This creamy sausage soup recipe is cozy, comforting, and loaded with flavorful Italian sausage and potatoes. It's a ridiculously cozy soup that's ready in under an hour!
You may also like my Cheesy Sausage Potato Soup. It's very similar to this one but with cheddar!
Creamy Italian sausage soup
This may just be your new favorite creamy potato soup! It's one of those hearty, warm you to your core kind of soups that's rich, intensely flavorful, and a real treat. The crumbled Italian sausage makes every single bite special.
It comes together easily with real, everyday ingredients, and your whole family is sure to ask for seconds. There's nothing fancy in here, just a whole lot to love! You can feel good about knowing what's in this delicious sausage soup recipe.
What goes into this soup
- Italian sausage - use mild or hot sausage to kick it up a notch
- Butter and olive oil - a classic combo for frying up the aromatics
- Onion, celery, and garlic - this trio is the flavorful base for our soup
- Flour - thickens up the broth
- Chicken broth - gives depth of flavor to the soup broth
- Half-and-half - it's half whole milk, half heavy cream and gives this soup its luxurious creamy quality. You'll find it easily in the dairy aisle of your grocery store.
- Worcestershire sauce - my secret ingredient to give the soup an additional savory boost. You can't taste it itself in the soup, don't worry! I wouldn't recommend leaving it out.
- Crushed red pepper flakes - totally optional, but it gives a little kick
- Potatoes - we're using Russet potatoes. They're my go-to variety for soups since they work so well.
How to make creamy sausage and potato soup
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Crumble the sausage into a soup pot and cook it until it's browned, then transfer to a plate.
- Add in the butter, then sauté the chopped onion and celery. Stir in the garlic and flour, then whisk in the chicken broth until the flour has dissolved.
- Add in the half-and-half, Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, red pepper flakes, and cooked sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Enjoy!
Substitutions and variations
- You can use ground sausage meat if that's easiest for you. I just buy a pack of Italian sausages and take the meat out of the casings.
- I used Russet potatoes since they are great for soups. They get nice and soft and fall apart, but another variety would be fine.
- The crushed red pepper flakes don't make the soup particularly spicy, so feel free to add more in as needed or leave them out altogether. Use hot Italian sausage if you want even more heat.
What to serve with this recipe
- This soup is quite rich, but feel free to go all out and serve it with a slice of garlic bread! (I would)
- For a lighter option, a side salad would pair well. Try one with my homemade Caesar, ranch, or balsamic dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- This soup will last in the fridge for a few days, but since it's got quite a bit of dairy, it probably won't freeze well.
- Reheat over a low heat on the stove. You may need to add a little more chicken broth to leftovers if they get too thick.
Questions about this creamy sausage potato soup? Let me know in the comments below!
Creamy Sausage Soup
This creamy sausage soup recipe is cozy, comforting, and loaded with flavorful Italian sausage and potatoes. It's a ridiculously cozy soup that's ready in under an hour!
Ingredients
- 17.6 ounces (500g) Italian sausages see note
- 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
- 1/2 medium onion chopped small
- 2 sticks celery chopped small
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 1 pound Russet potatoes peeled & diced small
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Crumble the sausages into a soup pot. Over medium-high heat, cook until browned (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Leave the fat in the pot, but if it's more than about a tablespoon, drain some of it out.
- Add the butter to the pot and once it's melted, add the onion and celery and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in the garlic and flour. Cook for about 2 minutes, breaking it up with your spoon/stirring it as you go along. This step cooks the raw flour flavor out.
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until all the flour has dissolved and there's no lumps.
- Stir in the half-and-half, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, potatoes, and add the sausage meat back to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat so it's bubbling but not boiling like crazy (medium-low heat works with my cast iron pot and gas stove). Cover the pot with the lid slightly open.
- Let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened up to your liking. I like to stir it a few times to ensure nothing is sticking and that the stove's temperature is still correct.
- Season with salt & pepper if needed.
Notes
- I used a 5-pack of Johnsonville Italian sausages (use mild or hot) for this recipe. Anything in the ballpark weight-wise will work. Or use ground sausage meat to skip the step of taking it out of the casings.
- Serves 4-6 depending on how much people eat.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Calories: 581kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 20gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 113mgSodium: 783mgPotassium: 839mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 633IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 130mgIron: 3mg
Mary says
New favorite!!! I made some crusty bread to accompany this soup. I also added a couple bay leaves and Italian seasoning. Thank you 😊
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
That's awesome!! Thrilled you enjoyed it, Mary. Thank you for leaving a review!
Lynn O’Brien says
Very special soup, so good. Did add one large bay leaf and parsley.
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it, Lynn! Thanks for taking the time to write me a comment.
Terry Chapin says
So easy and so delicious!
Natasha says
Thank you!! 🙂
MIKE says
This was delicious! I made it last night and it hit the spot! Thank you.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thanks for letting me know, Mike! 🙂
Josie Liz says
Yes to this! I’m going to give it a go.
Natasha says
I hope you love it, Josie! 🙂