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Kale, Potato and Sausage Soup (with bacon)

This one pot stovetop meal is loaded with veggies. Packed with depth of flavor, this delicious hearty soup has become a family favorite throughout the winter months and it tastes even better the next day!

potato, kale, sausage soup with carrots, celery, and onion is a bowl

Potato, Kale and Sausage Soup

There are so many reasons to love this soup! You can load it up with veggies and because the bacon and sausage are so flavorful, even kale haters won’t notice an ounce of bitterness. Secondly, minimal meat is necessary to gain full flavor potential. It’s a win for everyone in the family!

Ingredients for Kale Sausage Soup

We start this recipe with just a few slices of bacon to render the fat for a base of mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery) then load up on potatoes and kale as the stars of the show. Sausage and nourishing chicken bone broth provide a savory blend and depth of flavor for this hearty soup that tastes even better the next day!

  • Bacon
  • Italian sausage (pork or chicken)
  • Onions
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Garlic
  • Potatoes
  • Kale
  • Chicken broth
  • Seasoning: salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, basil
  • Umami flavor bombs (optional): dried mushroom powder
  • Lemon juice
These are some options I’ve tried that work well in this soup. We avoid spicier sausage because our kids love this soup too!

How to Make Potato Kale Sausage Soup

We start this soup in a big dutch oven on the stovetop so the flavors from crisping up the bacon initially blend into the veggies as they are continually added to the pot. There is so much flexibility to make this a veggie heavy meal because the chicken broth is saturated with so much flavor. We always make a double batch and fill thermoses for lunch the next day.

  1. Cook the Bacon
  2. Saute the onions, carrots and celery in the bacon fat
  3. Add garlic, potatoes and seasonings to meld the flavors together
  4. Add chopped sausage (pre-cooked) and chopped bacon to deepen the flavor profile
  5. Add broth, cover and simmer
  6. Throw in the kale
  7. Serve + Enjoy!

Can You Freeze Potato Kale Sausage Soup

Yes, but in my opinion, cooked potatoes do not freeze well. Many people don’t mind the change in texture so it’s worth a try to see what you think. Every other ingredient in this soup freezes to perfection so it is an option to make the soup sans potatoes, freeze, and add them prior to serving.

How to Store Potato Kale Sausage Soup

This soup tastes even better the next day. So, whether you are storing this soup in the fridge for lunch leftovers or freezing for another week’s quick dinner, we recommend storing it in an airtight container.

potato kale sausage soup in a bowl with carrots, celery, onion and bacon

Kale, Potato and Sausage Soup (with bacon)

This Meal by Design
Loaded with veggies, this hearty soup is pure deliciousness your whole family will love.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Course Bone Broth, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6

Equipment

  • 1 Large Dutch Oven or heavy bottomed pot for stovetop
  • 1 Cutting board
  • 1 Knife

Ingredients
  

  • 3 slices bacon (optional)
  • 1 small onion (diced)
  • 2 carrots (diced)
  • 3 ribs celery (diced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 4 medium potatoes (diced)
  • 1 lb Italian sausage (chicken or pork) chopped sweet Italian or spicy per preference
  • 1 tbsp dried mushroom powder (optional) porcini are best
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 6 cups chicken broth
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)
  • 4 cups kale (chopped)
  • 1/2 lemon (a squeeze into each bowl) optional for finishing flavor punch
  • 4 tbsp parmesan cheese optional topping

Instructions
 

  • Cook 3 slices bacon in large dutch oven until crisp. Remove bacon from pan to cool
  • Add diced onion, carrots and celery to bacon fat in pot and saute until softened (5 minutes)
  • Add garlic, potatoes, salt, pepper, basil, thyme, oregano and mushroom powder, stir to combine and let cook over medium heat for 5 minutes
  • Add chopped sausage and bacon, stir to combine for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld
  • Add chicken broth and bay leaf and simmer for 10 minutes until potatoes are tender (but not mushy)
  • Stir in chopped kale and continue to simmer for 5 minutes
  • Serve each bowl of soup with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and optional parmesan cheese on top

Notes

I love to load this soup with veggies and keep the meat as a flavor enhancer.  If you have meat lovers in your family, feel free to add extra sausage. 
The squeeze of lemon juice into individual bowls before serving adds a freshness and will help to keep the greens vibrant.
Bacon is optional, if you choose to omit, use 1-2 tbsp olive oil to saute veggies instead.
Choice of Italian pork sausage or Chicken sausage. 
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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