Sausage and Kale Soup |Cooking With Amanda

This sausage and kale soup focuses on the flavors of the new world: chicken (or turkey) sausage, kale, quinoa, and sweet potato. On their own, the ingredients might not sound like anything special, but together they create a symphony of flavor that result in one of the most delicious and satisfying soups around.

When it comes to creating new recipes and playing with flavor combinations, I like to follow the motto "if it grows together, it goes together." I can't remember the first place I heard it, but it works! Ingredients grown in similar climates tend to pair together beautifully and one item in common can often act as a bridge between two ingredients that wouldn't typically go together. In this recipe, the sausage serves as a bridge to tie the kale, quinoa, and sweet potato together with white beans and Italian herbs.

Since this soup is so hearty – and since it gets better after a night in the refrigerator – I love to make a big pot of it on Sunday afternoon and enjoy it for lunch all week long. It's also a great make-ahead meal to tackle a busy weeknight with ease. As it sits the soup gets thicker and thicker – by the end of the week it's almost more like a stew – but the flavor only seems to get better.

Since the components of this sausage and kale soup and so simple, you'll want to use the best quality ingredients that you can. If you have homemade chicken stock on hand, now's the time to pull it out!

Serve this sausage and kale soup with pretzel bread or Texas roadhouse rolls for a simple but satisfying meal.

Print Save

Sausage and Kale Soup Recipe

Embed

Ingredients

14 ounces mild italian chicken sausage, or mild italian turkey sausage, crumbled
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
8 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 bunch kale, chopped
1 15 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
grated parmesan cheese, for serving, optional

Directions

Brown the sausage in a large soup pot set over medium heat. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving any grease behind. Add the onion and garlic and cook 2 minutes, or until soft. Add the carrot and celery and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the Italian seasoning.
Pour in the chicken stock. Add the diced sweet potato and the browned sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes.
Add the kale, white beans, and quinoa. Simmer another 20 minutes, or until the quinoa and sweet potato are cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve topped with parmesan cheese, if desired.