This harvest season soup is balanced with Italian chicken sausage, potatoes, and kale in a savory chicken broth. It comes together in under an hour - in just one pot - and is all you need to get through the impending rainy season with a bit more joy. Make it for your next gathering, pack into a thermos when ski season arrives, and be sure to make time to savor and enjoy.
If kale isn’t your veggie of choice, this recipe might turn you into a believer.The fibrous stems are removed as they can be disruptive to the enjoyment of a dish. The leaves are chopped into small pieces that quickly absorb the broth and transform the kale’s notoriously gruff texture into a more tender, delightful bite.
One last note: There’s a little magic in picking up ingredients at the Snohomish Farmers Market and turning them into dinner. Letting them simmer together on the stovetop, flavors mingling and filling your home with the comforting aroma of local goodness. Sourcing from our neighbors makes home cooking all the more delicious.
Creamy Italian Sausage Soup
Serves 6, Ready in 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 pound Italian chicken sausage, bulk or uncooked links removed from casings
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 3 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced
- ¼ cup white wine or water
- 1-2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon, optional
- 1 ½ quarts chicken stock or chicken bone broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Parmesan rind, optional
- 2 cups potatoes, cut into small ¾ inch cubes
- 2-3 cups kale (about 1 bunch), stem removed and finely chopped into ribbons
- ¼-½ cup heavy cream, optional
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated preferred
- ½ cup fresh Italian parsley or basil leaves, finely chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Wash, peel, and dice the onion, carrot, and celery into similarly sized pieces.
- Heat a 6-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and, once warm, add the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Stir to coat and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion is a bit translucent around the edges.
- Add the sausage, breaking it into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Continue cooking until browned and fully cooked through.
- Add the garlic, bouillon, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf and stir into the sausage until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the white wine, chicken broth, and Parmesan rind and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the potatoes, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Taste the broth and adjust with salt and black pepper as needed. Depending on the chicken broth or stock and bouillon you use, you may need little or no additional salt.
- Stir in the chopped kale and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the kale is tender and the potatoes are completely cooked.
- Stir in the heavy cream, if using. Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaf before serving.
- Top with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped fresh herbs. Serve with a generous slice of crusty sourdough bread - such as Dubuque Bakery’s Signature Whole Grain Bread - and enjoy!
Gathering Notes:
Make it Ahead: This soup can be made up to three days in advance if stored in an airtight container and refrigerated.
For Larger Gatherings: This soup generously serves six people and can be easily doubled or tripled for a larger gathering (bring out your largest stock pot!). Adding additional vegetables of your choice is another simple way to stretch the recipe.
Hosting Shortcut: While homemade broths and stocks are exceptionally delicious, using store-bought bone broth or chicken stock works perfectly for this recipe (and will save you heaps of time).
Storage Tips: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to seven days in the freezer for up to three months.
For full recipe notes including serving suggestions and more seasonal, hospitality-focused recipes, visit thehostnotes.com and follow along @thehostnotes on your favorite social channels.
Amber Dawn Schultheis is a Snohomish-based hospitality and culinary creator and the founder of The Host Notes. From casual celebrations to Tuesday night dinner, she helps you gather with intention, joy, and ease. Find more seasonal recipes and hospitality inspiration at thehostnotes.com and follow @thehostnotes on all your social channels.