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The temperatures have dropped to 99 degrees here in Arizona, which means we are entering the third summer! With temperatures below 100 we can finally start thinking about fall and winter soup recipes, including this easy and delicious Sausage and Kale Soup!
This Sausage and Kale Soup is my take on the traditional Portuguese or Italian Sausage and Kale Soups. It is packed with flavor and vegetables, but I left out the potatoes and substituted cauliflower. I think this might just be my new favorite soup!!
How to make Sausage and Kale Soup:
Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground sausage to the pot, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
Remove the cooked sausage with a slotted spoon and place in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add the chopped onions and butter to the hot pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook until onions become translucent, about 3 minutes.
Stir the garlic into the onions. Cook for one minute, until aromatic.
Add the cauliflower and stir to combine with the onions and garlic.
Pour in the chicken stock and water, scraping the bottom to remove all of the browned bits.
Stir in the bay leaves and heat until soup begins to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer uncovered until cauliflower is fork-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir in the kale, cooked sausage and red pepper flakes. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until the kale begins to wilt.
Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, if needed and serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
All of the flavors blend together perfectly!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use any type of cauliflower that you like. I thought the yellow was pretty and would add some additional color.
- Finding sugar-free and MSG free sausage can be tricky. Portuguese soup would use chourico or linguica smoked sausages. An Italian version would use Italian sausage. Kielbasa and andouille sausage will also work.
More delicious soup recipes:
I guess I should explain my third summer comment from above. Here in Arizona we hit 100 in “spring” (March/April), therefore it is referred to as first summer. Then we have “real summer” (or second summer) which is in the 110 to 120 degree range. When other places start celebrating fall, we are still in the upper 90’s, third summer. 😉
Enjoy!!
Sausage and Kale Soup
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Large Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound sausage
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 cup chopped, yellow onion
- 4 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 head cauliflower cut into small florets
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water use 1 to 2 cups depending on how large your cauliflower is. One cup may be enough.
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound kale 4 to 6 cups – stem removed and cut into ribbons
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 6 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese optional
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground sausage to the pot, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the cooked sausage with a slotted spoon and place in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add the chopped onions and butter to the hot pan. Reduce heat to medium and cook until onions become translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Stir the garlic into the onions. Cook for one minute, until aromatic.
- Add the cauliflower and stir to combine with the onions and garlic.
- Pour in the chicken stock and water, scraping the bottom to remove all of the browned bits.
- Stir in the bay leaves and heat until soup begins to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer uncovered until cauliflower is fork-tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the kale, cooked sausage and red pepper flakes. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until the kale begins to wilt.
- Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, if needed and serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Use any type of cauliflower that you like. I thought the yellow was pretty and would add some additional color.
- Finding sugar-free and MSG free sausage can be tricky. Portuguese soup would use chourico or linguica smoked sausages. An Italian version would use Italian sausage. Kielbasa and andouille sausage will also work.
- If you cannot find sausage, substitute ground pork and add seasonings like oregano and sage.
- I completely disagree with the Nutritional information provided. There are not 34 carbs in chicken stock, there is 1 carb.
- One head of cauliflower has 29 carbs – 12 fiber = 17 / 6 = 2.4 per serving.
- One onion has 10 carbs – 1.9 fiber = 8 / by 6 = 1.3 per serving.
- 1 cup of kale has 5 carbs
- 20 total carbs – 2 fiber = 18 is not possible, it should be 10.
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