Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup – Whole30

I submit this Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup as evidence that I’ve fully committed to soup season. Especially true considering I just made some Roasted Acorn Squash soup last night!

If you’re reading this somewhere hot and sunny, I envy you. Perhaps you’re even still drinking iced coffee! Jealous! Then again, you’re also missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures… the loving embrace of a warm soup on a cold day.

Who am I kidding? I gladly eat soup year ‘round. Even during the hottest of months!

I didn’t set out with any specific recipe in mind today when I made this Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup, though it does recall rustic versions of Caldo Verde.

On the contrary, it was born like most weeknight meals: with a deep dive into my fridge to see what I had on hand and what was going bad.

Vegetables? The first thing I noticed was a lonely leek lying in the crisper drawer. I could hear it whisper, “make me into soup.” This led me to check on the carrots and celery, both starting to wilt ever so slightly. OK, I thought, we’re almost in business!

What’s this I see? A bag of pre-washed kale that Catalina bought for her morning smoothies? Too bad, so sad. Into the soup it will go! She’ll thank me later.

A quick rummage through the pantry and I discovered a handful of red potatoes, most starting to grow spuds. No worries, I thought, these will do just fine!

Protein? Surely, I needed something to sustain my hunger as the weather dips. Alas, I always keep a well-stocked freezer for exactly such occasions. Italian sausages were sitting in the top drawer! Thank you, past Ronny!

Seasoning? As luck would have it, there was some fresh thyme and parsley in the fridge. I could pair them with some dry bay leaves for earthy tones and some heat from paprika and chili flakes.

So far, so good, I thought. What about liquid? No homemade stock, I’m afraid. I did have a carton of store-bought stuff though.

Boom! We’re off to the races! Happy to report this tasted even better than expected, which is why it often pays off to set the bar low, and everything is Whole30 to boot!

Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup - Whole30

This Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup is the ultimate bowl of comfort food during the colder months. It's easy, delicious and makes for great leftovers!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• 4 Italian sausages (spicy, medium or mild – removed from casing)
• 2 celery stalks - diced
• 2 carrots - diced
• 1 leek – roughly sliced
• 1 head kale – roughly chopped into ribbons
• 5 red potatoes - cubed
• 2 cloves garlic – finely sliced
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley – roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1.5 tsp sweet Spanish paprika
• 1 tsp dried chili flakes optional
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
• 1 litre chicken stock
• kosher salt

Instructions

 

• Preheat a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Using a paring knife, make a shallow incision along the length of the sausage. Peel back the casing and discard. Add the sausage meat to the pot along with EVOO.
• Using a wooden spoon, break the sausage into large chunks approximately 1” thick, or smaller if so desired. Brown sausage on all sides (approx. 8min total).
• Add celery, carrots and leeks. Cook until vegetables have slightly softened (approx. 10-12 min). Add garlic and cook an additional 60 seconds. Then add paprika and chili flakes and cook 60 seconds more.
• Add stock, potatoes, thyme and bay leaves. Stir and bring everything to a steady simmer. Cover with lid and cook until potatoes are fork tender (approx. 12-14 min).
• Add kale and cook 3-4 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt as required. *Tip: if the soup is too salty or thick, simply add water ½ a cup at a time until desired consistency and taste is achieved.
• Add fresh parsley and stir everything to combine.
• Ladle into individual serving bowls and enjoy!

Keyword sausage potato kale soup, soup, whole30