Hearty Italian sausage and kale soup with Italian sausage, green beans, corn, and kale. It’s the coziest soup to serve with crusty bread!

Love comforting soups? Try our vegetable orzo soup or quick and easy potato soup.

Italian sausage kale soup in white bowl this recipe

Featured Comment: “Another easy, delicious recipe.  My husband loved it.” ~Kim

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Soup season is the best, and over the years I’ve made countless cozy recipes, from our Dutch oven beef stew to this hearty Italian sausage and kale soup. It’s everything you want in a comforting bowl: rich flavor, simple ingredients, and just the right amount of heartiness.

I’ve found that the type of pasta makes a big difference in soups like this. My go-to choices are ditalini or orzo because they keep their shape and soak up just enough of the flavorful broth. I’ve also learned that a good soup doesn’t need to be complicated to taste great.

What really sets this soup apart is the layering of flavors, from the savory sausage to the seasoned salt, celery salt, garlic, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce. And even with that depth of flavor, it comes together in four easy steps, making it a reliable go-to for busy weeknights or cozy weekends.

Why You’ll Love This Italian Sausage Kale Soup

  • Cozy and comforting. Every bite feels like a warm hug on a chilly day.
  • Big flavor, no fuss. Italian sausage does all the seasoning work for you.
  • Perfect for leftovers. Tastes even better the next day.
  • Easy to customize. Swap veggies or pasta with whatever you have on hand.

Italian Sausage Kale Soup Ingredients

  • Italian sausage 
  • Vegetables – onions, carrots, celery, fresh green beans, kale, and frozen corn
  • Canned tomatoes 
  • Spices – seasoned salt, celery salt, garlic powder, and bay leaves
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Chicken broth
  • Water
  • Pasta
  • Parsley

Best Kind of Kale for Italian Soup

Lacinato kale (Dinosaur, Tuscan, or Cavolo Nero) or common curly kale will both work great for this recipe. You can also substitute collard greens, spinach, or Swiss chard for the kale.  

ingredients for sausage and kale soup recipe

How to Make Italian Sausage Kale Soup

  1. Cook sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add tomatoes, season salt, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, garlic powder, bay leaves, green beans, chicken stock, and water. Bring to a simmer.
  4. Add pasta and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir in kale and corn, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in parsley.
step by step on how to make sausage and kale soup recipe

To Make in the Instant Pot 

Saute the sausage and vegetables in the instant pot using the saute function.

Pour in the chicken broth and tomatoes, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes and then carefully release the remaining pressure.

Cook the pasta in another pot on the stove and add it in right before serving.

To Make in the Slow Cooker 

To cook it in the crockpot, start by sauteing the sausage and vegetables in a skillet on the stove.

Transfer them to the bowl of the slow cooker, pour in the chicken broth, and cover.

Cook on low for eight hours or on high for six hours.

Add the pasta and cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle in the parsley right before serving.

Italian Sausage and Kale Soup Substitutions

This sausage and kale soup recipe is very adaptable with the following substitutions: 

  • Sausage – I like mild and/or sweet sausage in this soup but spicy sausage works too. For leaner protein, use turkey Italian sausage.
  • Vegetables – spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, russet potatoes, peas, and zucchini are all great additions to the soup.
  • Chicken stock – whether you use homemade stock or from the store, just make sure it’s good-quality stock. 
  • Pasta – I like small-shaped pasta in this soup, such as ditalini but orzo, macaroni, or small shell pasta work too.
  • Few More Things – for more flavor add some fresh herbs, such as thyme. Also, fire-roasted tomatoes instead of plain tomatoes will give the soup some smokiness. For more protein, add a can of cannellini beans.
close up sausage and kale soup in white bowl

Recipe Tips

Here are some excellent tips and tricks to make this kale soup recipe depending on your tastes and preferences. 

  • Cook sausage until golden brown. Cook the sausage to a golden brown before adding the other ingredients. This gives the soup a deliciously rich flavor from the fond that sticks to the bottom of the pan. 
  • Cut vegetables into same size. Cut the vegetables into small, even pieces all about the same size. This helps them cook evenly and gives the soup a beautiful presentation. 
  • For vegetarian version. Make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and replacing the sausage with extra vegetables.  
  • For keto-friendly version. To make this soup keto-friendly, leave out the pasta or substitute low-net-carb pasta or gluten-free pasta. 
  • Prep ahead. Chop all the veggies beforehand to make cooking this dish even quicker.
  • For more flavor. Toss in a three-inch parmesan cheese rind to give the soup a rich, unami flavor. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the soup right before serving to give it a bright flavor.

How to Serve Italian Sausage and Kale Soup

Serve this easy soup recipe with sides like french bread, cornbread, or a crunchy green salad.

Some great bread options include sourdough garlic bread, cheese popovers, parmesan cheese crisps, or gluten-free cheese bread.

How to Store Italian Sausage Kale Soup

This soup tastes better the longer it sits! So make a double batch to enjoy now and freeze for later.

Leftover soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Anything beyond that can be frozen for up to 3 months. I love these containers for freezing soup.

Thaw out the soup in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it on the stovetop or the microwave.

Italian Sausage Kale Soup FAQs

Is it ok to use frozen kale in soup? 

You can use frozen kale in this soup! Soup is a great way to use frozen veggies. They don’t need to be particularly crunchy or crispy when added to the soup.

How long to cook kale in this soup?

Kale cooks pretty quickly when dunked in hot soup. It only needs about five minutes of simmering if you want it to be soft. If you like kale a bit crunchy, turn off the heat before adding it to the soup.

How can I make this soup creamy? 

Add a cup of heavy cream to the soup right before stirring in parsley.

More Recipes You May Like

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Sausage and Kale Soup - quick and easy soup with ton of veggies and the best seasoning! | littlebroken.com @littlebroken

Italian Sausage Kale Soup

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  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 35 mins
  • Total Time: 50 mins
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: One-Pot
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

Hearty sausage and kale soup with Italian sausage, green beans, corn, and kale. It’s the perfect and easy soup to cozy up to!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage, removed from casing
  • 1 cup diced onions
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp. seasoned salt
  • 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. celery salt
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup chopped fresh green beans
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 4 cups water
  • ½ cup small-shaped pasta, such as ditalini
  • 2 cups roughly chopped curly kale (leaves only), lightly packed
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • ½ cup fresh chopped parsley
  • Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

Instructions

  1. In a large dutch-oven, heat oil over medium-high heat, add sausage and cook, crumbling until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add tomatoes, seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, garlic powder, bay leaves, green beans, chicken stock, and water and bring to a simmer. Add pasta, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Taste the soup for salt before adding kale and corn.
  4. Stir in kale and corn, and simmer for additional 10 minutes or until kale is wilted and the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

Notes

  • Leftovers: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Substitutions: This soup is very adaptable. See the recipe post for a detailed list of ingredient substitutions. 
  • Instant Pot & Slow Cooker: See post for instructions on how to make this soup in the instant pot or slow cooker. 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 306
  • Sugar: 4.9 g
  • Sodium: 643.4 mg
  • Fat: 22.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 14.5 g
  • Protein: 12.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 43.5 mg

Recipe originally published December 2017.

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