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.
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
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Slice the sausage thinly or thickly, as liked.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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Serve the soup with extra chilli/red pepper flakes and black pepper sprinkled over if liked.
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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.