Sausage, Leek and Potato Soup
After spending a cold, damp weekend standing on the sidelines of lacrosse fields, a warm and comforting meal was all I could think about making. My go-to fall and winter dinner always seems to be a pot of soup. It’s equal parts easy to throw together and I get a little ‘chop therapy,’ meaning I turn on music in the kitchen, pour myself a glass of wine and let my mind wander while I chop vegetables. If you think you hate cooking; try music, a special drink and making a pot of soup and see if you still hate it (maybe, but you might be surprised how relaxing cooking can be).
My kids love the classic zuppa toscana soup, which if you’ve ever eaten at an Olive Garden, you’re probably familiar with. A creamy soup packed with sausage, potatoes and kale, its universally appealing. I decided to make a riff on this classic recipe, adding a few more vegetables and spices to pack in a bit more nutritionally dense ingredients along with a little more flavor.
We sat around the table, warming our bellies with steaming bowls of this easy-to-make soup, sopping up every last bit with thick slices of buttered sourdough bread. I thought we would have leftovers for lunch the next day but there was only one measly little bowl leftover, not even enough for a proper lunch.
As usual, this is a great recipe to run with to make all your own. You could swap pork Italian sausage for the turkey or chicken version. You could also use plain greek yogurt in place of sour cream or if you want the soup to be a little more decadent and creamy, use heavy cream. If you know someone at your house will fuss over the kale (I have one who always picks it out), you could skip it all together or swap for fresh baby spinach. If you skip the greens, consider adding a few extra diced up potatoes instead. Whatever version of this recipe you end up with, I hope it draws your people to the table, creating an opportunity to linger a few extra moments.
Sausage, Leek and Potato Soup
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 4 pieced center-cut bacon, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 leek, rinsed well and diced
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 4 celery stalks, diced
• 1 pound baby red potatoes, washed and quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• 3 32-ounce boxes chicken bone broth (regular broth is just fine too)
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 pinches red pepper flakes
• Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
In a large dutch oven, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Slice the bacon into 1/4-inch pieces and add to the pot along with the Italian sausage. Using a wooden spoon, break up the sausage into small pieces, stirring often until the sausage and bacon are cooked all the way through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the heat off to the pot and transfer the meat to a paper-towel lined plate.
Rinse, peel and dice your vegetables. Leeks can be a bit sandy and dirty, so slice the leek lengthwise and run the two halves under water. Dice the leek like you would an onion, using both white and green parts.
Return the pot to the stove, adding the remaining tablespoon olive oil along with the tablespoon butter to the pot. Turn heat to medium-low and begin sautéing the onion, leek, carrots, celery and potatoes. Make sure to scrape up any little brown bits from the bottom of the pot, stirring often. Sprinkle vegetables with kosher salt and black pepper. Continue to sauté until the onions are translucent and fragrant. Add the garlic to the pot and stir, cooking for another minute.
Add the meat back to the pot, stirring to combine. Pour the bone broth over the mixture and stir again. Add another pinch of salt and pepper along with the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and mostly cover the pot with the lid, leaving a little vent for steam to release. Stir occasionally, letting the soup simmer for about 45 minutes. Use a fork to test the potatoes, making sure they are soft.
Once the vegetables are tender, turn the heat off to the soup. Stir in the kale. Let the soup cool for 5 to 10 minutes after adding the kale before stirring in the sour cream. This will prevent the sour cream from separating and appearing curdled (it will taste fine if that happens but its not very appetizing).
To serve, briefly warm the soup on a low-simmer before serving. Ladle soup into shallow bowls and garnish with a pinch of shredded parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of black pepper.