This Spicy Sausage Potato Soup is super flavorful, made in one pot and made with real food ingredients. It's filled with potatoes, sausage and kale, and whole30-friendly, too!
If there's one food that makes me feel all warm and cozy, it's this sausage and potato soup.
I'm a huge fan of homemade soups--this Instant Pot vegetable soup and vegan tomato soup are just two of my favorites--but this potato soup is quickly moving into one of my all time favorite soup recipes.
Recipe features
- It's made in ONE POT, making prep work a breeze
- The sausage, along with the smoked paprika, add just the right amount of heat to this soup
- It's gluten free, dairy free, and whole30-friendly, but you'd never know it!
Ingredient notes
- Sausage - the recipe calls for spicy sausage, like a spicy Italian, andouille or chorizo, which will add depth and flavor
- Potato - can use russet/Idaho/baby gold/red; I kept the skin on the potatoes, but you can peel them if you prefer
Method
Like I mentioned above, this soup is made in ONE POT, so making it is really quite simple.
First, cook the sausage. I recommend using chorizo or andouille sausage because they have a specific flavor that pairs perfectly with potatoes. You'll also have to remove the casing if you want it to look like the photos in this post. If you don't feel comfortable removing the casing, don't! It's not a must-do.
Once the sausage is cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove it, keeping the oil and grease in the skillet. Immediately add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and smoked paprika and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they're soft.
Then, add the potatoes, kale, chicken broth, and water and bring soup to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and simmer the soup for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked (soft when probed with a fork).
Once the potatoes are cooked, add the sausage back into the skillet and do a taste test, adding more salt and pepper as needed.
FAQs + tips
Can I freeze this?
Yes! After making it, wait until it completely cools and then transfer it to freezer-safe bags. To thaw, place bags in a bowl of warm water for 30-60 minutes and then heat in a large saucepan until warm.
Soup variations
- Don't love sausage? Try chicken instead!
- If you want this soup to be a little creamier, add ½ cup of your favorite milk to the soup and stir so that everything is mixed together
- I used lacinato kale because it takes a bit longer to cook, so it's perfect in soups, but curly kale works just fine
What to serve with this soup:
- A delicious loaf of sourdough bread is always a good idea with soup.
- Some type of salad, like this sun-dried tomato salad or my garlic salmon salad
- A side of perfectly fried brussels sprouts would be great, too
More soup recipes
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Spicy Sausage and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 chorizo or andouille sausage links casing removed
- ¾ cup yellow onion diced
- ½ cup carrot sliced
- ¼ cup celery sliced
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb. yukon gold or red potatoes diced
- 2 cups kale stems removed
- 32 oz. chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat; add sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes; Use a slotted spoon to remove sausage and set aside, keeping the oil and sausage grease in the skillet.
- In that same skillet, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and paprika, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. If onion starts browning too quickly, add 1 additional tablespoon of oil.
- Next, add the potatoes and kale, stirring to combine, and then pour chicken broth and water into the skillet.
- Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and place a lid on top. Simmer soup until potatoes are cooked, approximately 15 minutes, and then add the cooked sausage back into the skillet; stir to combine.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, and top soup with fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in November 2017. It was updated with new text and photos in October 2020.
Jojo says
Delicious! Adapted to the ingredients I had but stayed true to the recipe. Did not feel there was any need to add more seasonings as sautéing the veggies in the chorizo oils enhanced the flavours of the dish. I added pasta instead of potatoes because I didn’t have any. It worked fine but I think the potatoes would have been a better addition.
Erin says
Thanks for the comment -- I'm happy you liked the soup!
Cathy says
This soup was a hit in out house! I used hot Italian sausage. I added Italian seasoning, onion and garlic powder as well. I didn’t have chicken broth, I used vegetable broth instead. Very flavorful and hearty. This recipe is a keeper!
Erin says
Thanks for the review -- I'm glad the whole family enjoyed the soup!
Lorie Lindenmuth says
Was wondering if this used Mexican chorizo or Spanish chorizo, as they are very different.
Erin says
Mexican!
Gina says
The recipe was so easy. I like my soups a little more spicy so I added some red pepper flakes.
Overall easy and delicious soup.
Erin says
I'm glad you liked the soup!
Prospérine says
I made it, and it was absolutely delicious ! Perfect meal for the winter.
Kayla says
Can I use ground Italian sausage? That way I don’t have to take the sausage out of the casing.
Erin says
Yep that'll work!
Allie says
2 chorizo links? About how many oz is that? Where I’m at, links come in all sizes.
Erin says
Great question -- I'd go with 4 oz., and then if you feel like it needs more add more.
Sarah says
Yummy soup! I added Italian seasoning and red bell pepper because it was in my fridge. I also cooked it in my instant pot for 6 min on high after browning the sausage and sautéing the veggies. Came out perfect!
Thanks for the inspiration.
Lauren says
I made this and thought it was very good! I like that it's hearty, but not so hearty that it becomes unhealthy and your stomach hurts afterward. I also liked that it was a fairly quick soup to prep, as my one complaint about soups is that they tend to take too long to make. I accidentally forgot to buy celery, so I left that out, but I really don't think it changed. I would have liked to have it in there but it was still good without it. My one thought to make it better would be to add more seasoning. I put in garlic powder, and a fair bit of salt and pepper (which were in the recipe), and I think added to it quite a bit compared to how it tasted when I first tasted it, but I do think there are probably other spices that would make it even better.
Amber says
Recipe is good but definitely require more seasoning. I added a lot of Italian seasoning, garlic powered, onion powder, salt and pepper. definitely lacks acidity. Would have added some lemon juice but only had limes; did the trick. Once I added these things recipe moves up to a 9 out of 10.
Caitlin says
Hello love the Soup wouldn’t change a thing !
I see it says yields 4 servings, what is the measurement per serving please ? Would love to be able to track this on my fitpal
Thanks
Erin says
Hi! I'm not sure of the exact amount per serving -- I haven't made this recipe for a little while. If you make it, simply divide it by 4.
Bethany says
Can I make this in a crockpot?
Erin says
I'm sure you can, but I haven't tested it. I'd try cooking it on HIGH for 3 hours, then checking the potatoes and seeing if they're done.
Karen says
Omitted the water and just used chicken broth (2 cans). everything else for quantity of 4. Very tasty.
Erin says
Thanks Karen -- so glad you enjoyed it!
Monica Hamilton says
This recipe was amazing! Definitely hit the spot for the sudden drop in temperature. Enjoyed this delicious soup, cuddled up by the fireplace. Thank you for sharing! A must keep.
Erin says
Thanks -- glad it was a hit!
Keisha Taylor says
I’ll definitely be trying this. Looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Diane Wilkins says
I made this tonight for dinner and it as sooooooo good! Great recipe and it was so rich … Thanks!
Erin says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Gabrielle says
I love making soup when the weather changes! I don't ever eat it out of the can because there are so many recipes I've found online to try. This one looks really good too. Those buttery potatoes! Mmmm. As for decorating, Thanksgiving isn't really a marker for me since it's not a big deal here (in The Bahamas), but once we near the end of November and definitely by the beginning of December I like to see decorations up. Christmas music is another story - I play that all year round haha.
Ashley | Fit Mitten Kitchen says
So I'm not the biggest soup maker (or eater) but I feel like I would love this. Also I am actually very eager to decorate for Christmas and probably would if it weren't for the fact we really need to re-paint the living room first. And get a new couch 😀