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Close view of creamy sausage potato soup topped with tender potatoes, crumbled sausage, parsley, spinach, and red pepper flakes.
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Sausage Potato Soup

Sausage Potato Soup is a thick, creamy one pot soup with Italian sausage, Yukon Gold potatoes, spinach, and Parmesan. The sausage browns first and everything else cooks in the drippings, which is where all the flavor comes from. Ready in 50 minutes and it serves 6.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: sausage potato soup
Servings: 6
Calories: 661kcal
Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Italian sausage casings removed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 5 cups chicken broth low sodium
  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes diced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups fresh spinach or kale, chopped
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

  • In a large pot over medium high heat, cook the 1 pound sausage, breaking it up, until browned. Lift it out with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pot. That browned sausage and its fat are the flavor base of the whole soup, so do not drain them away.
    Italian sausage cooks in a Dutch oven and is broken into crumbles until deeply browned and fully cooked.
  • Add the 2 tablespoons butter to the pot, then add the diced onion and celery. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until softened, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the 4 cloves minced garlic for 1 minute more.
    Diced onion and celery are added to the sausage drippings, then sautéed with garlic until softened and fragrant.
  • Sprinkle in the ¼ cup flour and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until it coats the vegetables and loses its raw smell. This thickens the soup into something rich and creamy.
    Flour is sprinkled over the sautéed vegetables and stirred thoroughly to create the thickening base for the soup.
  • Slowly pour in the 5 cups chicken broth while stirring to keep it smooth. Add the 2 pounds diced potatoes, 1 teaspoon thyme, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.
    Chicken broth, potatoes, butter, and seasonings simmer together until the potatoes become tender and the soup begins thickening.
  • Return the browned sausage to the pot. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the 1 cup heavy cream and the 2 cups spinach, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, until the greens wilt.
    Browned Italian sausage is returned to the creamy potato soup before chopped fresh spinach is added and wilted.
  • Stir in the 1 cup Parmesan until melted and smooth. Do not let it boil once the cream and cheese are in, or the soup can break.
    Parmesan cheese is added to the creamy sausage potato soup, then stirred until completely melted and smooth.
  • Ladle into bowls and finish with the 2 tablespoons parsley.

Notes

  1. Keep the drippings. Lift the browned sausage out with a slotted spoon and leave the fat and browned bits in the pot. That's the flavor base for everything that follows.
  2. Add the sausage back at the end. Simmering it in liquid for 20 minutes turns it rubbery.
  3. Use Yukon Gold potatoes. They hold their shape and go creamy at the edges. Russets break down into mush.
  4. Grate your own Parmesan. Pre shredded cheese is coated with an anti caking agent that resists melting and leaves the soup grainy.
  5. Don't boil after the dairy. Once the cream and Parmesan are in, keep the heat low. A hard boil will split it.
  6. Taste at the end. The sausage, broth, and Parmesan all bring salt. Season after they're all in.
  7. Storage. Airtight in the fridge up to 4 days. It thickens overnight, so loosen with broth or milk when reheating. Freezing isn't recommended, cream and potatoes don't thaw well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 661kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 1781mg | Potassium: 1073mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2037IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 296mg | Iron: 3mg
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