Italian Sausage Soup (Print Version)

Hearty soup with Italian sausage, bacon, potatoes, kale, and creamy broth—comfort in a bowl.

# What to Use:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb Italian sausage, mild or spicy, casings removed
02 - 4 slices bacon, chopped

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
06 - 4 cups fresh kale, stems removed and chopped

→ Liquids

07 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
08 - 1 cup heavy cream

→ Seasonings

09 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
10 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
11 - Salt and black pepper to taste

# How to Prepare:

01 - In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
02 - Add Italian sausage to the pot and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Drain excess fat if needed.
03 - Add diced onion and cook until softened, approximately 4 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add sliced potatoes, chicken broth, Italian herbs, and red pepper flakes if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are tender.
05 - Stir in chopped kale and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until wilted.
06 - Lower heat and pour in the heavy cream. Heat gently until warmed through without boiling.
07 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with reserved bacon.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like something you'd order at a restaurant, but you'll have it on the table in under an hour.
  • The bacon and sausage do most of the flavor work, so even if you're not confident in the kitchen, this turns out beautifully.
  • It's naturally gluten-free if you check your labels, which means it works for almost any table you're feeding.
02 -
  • Don't skip the bacon drippings step—that rendered fat is where the flavor lives, and cooking the sausage in it creates a depth that cream alone can never reach.
  • Slice your potatoes thin and uniform so they cook evenly; if some pieces are thick and others paper-thin, you'll end up with a mix of mushy and undercooked.
  • Add the cream at the very end and on low heat—rushing it or boiling it is the fastest way to turn a silky soup into something that looks curdled.
03 -
  • Brown the sausage properly before adding anything else—that caramelization is where the depth comes from, and rushing it shows in the final taste.
  • If your soup is too thin after cooking, you haven't done anything wrong; just simmer it uncovered for a few extra minutes and some of the liquid will evaporate naturally.
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