Description
A fast, comforting weeknight soup made with Italian sausage, russet potatoes, and heavy cream. It’s forgiving, pantry-friendly, and ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Optional: frozen peas, chopped kale, or green beans
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and cook until browned and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving rendered fat in the pan.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and dried thyme, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add diced potatoes to the pot, stirring to coat in the onion-garlic butter. Pour in chicken broth and scrape up browned bits from the bottom. Add bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Remove pot from heat and discard bay leaves. Stir in heavy cream gradually. For a thicker texture, mash about one-third of the potatoes with a masher or pulse briefly with an immersion blender.
- Stir the cooked sausage back into the soup. Warm through for 1-2 minutes on low heat (do not boil). Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese until melted.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with extra Parmesan and cracked black pepper.
Notes
Brown the sausage well for flavor. Do not boil after adding cream to prevent separation. Use fresh Parmesan for best texture. Soup thickens as it cools; add broth when reheating. This soup does not freeze well due to the dairy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 24
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 22
Keywords: sausage soup, potato soup, creamy soup, comfort food, weeknight dinner, easy recipes, Italian sausage, russet potatoes