This easy Sausage, Sweet Potato and Kale Soup is full of flavor and good-for-you veggies. Made with simple ingredients and ready in under an hour, it's hearty, comforting, satisfying and a perfect soup for fall and winter!
Soup season has arrived, and I couldn't be more excited, because soup is one of my favorite things to cook and eat.
Not only are soups easy to make, but they're often a meal all by themselves. And they're a great way to get extra veggies into your diet, especially ones that you may not cook with that often.
Case in point: I'm always looking for ways to eat more sweet potatoes and kale. And this soup, which was inspired by my Caldo Verde and Zuppa Toscana recipes, is chock-full of both.
Combine them with Italian sausage, chicken broth, onions, garlic, and a hint of sherry, and you've got yourself one delicious and filling soup that's great for lunch or dinner.
Plus, it's ready in under an hour, so you can make it any day of the week. And you can even make it ahead of time!
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Ingredients & Notes
Here are all of the ingredients you need to make this sausage, kale and sweet potato soup, along with notes on some of the ingredients to help you make the best selections.
Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Italian sausage - bulk (or links with the casings removed); I use mild or sweet Italian sausage, but you can use hot if you like spicy food.
- Fresh kale - any kind, chopped; be sure to remove the stems before chopping, which can be tough even after cooking. TIP: I like to take a shortcut and use the packaged chopped kale from my grocery store.
- Chicken broth or stock - I use Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken base combined with water (#notsponsored); I think the flavor is much better than most canned or boxed broth. If I have some homemade chicken bone broth on hand, I will use that. Use whatever broth or stock that you like.
- Dry sherry - This is an optional ingredient that adds a very subtle flavor in the background. Use a dry sherry that you would enjoy drinking. I don't recommend cooking sherry, as it can sometimes be salty and have a different flavor. You can omit it if you prefer, and the soup will still be very delicious.
Substitutions & Variations
- For a creamier finish to this soup, stir in about one cup of heavy cream at the very end right before serving.
- Cubed butternut squash could be used instead of sweet potatoes.
- Chopped fresh spinach could be used instead of kale.
- For a little bit of heat, add some crushed red pepper flakes when you add the garlic.
- Want more protein? Add a can of drain and rinsed white beans with the kale, such as Great Northern beans.
How to Make Sausage, Sweet Potato and Kale Soup
This is just a brief overview of the steps. The full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Brown the sausage in olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the onions; cook until they begin to soften. Then add the garlic and cook for one minute.
Add the sherry. Cook until it is mostly evaporated.
Add the sweet potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the sweet potatoes are almost fork-tender.
Add the kale. Cover the pot and continue simmering until the kale is wilted.
Ladle into bowls and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Cook the sweet potatoes just a little shy of being fork-tender. They will continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes after you add the kale, and this prevents them from getting too mushy.
- Wait until the soup has finished cooking to add any salt. You may not need to add any at all depending on the saltiness of your sausage and chicken broth/stock.
Storage, Reheating & Freezing
Storage: Store any leftover soup (or soup you're making ahead of time), once cooled, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: Reheat the soup in a pot on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. You could also reheat it in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave.
Freezing: You can freeze this soup, but the texture of the sweet potatoes will change (they will be softer/mushier). Once cooled, put the soup in freezer containers or freezer bags, remove as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
This soup is great as is, and it's also delicious sprinkled with some freshly-grated or shredded parmesan cheese.
I like to serve it with bread, such as my Homemade Italian Bread or Homemade Garlic Bread. It would also pair nicely with a salad or a sandwich. I love it with my Garlic Bread Grilled Cheese.
I hope you try this Sausage, Sweet Potato and Kale Soup recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Soup Recipes to Try
Want even more soup recipes? Check out my Soup, Stew and Chili recipe page!
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went! Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Sausage, Sweet Potato and Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, mild, sweet or hot (I use mild); if you can only get links, remove the meat from the casings before cooking
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onions, about ½-inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup dry sherry, optional
- 4 cups cubed peeled sweet potatoes, I do about ½-inch cubes (about 2 large sweet potatoes)
- 6 cups chicken broth or stock, see Notes below
- 4 cups chopped kale, stems removed
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat (I use a 5-quart pot). Add the Italian sausage and cook until no longer pink and lightly browned in spots, stirring and breaking it up into smaller chunks as you go, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the onions; cook, stirring often, until the onions are beginning to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic; cook, stirring constantly, for one minute.
- Add the sherry; cook, stirring frequently, until the sherry has mostly evaporated, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the sweet potatoes and chicken broth; stir to combine.
- Increase the heat and bring to a boil; then reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer until the sweet potatoes are nearly fork-tender, about 5 to 10 minutes (depending on the size of the cubes).The sweet potatoes will continue to cook after you add the kale in the next step, so you want them just shy of fork tender in this step so they don't get too mushy after cooking with the kale.
- Add the kale; stir to combine. Cover the pot and continue simmering until the kale is wilted and slightly softened, about 5 more minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed.
- Ladle into bowls and enjoy!
Notes
- For the chicken broth, I use 6 cups of water mixed with 6 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken base (I think it has really great flavor). You can, of course, use your favorite chicken broth or stock, either store-bought or homemade.
- If you are using the sherry, be sure to get one that you would enjoy drinking. I don't recommend using cooking sherry, as it can sometimes be overly salty and have a different flavor.
- Wait until the soup has finished cooking to add any salt. You may not need any, depending on the saltiness of your sausage and chicken broth/stock.
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