This chicken, kale, and potato soup (aka Zuppa Toscana) is the perfect hearty and comforting meal. This quick and easy-to-make soup is packed with sausage, potatoes, and kale and it is the perfect cold-weather soup.
This chicken sausage soup with potatoes and kale is one of my favorites! There is nothing like a big bowl of soup for those cold and chilly fall and winter months. (or really, any time of the year that you crave a delicious and comforting soup).
This Zuppa Toscana copycat recipe has all the flavors of the original recipe but you can make it in the comfort of your home and at a fraction of the cost. Make a big batch of this creamy and flavorful soup that your whole family will love! Serve this soup as your main course with a side of toasted bread for an authentic Italian lunch or dinner!
What is Zuppa Toscana? Well, it is a popular Italian soup that originated in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is typically made with Italian sausage, bacon, potatoes, kale, and heavy cream. The soup is known for its creamy texture and rich flavor. My recipe is light, healthy, and well-balanced and has that great restaurant-quality taste.
Why you will love making this chicken sausage, potato, and kale soup
One pot meal – those are my absolute favorite meals to cook. Dirtying only one pot is so helpful on a busy weeknight! Cooking everything in one pot also makes this dish so flavorful!
Quick and easy to make – You can make a large pot of this sausage, potato, and kale soup in about 40 minutes, and enjoy the leftovers for lunch the next day.
Versatile – Most of the ingredients for this one-pot soup, you most likely already have on hand. But if not, they can be easily substituted for others.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken sausage – You can use classic mild Italian or hot sausage. I like using ground chicken sausage but you can also use spicy chicken sausage, cubed chicken, ground turkey, or rotisserie chicken. Cooked, smoked sausage works great for this soup as well.
- Potatoes – you can use any potatoes you like or have – russet, yellow potatoes, or red potatoes will work great here. If you’d like you can use cannellini beans instead of potatoes.
- Kale – This leafy green is delicious and nutritious. Spinach is a good substitute but it does not have the same flavor or texture so try to use kale when making this soup.
- Chicken stock concentrate – this is a great pantry staple as you can use chicken stock or chicken stock concentrate in so many different recipes. This is the chicken stock concentrate I always use. You can always use chicken or vegetable stock/broth instead of the concentrate if that is what you have on hand. I recommend using low-sodium chicken stock so you have control of the saltiness of the soup.
- Onion and garlic, you can also add diced carrots and celery.
- Flour – I add 3 tablespoons of flour, which helps thicken the soup. If you’d like, you can substitute it with an almond floor instead.
- Cream cheese and Sour cream – Instead of the traditional heavy cream, this is what I use to make my chicken soup creamy but light and airy at the same time.
- Seasonings – salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning is all you need. But feel free to use other seasonings you like. Red pepper flakes will add a nice kick to this recipe as well.
How to make this easy, one-pot chicken kale and potato soup
Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Dice the onion and the garlic. Peel and dice the potatoes and prep your kale. Cut the rough stems from the kale and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken sausage to the pot and break it into small pieces with a meat chopper or a spatula. When the sausage is almost cooked through, 4-6 minutes, add the onion and the garlic. Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes. Add the flour and stir well until slightly browned.
Then add the diced potatoes, the stock concentrate, and water. Season well with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked, when pierced with a fork (about 10-15 minutes). Use a potato masher or a fork to mash some of the potatoes and that also helps thicken the soup.
Add in the kale. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale wilts down, another 10 minutes. In the meantime, in a small bowl, stir or whisk together the sour cream and the cream cheese until smooth. Turn off the heat, and stir in the sour cream, and cream cheese mixture into the soup until well combined.
Season the soup, per taste. Serve and enjoy!
Other recipes I think you will love!
Italian Sausage Ravioli Alfredo with Spinach
Easy Oven-baked Sausage and Potatoes
Oven-baked salmon in foil packets
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Chicken Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken sausage Italian or Mild
- 4 cups kale stems cut and roughly chopped
- 1.5 pounds potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 packets chicken stock concentrate or 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 6 cups water no water needed if using broth
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons sour cream room temperature
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese softened
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large drizzle of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Dice the onion and mince or finely chop the garlic.
- Peel and dice the potatoes and prep your kale. Cut the rough stems from the kale and chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the chicken sausage to the pot and break it into small pieces with a meat chopper or a spatula. When the sausage is almost cooked through, 4-6 minutes, add the onion and the garlic. Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the flour and stir well until slightly browned.
- Then add the diced potatoes, the stock concentrate (or broth), and water (you do not need to add water if you are using broth)
- Season well with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked, when pierced with a fork (about 10-15 minutes).
- Use a potato masher or a fork and mash some of the potatoes. That helps thicken the soup.
- Add in the kale. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale wilts down, another 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, in a small bowl, stir or whisk together the sour cream and the cream cheese until smooth.
- Turn off the heat, and stir in the sour cream and cream cheese mixture into the soup until well combined.
- Serve and enjoy!
