Creamy Sausage Potato Soup
This hearty sausage potato soup is a comfort food favorite packed with savory sausage, tender potatoes, and a rich, creamy broth. So flavorful!
Traditional potato soup is big on that creamy comfort food factor, and the flavor is good, but it’s not particularly bold. Adding sausage to the equation changes things up! A hot Italian sausage brings the heat, deep savory flavor, and gives the soup some Italian flair.
I love to whip up this Sausage Potato soup once soup season is in full swing and it’s one I’ve been making for decades. The beauty of this soup recipe is you can use a lot of everyday ingredients you already have on hand making this a budget friendly dinner that’s hearty and flavor packed.
The combination of savory sausage and tender potatoes creates a perfect balance of flavors, while the creamy broth adds a rich, velvety texture that’s exactly what you want in a potato soup. Basically, this is the perfect winter meal, especially on those days when it’s snowing so hard, you cancel all your plans and decide to just stay in with big bowls of cozy soups. (You have those days too, right?)
The only thing that makes this creamy sausage potato soup better is a big hunk of crusty bread with a big smear of butter.
Ingredients for Sausage Potato Soup
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this creamy soup recipe. For the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Olive Oil – Just a bit to keep the sausage from sticking to the pan.
- Italian Sausage – I like to use a flavorful Italian sausage so you won’t need to add many seasonings to the soup. Remove the casings before you get started. You can use either hot Italian sausage or sweet Italian sausage, which lacks the heat but still has lots of flavor. Turkey sausage also offers a lower calorie substitution or if you’re not a fan of pork sausage.
- Onion, Carrots, and Garlic – A trifecta that builds the backbone of flavor for this potato sausage soup. I love the sweetness yellow onions add to the soup and be sure to mince the garlic cloves well so it permeates the broth with flavor.
- Italian Seasoning – With the Italian sausage, adding Italian seasoning seemed fitting! You can make your own Italian seasoning with my recipe. If you want a little spice, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Tomato Paste – This adds depth and some umami.
- Dry White Wine – Like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
- Fire Roasted Tomatoes – Adding tomatoes makes this creamy potato soup… well, tomato-y. It goes with the overall Italian vibe we’ve got going here.
- Low-Sodium Beef Stock – Traditional potato soup is made with chicken broth, chicken stock, or vegetable stock but we’re using beef stock for extra richness.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes – Buttery Yukon golds are the perfect choice for this soup because they don’t break down in the soup. They’re tender, yet firm flesh soaks up the broth without becoming mushy. You can use russet potatoes, as well, but they will break down a little quicker. Skip the red potatoes since they have a waxy flesh.
- Half and Half – I love to use Half and Half for this recipe but heavy cream works well if you want a richer broth. For a dairy free alternative, you can use coconut milk as a substitution.
- Parmesan Cheese – I recommend using freshly grated parmesan cheese, which will melt much more smoothly into the broth.
- Salt and Pepper – Kosher Salt and Black pepper are always a must!
How to Make Sausage Potato Soup
- Cook the sausage. Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, then brown the sausage. Transfer it to a bowl using a slotted spoon and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat for cooking the veggies.
- Soften the vegetables. Add the onion and carrots to the pot and cook until they’re softened.
- Add the next 3 ingredients. Stir in the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant, then stir in the Italian seasoning and tomato paste. Cook until the tomato paste darkens.
- Deglaze the pan. Pour the wine into the pot and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook until it reduces by half.
- Simmer. Add the tomatoes, sausage and beef stock and bring to a boil, then add the cubed potatoes and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender.
- Finish. Stir in the half-and-half and cheese. Simmer for a minute or two, then season to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish with additional Parmesan.
For a creamier soup, you can mash a bit of potatoes with a potato masher. The starch will thicken the soup and make it creamier without adding more half and half.
Tips for Making Potato Sausage Soup
Here are some tips and variations to help you make the perfect bowl of easy sausage potato soup!
- Cut the potatoes to the same size. This ensures they cook evenly so they’re all finished at the same time.
- Don’t skip the wine. The acidity helps balance out the richness of the soup and adds a lot of depth to the flavor. If you prefer not to use alcohol, you can deglaze the pan with stock and a splash of sherry vinegar.
- Use fire-roasted tomatoes. They add a depth of flavor that regular canned tomatoes just can’t match.
- Add more vegetables. Feel free to add in some chopped kale or spinach for added nutrition and texture.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Sausage potato soup stores beautifully in the fridge, and it even tastes better after a day or two! Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this soup—the texture of potatoes changes after freezing and thawing.
To reheat, pour the soup into a pot and warm it over medium heat on the stovetop until warmed through. Alternatively, you can reheat individual servings in the microwave in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each round, until warm.
What to Serve With Potato Sausage Soup
- Buttermilk Cornbread
- Homemade Garlic Bread
- Parker House Rolls
- Italian Panzanella Salad
- No Knead Sourdough Bread
More Hearty Soup Recipes
- Easy Savory Lentil Soup
- Best Hamburger Soup Recipe
- Tuscan White Bean Soup
- Easy Loaded Potato Soup Recipe
- The Best French Onion Soup Recipe
- Italian Sausage Soup
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Get the Recipe: Sausage Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces Italian sausage , casing removed
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 carrots, peeled and large diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 14.5 ounce cans diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium beef stock
- 2 cups diced Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper , to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium/high heat.
- Add the sausage and cook until browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked sausage to a bowl. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat. Return the pot to the heat.
- Add the onion and carrots to the pot cooking until softened, approximately 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the Italian seasoning and tomato paste, stirring to combine. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes longer or until the tomato paste begins to turn a deep burgundy color.
- Add the wine to the pot and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half.
- Add the tomatoes, cooked sausage and beef stock to the pot stirring to combine. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Stir in the potatoes and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.
- Slowly stir in the half and half and cheese. Simmer for an additional 1-2 minutes then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately with extra parmesan cheese, if desired.