16/12/2025

Sausage, Potato, Bean and Kale Soup

Name: Sausage, Potato, Bean and Kale Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp oil ((e.g. olive, sunflower)); 160 g sausage ((cooked smoked sausage recommended, but see Recipe Notes for alternatives)); 25 g butter; 1 large onion ((roughly chopped)); 1 medium leek ((roughly chopped) can be left out); 2 stalks celery ((finely chopped)); 4 - 6 cloves garlic ((finely chopped)); salt ((to taste)); black pepper ((to taste)); 350 g potatoes ((cut into chunks, peeled if liked, weight after preparation)); 240 g cooked cannellini beans ((approx. 1 standard tin after draining)); 2 tsp rosemary, finely chopped ((optional)); 1 bay leaf ((optional)); 1 level tsp smoked paprika ((optional)); ½ - 1 tsp hot or mild chilli/red pepper flakes ((optional)); 25 g plain/all-purpose flour ((can be omitted for a thinner soup)); 400 ml milk; 400 ml chicken stock ((if using cubes: 2)); 4 large handfuls kale, tough stalks removed ((roughly chopped)); hot or mild chilli/red pepper flakes; black pepper

Sausage, Potato, Bean and Kale Soup is hearty and warming, a complete simple meal in a bowl. Protein, carbs and veggies are cooked in a soothing, garlicky broth that tastes lightly creamy thanks to a combination of chicken stock and milk.

Jump to Recipe

Unusually, the recipe I’m sharing today is my version of a soup I’ve seen from US bloggers, but which I’ve never tasted. In fact, I doubt it’s widely known here in Britain at all.

I’d come across many different variations of a pale gold, creamy-looking soup containing sausage (usually Italian-style sausage meat, sometimes sliced smoked sausage), potatoes, and kale. What most seemed to have as their starting point is the Zuppa Toscana or ‘Tuscan Soup’ sold at the Italian American chain restaurant Olive Garden.

However, soups in Tuscany, like most of Italy, are generally based on peasant food. So they’re unlikely to be loaded with the cream of their American spin-offs. Think minestrone, ribollita, and minestra di pane, all of which contain humble, filling ingredients like beans, pasta, bread and/or potatoes, greens, plus a little meat. But a lack of authenticity doesn’t mean that those modern inventions aren’t a very good idea.

So I’ve come up with my own twist. Sausage, Bean, Potato and Kale Soup is full of flavour, hearty and warming. But with a broth of milk and stock instead of cream, it’s much lighter. The addition of cannellini beans increases the nutrition too.

SAUSAGE, POTATO, BEAN AND KALE SOUP

You’ll find ingredient amounts and full instructions for making this simple and satisfying soup in the recipe card at the end. But I recommend you read the whole of this post first for extra tips plus step-by-step images to guide you.

For the sausage, I’ve chosen a ready-cooked smoked sausage. These are widely available, although frankfurters would work too. If you prefer you could use any quality British-style sausage (cook first then slice) or sausage meat, broken up. Whichever you choose though, do get the best quality you can as sausage is important for the flavour profile of the soup.

OTHER INGREDIENTS

Besides salt and pepper you’ll also need the following.

Olive oil and butter. For browning and for flavour.
Onion, celery, garlic. These form the savoury base of the soup.
Leek. Optional but does add flavour and increases the vegetable content.
Potatoes. Helps make the soup hearty and filling.
Cannellini beans. For convenience, I use tinned beans.
Milk. Whole milk is best.
Chicken stock. If using cubes, you’ll need two.
Flour. This lightly thickens the soup but can be left out if you prefer it more broth-like.
Kale. Can be replaced with other greens, e.g. cabbage, spinach, chard, so long as you adjust the cooking time accordingly.

The following flavourings are optional. However, I love the extra taste and gentle, warming heat they bring

fresh rosemary
bay leaf
smoked paprika
mild chilli flakes or red pepper flakes

HOW TO MAKE SAUSAGE, POTATO, BEAN AND KALE SOUP

Start by browning the sausage in oil. The butter goes in next along with the chopped onion, leek, celery, and garlic. I add a pinch of salt and pepper too; it’s much better to season as you go along rather than try to correct at the end. Cook the vegetables until they’re starting to soften and brown, around 10 minutes.

Now add the potatoes and beans, plus all the herbs, spices, plus a little more salt and pepper. Stir around for just a minute or two.

Take the pan off the heat, stir in the flour, then put back on the heat for a couple of minutes to cook out its rawness. Back off the heat again, we stir in the milk and stock so it’s completely lump-free. Return to the heat, stirring all the time, and the soup will quickly thicken.

If you prefer a thinner soup, omit the flour and add the milk and stock after you’ve stirred in the potatoes, beans and flavourings.

Next put on a lid and leave the soup to simmer until the vegetables are just tender. This will take roughly 2o minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally to make sure nothing’s sticking to the bottom of the pot. If it seems a little thick then just add a splash more milk, stock, or even water.

Give the soup a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Your kale goes in next, roughly chopped and with any tough stems removed.

How long you cook the kale is up to you, depending on how well-done you like it. But I’d expect the final simmer to be 3 – 8 minutes.

SERVING AND STORING

Your Sausage, Bean, Potato and Kale Soup is now ready to serve. If you’d like a little extra heat, sprinkle more chilli or red pepper flakes over your bowl, plus an extra grind of black pepper.

A complete meal in a bowl, the only thing you might want to eat with it is bread to mop up the last of the tasty broth. For the batch I made for this post, we had my Italian-inspired Sausage Star Bread with Onions and Cheese. A delicious combination, and who doesn’t like double sausage?

Any leftovers will be fine in the fridge for 2 – 3 days. And because my soup doesn’t contain cream it shouldn’t split if frozen.

If you’ve made this recipe, I’d love to know what you thought. Please do leave a comment and rating.

Sausage, Potato, Bean and Kale Soup

Hearty and warming, this soup is a complete simple meal in a bowl. Protein, carbs and veggies are cooked in a soothing, garlicky broth that tastes lightly creamy thanks to a combination of chicken stock and milk.

It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before starting the recipe.

Course Soup, Main Course, Lunch

Cuisine American, World, Italian-inspired

Keyword easy

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 4

Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil (e.g. olive, sunflower)
160 g sausage (cooked smoked sausage recommended, but see Recipe Notes for alternatives)
25 g butter
1 large onion (roughly chopped)
1 medium leek (roughly chopped) can be left out
2 stalks celery (finely chopped)
4 - 6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
salt (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)
350 g potatoes (cut into chunks, peeled if liked, weight after preparation)
240 g cooked cannellini beans (approx. 1 standard tin after draining)
2 tsp rosemary, finely chopped (optional)
1 bay leaf (optional)
1 level tsp smoked paprika (optional)
½ - 1 tsp hot or mild chilli/red pepper flakes (optional)
25 g plain/all-purpose flour (can be omitted for a thinner soup)
400 ml milk
400 ml chicken stock (if using cubes: 2)
4 large handfuls kale, tough stalks removed (roughly chopped)

To serve (optional)

hot or mild chilli/red pepper flakes
black pepper

Instructions

Slice the sausage thinly or thickly, as liked.
Put the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the sausage and cook for a few minutes, stirring often, until it's lightly coloured.
Tip: if your sausage gives out a lot of fat, remove some of it from the pan before continuing.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter.
When the butter's melted, stir in the prepared onion, leek if using, celery and garlic, seasoned with a pinch of salt and a generous grind of black pepper.
Cook, stirring often until the vegetables are starting to soften (10 - 12 min).
Add the prepared potatoes and drained beans to the pan along with the rosemary, bay leaf, smoked paprika and chilli/red pepper flakes if using, plus a little salt and a grind of pepper.
Stir around for a minute or two.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the flour until it's thoroughly combined with the sausage and vegetables. Put back on the heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Off the heat again, stir in the milk and stock, ensuring there are no lumps of flour.
Put back on the heat, turned up to medium-high, and keep stirring until the liquid bubbles and thickens. Cook for 2 minutes then turn the heat down to medium-low so the soup gently simmers and put on a lid.
NOTE: if omitting the flour, leave on the heat at step 4, stir in all the milk and stock, then bring to a simmer with a lid on.
Cook until the vegetables are just tender (approx. 20 minutes). Stir often to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. To thin the soup, add more stock, milk or water.
Taste and add more seasoning if necessary then stir in the prepared kale.
Continue cooking until the kale is done to your liking (3 - 8 minutes).
Serve the soup with extra chilli/red pepper flakes and black pepper sprinkled over if liked.
Can be stored in the fridge for 2 - 3 days (or frozen if you don't mind the potatoes and kale becoming softer).

Recipe Notes

Which sausage to use

I've used ready-cooked smoked sausage. These are widely available, although frankfurters would work too. If you prefer, use any quality British-style sausage (cook first then slice) or sausage meat, broken up; as these start raw, they will need longer initial cooking. Whichever you choose, try to get the best quality you can as sausage is important for the flavour profile of the soup.