Italian Sausage Kale Soup Recipe

Name: Italian Sausage Kale Soup Recipe
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Avocado oil; 1 lb Ground Italian sausage; 1 medium Onion ((diced; ~1 cup)); 1/2 cup Carrots ((diced)); 4 cloves Garlic ((minced)); 6 cups Chicken bone broth ((or regular chicken broth)); 5.5 oz Curly kale ((chopped, stems removed; ~1 bunch)); 4 oz Cream cheese ((at room temperature; omit for dairy-free))

Jump to recipeThis hearty Italian sausage kale soup recipe is ready in just 30 minutes! Naturally keto kale soup is loaded with flavor, greens and a creamy broth.

By Maya Krampf

57 Comments

Italian sausage kale soup recipe in a bowl

Free: Healthy Freezer Meals Recipe Ebook

Get It Now

This post may contain affiliate links, which help keep this content free. (Full disclosure)

Table Of Contents show

This Italian sausage kale soup recipe is comfort food in a bowl! With its creamy broth loaded with plenty of Italian sausage and kale, it’s healthy and oh-so-delicious. And while it just happens to be a keto kale soup (and one of my new favorite keto soup recipes!), it’s also hearty and super flavorful for anyone to enjoy.

This easy sausage soup is rich enough to be a one-pot meal all on its own, but you can also try pairing it with your favorite salad or even some keto biscuits.

How To Make Sausage Kale Soup

One of the reasons this is the best sausage kale soup recipe? It takes just 30 minutes to make! Here’s how:

Trim kale. Just remove the woody stems and coarsely chop.

Brown sausage. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground sausage and cook, breaking apart with a spatula until browned.

Cook vegetables. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage to a plate, leaving the oil in the pan. Saute onions and carrots in the oil, until they start to brown.

Brown garlic. Make a well in the center of the pan. Add the minced garlic and saute just until fragrant, then stir in with the onions.

Deglaze pan. Immediately add the chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer.

Add kale. Add chopped kale and sausage back into the pan and simmer.

Add cream cheese. Turn soup off and immediately ladle out 2 cups of hot broth into a blender. Add the cream cheese, and blend until melted. Stir back into soup and serve.

Italian Sausage Kale Soup Recipe FAQs

What kind of kale is best for soup?

Kale is one of the best kinds of greens for soup, since it’s sturdy and delicious when wilted. I used curly kale, but you can also use lacinato kale (a.k.a. tuscan or dinosaur kale) or redbor kale.

Avoid baby kale here – that’s too delicate and best for baby kale salad instead!

Is Italian sausage kale soup keto friendly?

Yes, each filling serving of this Italian sausage kale soup has just 7.6 grams net carbs. It’s a meal in a bowl!

Can you make keto sausage soup dairy-free?

Yes, you could swap out the cream cheese for a coconut cream to make this creamy Italian sausage soup dairy-free.

You can also make it a more broth-based soup by just skipping the cream cheese altogether. (You can see what that looks like a little further up in the photo before cream cheese was added.)

Keto Kale Soup Storage Instructions

Can you make it ahead?

Yes! Soups store really well, so you can make this low carb Italian sausage kale soup a few days ahead.

How to store Italian soup with kale

Store this sausage kale soup recipe in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

Can you freeze sausage and kale soup?

Yes, you can also freeze keto kale soup. Store in a freezer container and store for 2-3 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

How to reheat keto sausage soup

Reheat this keto kale soup in the microwave or on the stove top, until hot.

More Keto Soup Recipes

If you like this Italian sausage and kale soup recipe, you might also like some of these other low carb and keto soup recipes:

Keto Pho – No need to spend hours on pho, this recipe is ready in just 35 minutes. Tastes like it came from a restaurant.
Keto Egg Drop Soup – Just 6 ingredients to make and less than 10 minutes from start to slurp.
Keto Beef Stew – Swapping out the potatoes for a secret ingredient that tastes like potatoes! Rich and hearty, without the carbs.
Broccoli Cheese Soup – Just 5 ingredients and the most popular soup on my site.
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup – This easy soup is rich and creamy and made with a secret ingredient.

Tools To Make Low Carb Sausage Kale Soup

Tap the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.

Onion Chopper – Easily chop or dice onions and veggies with this tool.
Dutch Oven – You need a heavy bottom pot for this sausage kale soup recipe. This is my favorite.
Blender – The best blender… use it for the last step in this kale soup recipe! Of course, it’s also great for keto smoothies, soups, and even making nut butters.

Italian Sausage Kale Soup Recipe

Pin It For Later!

Un-save Recipe Save Recipe

Go Ad-Free

Recipe Video

Tap on the image below to watch the video.

Review

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see where to get them. Please turn Safari reader mode OFF to view ingredients.

1 tbsp Avocado oil ▢
1 lb Ground Italian sausage ▢
1 medium Onion (diced; ~1 cup) ▢
1/2 cup Carrots (diced) ▢
4 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
6 cups Chicken bone broth (or regular chicken broth) ▢
5.5 oz Curly kale (chopped, stems removed; ~1 bunch) ▢
4 oz Cream cheese (at room temperature; omit for dairy-free) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the ground sausage. Cook, breaking apart with a spatula, for 8-10 minutes, until browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage to a plate, leaving the oil in the pan.
Add the onions and carrots to the pan. Saute for 8-10 minutes, until onions are starting to brown.
Make a well in the center of the pan. Add the minced garlic and saute for about 1-2 minutes, until fragrant, then stir in with the onions.
Immediately add the chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (this is called deglazing). Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the chopped kale and return the sausage to the pan. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
Turn off the heat. Immediately ladle out 2 cups (473 ml) of hot broth into a blender. Add the cream cheese, and blend until melted.
Return the broth and cream cheese mixture to the dutch oven and stir until smooth.

Last Step: Leave A Rating!

Rate this recipe

Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too - I'd love to see it!

Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1 1/2 cups

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 564

Fat 43.6g

Protein 33.8g

Total Carbs 10g

Net Carbs 7.6g

Fiber 2.4g

Sugar 3.8g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: Italian sausage kale soup, Italian sausage soup, keto kale soup, sausage kale soup, sausage kale soup recipe

Calories: 564 kcal

Want to save this recipe?

Create a free account to save your favorite recipes!

Leave a Review or Question Cancel reply

57 Comments

Skadia
0 January 22, 2023Reply

Made this for dinner tonight and it was really good. I left out the cream cheese. Great recipe – hubby immediately said it was “a keeper”. Thank you!
Lisa
0 January 14, 2023Reply

This was so delicious. I used to make one with potatoes that was similar, but I did not even notice that it didn’t have potatoes.
Robyn
0 January 10, 2023Reply

Absolutely delicious! I added celery and subbed spinach for the kale as I am not a fan of kale. I'll make this again!
Cathie
0 January 7, 2023Reply

Hi, I’m in Australia and it’s really hot weather. I don’t want to have hot soup, could I make this into a casserole or something else?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 January 9, 2023Reply
  
  Hi Cathie, I have never tried that before, but if you do, please let me know the results.
David
0 November 26, 2022Reply

Absolutely wonderful!!!
Kyla Reis
0 October 23, 2022Reply

Can you freeze this recipe ? I’d like to make a double batch if it’s possible definitely delicious I added potatoes to make it more hearty thanks 🙂
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 October 24, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Kyla, You can store it in a freezer container for 2-3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
lynnpine
0 October 17, 2022Reply

Excellent! I substituted 3 oz of coconut cream for the cream cheese and it was delicious. Hubby loved it, too.
Chris
0 September 11, 2022Reply

The soup was easy to make and the flavors really come together. After a few hours on very low heat the flavors get even better.
Ignacio Bredeweg
0 July 14, 2022Reply

Perfect work you have done, this site is really cool with wonderful information.
Samantha
0 June 27, 2022Reply

What can I use in the place of cream cheese?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 June 28, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Samantha, You can use coconut cream to replace the cream cheese.
Maurice
0 June 3, 2022Reply

Great recipe. I loved it because it was easy. I would give this a 5 star, but I feel like there is no perfect recipe. Maybe something could be added, but ya, this is great.
AR
0 February 24, 2022Reply

This was so good! Only change I made was substituting Broccoli for the carrots. I’ll be keeping this recipe. Thanks!
Bengle
0 February 12, 2022Reply

My family loves this recipe. Perfect for staying on plan and being comforted at the same time. Thank you!
Caitlyn
0 January 26, 2022Reply

Very tasty.
- Pamela
  0 January 16, 2023Reply
  
  Hi. My kale looks a bit wilted but I do have cabbage. Would that work? Also, I don’t have carrots…. I’m thinking peas instead? I don’t mean to be changing everything, but I’m using what I have. I’m thinking it’s going to work out fine ☺️… Thank You!
  - Wholesome Yum D
    0 January 17, 2023Reply
    
    Hi Pamela, Those sound like fine substitutions.
Erica
0 October 17, 2021Reply

Can I use olive oil?

Thanks
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 October 19, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Erica, Yes, you can use olive oil in this recipe.
Mattie
0 September 23, 2021Reply

This soup is very good and just in time for the cool weather.
Sarah
0 September 20, 2021Reply

My husbands really picky when it comes to new dishes. This was a 10/10 and was delicious. Thank you
Daniel
0 July 21, 2021Reply

I used Italian sausage links and cut into chunks. Hot and regular. Then when soup was done I boiled some eggs and sliced to add to soup bowl
Marsha
0 June 14, 2021Reply

This soup was awesome! I didn’t have Italian sausage so I used regular sausage. I added some additional seasonings in the hope that it would more closely resemble Italian sausage. It did! I omitted the carrots because I didn’t have any and added some ground fennel. I used low sodium chicken broth and more cream cheese than was in the recipe and added kale fresh from my garden. We gobbled this down! I’m sorry it’s gone! I’ll be making some more when my next kale crop comes in. Thank you!
Janice
0 May 27, 2021Reply

This recipe was amazing, and now on our “favorites” list. My husband loved it so much, he happily ate it two nights in a row!
I added some fresh fennel, bell pepper and celery to get more veggies in, and cut the amount of carrots in half. Almost any veggie would be great in this.
What a great way to get the benefit of kale.
I doubled the recipe and will have enough for four meals for two people.
The soup is very rich and creamy. Didn’t need any added seasoning.
Michele
0 April 20, 2021Reply

Really tasty!! I might try a little more cream cheese or less broth next time to make it a touch thicker but I really enjoyed it
Al
0 April 17, 2021Reply

This was great. I needed a low carb kale sausage soup and this did the trick. Doubled the recipe and glad I did.
Made with bulk sweet Italian Sausage. Next up will be with hot venison sausage.
Brooke
0 March 6, 2021Reply

Just wanted to say thanks! I’ve made this numerous times over the last 3 years and it’s definitely a favorite!
Carmella Goodman
0 March 4, 2021Reply

The recipe was amazing. I added a little more chicken broth to stretch it just a bit and a hint of salt and pepper. Family loved it. Thank you so much.
Connie
0 March 3, 2021Reply

I am not generally a kale person but this soup is absolutely delicious!
Melissa
0 February 6, 2021Reply

I made this and it tasted amazing! I would love it to be a bit thicker. What would I add to this recipe to make it thicker?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 February 7, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Melissa, Feel free to add 1/8 tsp of xanthan gum while the soup is simmering. It will help to thicken your soup.
  - Monique
    0 January 21, 2022Reply
    
    The recipe was easy to follow and very tasty. I omitted the cream cheese because I wanted a brothy soup. I also used mirepoix mix because I was lazy. Overall will make it again.
Danielle Fields
0 January 20, 2021Reply

I don’t eat pork products, is there a different sausage I can substitute with?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 January 20, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Danielle, Any ground meat will work in this recipe. Ground beef, chicken, or turkey will all work great.
Joan
0 January 15, 2021Reply

I made this soup this week. Jimmy Dean hot sausage subbed for Italian sausage. Fast, easy and Very Good!
Patricia
0 January 14, 2021Reply

The italian sausage and kale soup was yummy My butcher shop makes a sweet italian chicken sausage that i really like so i used it instead of pork sausage and was able to shave off 60 calories per serving. Thank you Maya for the great recipe. All the recipes from the 10 day challenge were very good
Melissa Bartlett
0 January 12, 2021Reply

I made this last week. I couldn’t find sausage without sugar so I made my own. I also subbed out spinach for the kale, as I couldn’t find it at my local market. It came out really tasty. My only suggestion would be that the directions read to take 2 cups of the soup and blend it with the cream cheese. For me, this resulted in a slightly gritty texture to the finished soup. When I make it again, and I will, I will be sure to take 2 cups of the broth only to blend with the cream cheese. Will come back and rate after troubleshooting.
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 January 12, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Melissa, I’m glad you liked the taste! The directions say, “Immediately ladle out 2 cups (473 ml) of hot broth into a blender.” – so yes, this should be the broth only, not the whole soup. Hope the texture comes out better for you next time by pureeing only the broth with the cream cheese.
Katelyn Hartlage
0 January 11, 2021Reply

Could i use an instant pot to make this?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 January 11, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Katelyn, Absolutely! Just use the saute function to cook the ingredients through. There really isn’t any need to use the pressure function for this recipe, but if you do, please reserve the cream cheese until after you release pressure.
Zenia Rene
0 December 12, 2020Reply

This recipe really is easy and so delicious! I made two pots in three days! It’s a new fave in my home.
Tara Williams
0 November 6, 2020Reply

I left out the carrots and added bacon to mine. It was absolutely delicious and filling. Will definitely make it again.
- Lind Skanter
  0 September 20, 2021Reply
  
  Can you use another type of oil instead of the avocado oil?
  - Wholesome Yum M
    0 September 20, 2021Reply
    
    Hi Lind, Coconut oil will also work in this recipe. Enjoy.
Denise Holbrook
0 October 27, 2020Reply

YU<MMM++++Y! hubby loved it, I substituted carrots with a little celery and add a bit of zucchini. Def will make again it's a keeper.
Shayla M.
0 October 25, 2020Reply

Really good recipe! It was really filling and my mom and dad really enjoyed it as well. I usually don’t even enjoy kale but it tasted great. It was also really simple to make and a great excuse to use my dutch oven pot.
PATSY CUMMINGS
0 October 25, 2020Reply

Can you use spinach instead of kale? how much and does it change the carbs? Thank you.
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 October 25, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Patsy, Yes, you can use spinach in place of kale. The carbs would be reduced, but I am not sure by how much off-hand. Feel free to enter the recipe into a recipe calculator to get nutrition information for your recipe substitution, or reference the carb counts in my keto food list.
Ginny
0 October 15, 2020Reply

I made this tonight, very good…..definitely a keeper…..To save a step I melted the cream cheese in the microwave for about 30 seconds mixed in very well.
Rachel Delp
0 October 11, 2020Reply

This was outstanding! Hubby and I loved this recipe and we’ll be added it to our regular rotation of meals. Its hardy without being heavy. Its just a warm feel-good from the inside out meal.
Carri
0 October 3, 2020Reply

I have a copycat Olive Garden recipe for this type of soup. (Zuppa Toscana ) It calls for potatoes. Of course for low carb, that is forbidden. I’m surprised you didn’t consider using rutabaga or celery root in this soup as a potato replacement.
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 October 4, 2020Reply
  
  Hi Carri, I have a zuppa toscana recipe here that you can use.
h
0 September 27, 2020Reply

Added cumin and nutritional yeast for some savory and it was DE-LISH!!!!! will make this again. made the low carb biscuts to go with for added pleasure
Shadi Hasanzadenemati
0 September 24, 2020Reply

Love how easy this recipe is. Can’t wait to try it this weekend.
Beth
0 September 24, 2020Reply

This smells amazing in my home!! I love that it stores well so I can enjoy it for a quick, tasty lunch the next couple of days!