Potato, Kale & Sausage Soup
If you’re looking for a yummy but healthy Potato, Kale and Sausage Soup then, you’ll love this hearty thick and chunky stew inspired by Portuguese Caldo Verde! It is made with leek, carrot, celery and a little anise seed. It is only 260 calories per serving and it’s ready to eat in 45 minutes!
I originally shared this recipe on February 16, 2011. I have updated the images and some of the text today.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Portuguese Style Potato Kale and Sausage Stew
This Potato, Kale and Sausage Stew is inspired by Portuguese Caldo Verde. It is so flavorful and loaded, nay bursting, with vegetables. It is so thick and chunky, redolent with garlic, anise and sausage you’ll just need a hunk of bread to make it a respectable meal
Ingredient Notes
Kale
For this soup you can use any variety of kale. Curly, Lacinato or even Red Russian kale will work! Remove the stems, and chop the leaves. You can finely chop them for a finer texture.
Potatoes
We like to use thin-skinned waxy potatoes such as Yukon gold or white “Chef’s” potatoes. Their creamy texture is perfect for this soup.
If you want thicker soup, and more crumbly potatoes you can use russet. But We recommend peeling them because the skins are unpleasant when simmered in broth.
Sausage
For this recipe look for Linguica sausage. This is a spicy smoked sausage popular in Portugal. I find it difficult to source in my area and have found Andouille to be a good substitute as it is both smoked and spicy too.
How To Make Portuguese Potato, Kale and Sausage Soup
Step 1: Saute garlic and leek
Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic and leek and cook, stirring often until the leek is starting to soften and the garlic is fragrant but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 2: Saute Vegetables and aromatics
Stir in carrot, celery, salt, pepper, marjoram and anise, increase heat to high and cook, stirring often until the vegetables are starting to softened and the bottom of the pot is starting to brown slightly, 5 to 7 minutes.
Step 3: Deglaze
Add wine and cook until mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 4: Add Liquid and Potatoes and Cook
Add broth and potatoes, cover and bring to a boil. Stir the stew, then layer the sausage on top followed by the kale, cover and return to a boil. [Note: There will be what looks like a LOT of kale on top that will gradually steam down.] Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir and serve.
FAQs and Expert Tips
This is very hearty on its own so all that is needed is a hunk of fresh bread. Our Whole-Wheat bread recipe is ready in one hour! Or you could pair with traditional Portuguese savory pastries.
This soup actually tastes even better on the second day but the potatoes absorb all the broth (or most of it at least.) Let it cool and then seal in glass containers for up to two days. Add more chicken broth to reheat.
Yes! We always keep frozen Chicken Stock on hand and it is great in this soup. You will need to add a bit more salt to the soup to compensate for the unseasoned stock.
More Soup Recipes To Try
Our Minestrone Soup recipe is the best!
Try this Vegetarian Lentil Soup this season. You won’t be disappointed.
This Chunky Corn Chowder is healthier but you’d never know because it is rich and creamy thanks to the potatoes that thicken it naturally.
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Potato, Kale & Sausage Soup
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
If you’re looking for a yummy but healthy Potato, Kale and Sausage Soup then, you’ll love this hearty thick and chunky stew inspired by Portuguese Caldo Verde! It is made with leek, carrot, celery and a little anise seed. It is only 260 calories per serving and it’s ready to eat in 45 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large leek, sliced and cleaned (see how to clean a leek)
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste if desired
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dry marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon anise seed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups chicken broth, such as Pacific
- 1 1/2 pounds thin-skinned yellow or white potatoes, such as Yukon gold, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (about 4 cups)
- 6 ounces spicy smoked pork sausage, such as linguica or Andouille, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
- 1 small bunch kale, tough stems removed and leaves chopped (about 8 cups)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add garlic and leek and cook, stirring often until the leek is starting to soften and the garlic is fragrant but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Stir in carrot, celery, salt, pepper, marjoram and anise, increase heat to high and cook, stirring often until the vegetables are starting to softened and the bottom of the pot is starting to brown slightly, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add wine and cook until mostly evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add broth and potatoes, cover and bring to a boil. Stir the stew, then layer the sausage on top followed by the kale, cover and return to a boil. [Note: There will be what looks like a LOT of kale on top that will gradually steam down.] Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir and serve.
Notes
To make ahead:
This stew is even better on day two. If it is too thick, add a little broth or water.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups each
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 2.8 g
- Sodium: 402 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 3.8 g
- Protein: 9.5 g
Here are some of the photographs from the original post in 2011.
This soup is absolutely delicious! We’ve made it several times and everyone loves it. I have to watch my carbs now, so the last time I made it, I used coarsely chopped cauliflower instead of potatoes and adjusted the cooking time. Equally delicious! Thank you for another yummy recipe!
What a great idea to sub in cauliflower for the potatoes. Excellent suggestion!
Do you have any brand recommendations for the linguica or spicy sausage?
I find this one in my local stores https://www.aidells.com/products/dinner-sausage/cajun-andouille/ IF you can find it in your area https://www.instacart.com/products/2714770-applegate-organic-andouille-dinner-sausage-12oz Applegate makes one too. I love their products.
This soup is fantastic!! It is so rich and delicious. The whole family loved it. Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Thank you so much Alicia!
Made this soup last night using spinach instead of kale. Added red pepper flakes for spice. Easy recipe and yummy.
First time I tired making a soup of this type and it was delicious! Easy to make and for a weeknight dinner.
Made this soup today came out delicious I used spinach instead of kale and turkey kielbasa .
This was a really nice soup! The anise in the broth was a surprise, but I think it really rounded out the flavor and complimented the andouille very well. The broth-to-things-in proportion was also very good.
We used chard we had on hand in place of the kale (which I’m never very fond of) and it worked quite nicely, steaming it in over the sausage in the way you direct.
Great soup, very happy with the haphazard googling that led us to your page. Cheers!
Hi Phillip. So glad you stumbled upon my site and this recipe. I appreciate that you came back by to let me know how it went. I love chard too, so I will have to try that next time. Have a great week!