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This gnocchi soup with sausage and kale is cozy and comforting! A simple and delicious warming winter soup that the whole family will love.
I recently made a chicken gnocchi soup and a lot of people really liked it. I was inspired to make another one, this time with sausage and kale. I used spicy Italian sausages (I bought Johnsonville brand), but you can use mild ones if you prefer. Or even use a different kind of sausage… whatever you have on hand or prefer will be just fine.
I’m on a bit of a sausage cooking kick lately. I recently made this Tuscan sausage pasta and it’s one of the best things I’ve made in a while if I do say so myself haha.
This creamy gnocchi soup is ready in a bit over half an hour, so it’s good for weeknight dinners. It also makes tasty leftovers.
There’s just something about pillowy gnocchi that gets me every time. It cooks right in the soup so it thickens the broth up. I just buy the kind that’s sold in the pasta aisle.
If you like this soup, you may also like my Zuppa Toscana soup (Olive Garden inspired), my tomato gnocchi soup, or my sausage and sweet potato soup.
I kept the ingredients fairly minimal in this soup. There’s plenty of sausage, and the gnocchi makes it filling. Garlic, onion, and Dijon mustard add a lot of flavor.
Kale adds some nice color, texture, and a bit of freshness. You could also use spinach or chard if you prefer.
Pro tip: If you want to use half-and-half or even milk instead of the cream, that’s fine.
Will you give this sausage and kale gnocchi soup a try? Let me know in the comments below.
Love easy gnocchi recipes? You may also like my one pan creamy spinach and mushroom gnocchi or my one pan creamy sausage gnocchi.
Sausage, Kale, and Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 17.6 ounces Italian sausages (I used hot ones) cut up/crumbled
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 dash Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound potato gnocchi
- 1 small bunch kale torn into bite-size pieces, stems removed
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Take the sausages out of their casings (or just cut them up) and add them to a soup pot. Sauté them over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is browned on all sides. I didn't add oil since the sausages release fat, but feel free to add oil if the sausage is particularly lean.
- Add the onion to the pot and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, Dijon mustard, and Italian seasoning, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth and gnocchi to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat so it's simmering and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the kale and cream and let the soup simmer for another 10 minutes or so (you may need to increase then reduce the heat again). The gnocchi will release some starch so the broth thickens up more the longer it cooks.
- Season with salt & pepper if needed.
Notes
- I used a 5-pack of Johnsonville hot Italian sausages weighing 17.6 ounces. Anything around that mark works. You can also use ground sausage if that's easier for you.
- Serves 4-6.
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I made this soup because I needed to use kale from my garden. It was fabulous! My husband and kids all loved it. I served it with warm crusty bread. Will definitely make again!
So happy to hear that! 🙂
Do you think this would work to make a couple days ahead and put the gnocchi in when ready to eat?
I think it could work.
Definitely, definitely making this deliciously hearty soup again! I used chicken sausage and collard greens, and that worked just as great as kale & Italian. I’m sure this would be really simple to make with vegan alternatives as well!
That’s what I like to hear! 🙂
This was great! Very easy & quick in my instant pot. I followed the recipe but used vegetable bouillions, a bay leaf and beyond sausage. Hopefully I’ll get to have some leftovers!
Wonderful! 🙂
This is an amazing recipe, really quick and easy. I added some red pepper flakes for an extra kick. I also used more chicken broth (5 cups) because I didn’t know just how big a “small” bunch of kale actually is! So the soup had way more than I expected but that was OK. I used the shelf stable gnocchi and didn’t have any issues. For me, I would leave out the cream for a lighter summer soup next time. No salt or pepper needed! So good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Made this for dinner last night, substituting frozen spinach for the kale since that’s what I had– super simple, and deliciously decadent! Thanks so much for the recipe 🙂
I’m so pleased you liked it!! 🙂
This looks delicious and I am planning on preparing this weekend. I have a bag of frozen kale – how would I make the recipe change for that? Thank you!
Hi! I assume it’s like frozen and ready to go (like chopped already)? If so, I can’t imagine it would take a ton longer to cook. I’d probably cook it the same or perhaps give it a little longer if you taste it and the leaves still seem tough. I’ve never seen frozen kale before… not sure if you literally froze a bag of fresh kale or it comes in those pucks like frozen spinach? I’m not sure those would work as well.
Really tasty and filling, which is usually my biggest complaint with soup as an entree. I thought it would be too similar to zuppa toscana, but it’s different enough to be it’s own soup! Made exactly as written with frozen gnocchi. We have that here in the states and I think it’s fresher. Will make again!
I’m so happy you liked it!!
Wow. I made this tonight and it’s delicious. I used skim milk and chicken hot Italian sausage. Wonderful for a snowy NYC night!
Excellent! ♥️
I followed the recipe exactly and it was fantastic! Comfort food at its best. The only thing I would change next time, would be to add the gnocchi in during the last 7 minutes or so of cooking time. Our package directions said 3 minutes, so that may be why they came out kinda chewy. Thanks!
Good tip! I’m glad you enjoyed it overall!
I made this with almond milk, it always is a hit.
Great!! Thank you 🙂