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This Potato and Italian Sausage Soup is so cozy and delicious that you’ll want it on your menu rotation year-round! Designed to be made with extra, leftover potatoes and sausage, it comes together quickly and easily with the help of a hand-held immersion blender and a few other important aromatics.
There’s no real “soup season” in my home. I make all types all year long, from brothy pastina and escarole soup to chowder-like split pea and ribollita. I always say that there are soups for every season!
This one pot sausage and potato soup is the most delicious use of your leftover roasted or mashed potatoes and sausage. With the already incredible flavor of these two ingredients plus added fennel, onions, garlic, pecorino cheese and a touch of cream or milk, this soup is a well-rounded and hearty recipe that’s hard not to love.
All ingredients are pureed together with the help of a hand-held immersion blender, creating a thick, creamy texture. Are you hooked yet?
And, in case you don’t have any potato or sausage leftovers available, it’s easy as pie to make this recipe completely from raw ingredients as well. Both versions are included in the recipe card below.
Save and chop some of the fennel fronds (the cute, frilly, green leafy things attached to the stalks of the fennel bulb and that look like dill) to add to the soup. They add a nice freshness and aroma to the soup’s flavor, and also make it more beautiful! I even like to add a pinch of ground fennel to amp up the sweet anise flavor a bit.
While potato soup is nothing new, I love this cucina Italiana-inspired version. Fennel and Italian sausage are a classic paring that go so well together. I also pair them in my Sheet Pan Sausage, Mushrooms and Fennel recipe, which is one of my most popular side dish recipes that could also be a main if the sausage links are left whole!
Ingredients for Potato and Italian Sausage Soup
To make this creamy Italian sausage potato soup recipe, we’ll need the following ingredients:
- Potatoes: Use whatever leftover potatoes that you have (roasted, mashed or sautéed), except for deep fried potatoes, like French fries. If starting from scratch, I suggest either russet or an all-purpose potato such as Yukon gold potatoes.
- Sausage: This soup recipe was built around leftovers of both baked Italian sausage and potatoes, that are perfect flavor and texture companions! Either hot or sweet Italian sausage will work made from pork, turkey or chicken, in addition to other sausages like Polish, German, kielbasa, andouille and chorizo sausages. Leftover baked ham would work as well!
- Onions, Fennel and Garlic: Important flavor builders for the soup. Fennel has a very mild anise or licorice flavor that is mellowed and sweetened a bit during the cooking process. It complements the potatoes and sausage beautifully. (Add a pinch of ground fennel for even more fennel flavor!) But, if fennel is not your cup of tea, substitute it with celery. Leeks or shallots can also be used in place of yellow onions, while roasted or confit garlic are a sweeter and more savory option for the garlic.
- Milk/Cream/Half and Half: Create a creamy, rich finish with great texture. You can omit this (and the cheese) for a lighter, dairy-free option.
- Pecorino Cheese: The sharpness of this sheep’s milk cheese really give that final oomph that the soup needs. In lieu of it, parmesan cheese can be used.
- Broth (vegetable or chicken stock or both): I always suggest a low- or no-sodium version. Regular varieties are laden with sodium and it is always better for you to control the amount of salt in the final product! If you have homemade broth, by all means–use it!
How to Make Italian Sausage Potato Soup, Step-by-Step
- Prep and gather all ingredients.
- PRO-TIP: You can cut the potatoes and other veggie in large chunks since they will be pureed.
- Heat oil in a 6-quart (or larger) pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions, fennel, garlic, red pepper flakes and some chopped fennel fronds and cook until the onions and fennel are softened and a bit caramelized, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- PRO-TIP: You can cover the pot to speed this process along if you want.
- Add some broth and deglaze. Increase heat to medium and stir in the rest of the broth and the potatoes. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and carefully puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. (See recipe NOTES below for tips on using an immersion blender.)
- Add the milk, cream or half and half and grated pecorino cheese and continue pureeing. Add more liquid at this point if needed.
- PRO-TIP: The amount of liquid needed will depend on the type and texture of the leftover potatoes used.
- Then, turn the heat to low and stir in the Italian sausage and more chopped fennel fronds just to heat the sausage through.
- PRO-TIP: Do not increase the heat higher than low as it may cause the cheese to stick/burn on the bottom of the pot.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and turn off the heat. Serve piping hot. That’s it!
- PRO-TIP: Add a pinch of ground fennel if you prefer a more pronounced fennel flavor.
For more soup recipes, check out my cookbook, SOUPified, Soups Inspired by Your Favorite Dishes, which is filled with hearty soup versions of classic, comfort food recipes, such as Twice-Baked Loaded Potato Soup and Sausage and Peppers Soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
· Peel and dice 1½ pounds russet potatoes and hold them in cold water to prevent browning.
· Brown sausage: Heat oil in 6-quart (or larger) pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until it has browned. Break up sausage into bite-sized pieces while stirring. Remove the sausage and reserve.
· Then, proceed with the recipe, adding the potatoes at the same time (drain them first if being held in water). However, it will take about 20 to 30 minutes or so until the potatoes are tender enough to puree.
· Add the browned, cooked sausage back at the end, as in the recipe below.
Definitely and I have many times. Just omit the sausage and you will have a delicious potato and fennel soup.
The soup will have a small amount of creaminess from the potatoes themselves being pureed, but it will not have the same rich, creamy texture without any cream, milk or half and half.
TOP TIPS FOR POTATO AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP
- Prepping Veggies: Since this soup will be pureed, you don’t need precise, small cuts of the vegetables. Large chunks are fine.
- No Leftovers? I’ve included instructions in the recipe for making this soup from scratch with raw potatoes and sausage.
- Sausage: Either hot or mild Italian sausage will work made from pork, turkey or chicken, in addition to other sausages like Polish, German, kielbasa, andouille and chorizo sausages.
- Don’t Like/Have Fennel? Use celery!
- Serving Suggestions: This is a hearty soup that could easily be a meal in and of itself in a larger portion. A light green salad and some crusty bread are classic accompaniments. Alternatively, this soup could be served as a first course in a smaller portion and be followed by chicken cutlets, a simple roast chicken or plate of roasted vegetables.
- Dairy Free? For a delicious dairy-free option of this soup, just leave out the milk or cream and cheese. It will still be very delicious!
- Storage: Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat it slowly over medium low heat while stirring, adding additional broth or water if needed.
More Great Recipes to Try
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Easy Potato and Italian Sausage Soup ~ Made with Leftovers!
Equipment
- 1 Large pot (or Dutch Oven)
- 1 Dutch oven (or Large Pot)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ large yellow onion, cut into large chunks (about 1 cup)
- ½ large fennel bulb, cored and cut into large chunks (about 1 cup) + some (2-4 Tbsp) chopped fennel fronds (See Notes.)
- 2 Tbsp thinly sliced or chopped garlic (about 4 to 5 cloves)
- Pinch crushed red pepper
- 4 cups low- or no-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- About 1½ pounds leftover roasted or mashed potatoes
- ¼ cup half and half, heavy cream or whole milk (optional)
- ¼ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
- About ½ pound cooked Italian sausage in small, bite-sized pieces (can use leftovers)
- To taste salt and black pepper
- Pinch ground fennel (optional)
Instructions
- Prep all ingredients according to specifications above.(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onions, fennel, garlic, crushed red pepper and about 1 to 2 Tbsp chopped fennel fronds and cook until the onions and fennel are softened and a bit caramelized, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can cover the pot to speed this process along if you want.2 Tbsp olive oil, ½ large yellow onion,, ½ large fennel bulb,, 2 Tbsp thinly sliced or chopped garlic, Pinch crushed red pepper
- Add 2 cups broth and deglaze, scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Then, increase the heat to medium. Stir in the rest of the broth and the potatoes. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.About 1½ pounds leftover roasted or mashed potatoes
- Turn the heat off and carefully puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. (See NOTES for tips on using an immersion blender.)
- Add the half and half, heavy cream or milk and grated pecorino cheese and continue pureeing. Add more liquid at this point if needed. (This will depend on the type and texture of the leftover potatoes used. I needed to add an additional 1 cup water.)¼ cup half and half, heavy cream or whole milk, ¼ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
- Then, turn the heat to low and stir in the Italian sausage and about 1 to 2 Tbsp chopped fennel fronds just to heat the sausage through. Do not increase the heat higher than low as it may cause the cheese to stick/burn on the bottom of the pot.About ½ pound cooked Italian sausage
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and turn off the heat. (You can add a pinch of ground fennel if you prefer a more pronounced fennel flavor.) Serve piping hot. Buon Appetito!To taste salt and black pepper, Pinch ground fennel
Notes
- This recipe makes about 8 cups and can easily be doubled or cut in half for a different-sized batch, based on how many leftovers you have. I figured about 1 cup per serving, but adjust accordingly.
- You can cut the potatoes and other veggie in large chunks since they will be pureed.
- Add the (optional) half and half, heavy cream or whole milk for a creamier, richer texture and flavor.
- Save and chop some of the fennel fronds (the cute, frilly, green leafy things attached to the stalks of the fennel bulb and that look like dill) to add to the soup. Use as much or as little as you like.
- Fennel can be substituted with celery, if desired.
- Add more liquid (water or broth) if the soup becomes too thick.
- Immersion Blender Tips:
- Immerse it in the liquid before turning it on.
- Keep it moving for best results and do not hold it steady in one place. Immersion blenders do their best work when moved around and tilted while blending. This helps the blender to pick up all ingredients and purée evenly.
- Some people prefer to let hot dishes cool completely before blending (due to the fear of occasional hot splatters). This is up to you, but I promise that your comfort blending with the immersion blender will grow with each use.
- If you don’t have access to an immersion blender and still want to make this soup, just cool the soup a bit first, and then carefully ladle a few cups of soup at a time into a blender or food processor and blend. Be sure to work in small batches (in other words, fill the appliance only halfway) to keep the soup from splattering or exploding in the blender or food processor, and be sure the lid is firmly in place and secure before you power it on. I do not recommend removing the center of the lid when puréeing hot items.
- Steps for a from scratch version of this recipe:
- Peel and dice 1½ pounds russet potatoes and hold them in cold water to prevent browning.
- Brown sausage: Heat oil in 6-quart (or larger) pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, or until it has browned. Break up sausage into bite-sized pieces while stirring. Remove the sausage and reserve.
- Then, proceed with the recipe, adding the potatoes at the same time (drain them first if being held in water). However, it will take about 20 to 30 minutes or so until the potatoes are tender enough to puree.
- Add the browned, cooked sausage back at the end, as in the recipe above.
- The soup can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Consider portioning extra soup into containers to enjoy down the road! Reheat it slowly over medium low heat while stirring, adding additional broth or water if needed.
I was searching for a recipe to make with my potato leftovers and came upon this. Loved it! Will definitely make it again and again.