richer texture, you can blend a small portion of the soup after the potatoes soften, then return it to the pot before adding kale. Garnish with fresh herbs or grated Parmesan cheese for added depth.