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This super simple Smoky Potato and Kale Soup is the perfect cold-weather dinner…great for nights when you’re craving something warming. Spanish sausage simmered in a garlicky smoked paprika broth with potatoes, kale, a touch of lemon, and Manchego cheese. Serve each steaming bowl of soup with crusty bread. It’s hearty, full of greens, and so delicious. Great for just about any night of the week. And the leftovers the next day make for the best lunch!
I am always on the lookout for new and exciting recipes this time of year. Ideally, they should be pretty simple to make and able to feed the family. Because when everyone is in town for the holidays I need dinners they’ll all enjoy. I’m sure many of you can relate. With our family getting bigger there are even more people to feed over the holidays, so new (and simple) dinners are a must.
I’ll make pasta bakes or quick all-in-one skillet dinners, those are easily my go-to kind of recipes. But every other dinner or so, I like to switch it up and throw everyone a curveball…with lots of delicious flavor. Which is kind of where this soup comes in.
It’s inspired a bit by last year’s Pesto Zuppa Toscana, a bit by my love of smoked paprika, and of course by my family. With two of my brothers especially in mind today!
I have seen a lot of sausage, kale, and potato soups over the last few months. Most are made with Italian ingredients like my Zuppa Toscana. But I’ve seen a handful made with Spanish ingredients, one of which was a smoked paprika and garlic soup I saw on Food and Wine. The deep red broth just looked so good that I started googling and doing some research on soups made with smoked paprika.
And that’s when I come across Caldo Verde Soup, the “official” soup of Portugal. It’s a very simple soup made of smoked sausage and potatoes. But it seems to be made in a variety of ways. Some use tomatoes or tomato paste. Some have greens, and no smoked paprika, and then some don’t have any tomatoes at all. Since the smoked paprika in the broth of the soup excited me the most, I decided to go that route. Including smoked sausage, plenty of potatoes, and kale too!
I tried a few variations, but the one I’m sharing today is my obvious favorite. It’s the simplest to put together, but the flavor is still incredible. For me, it’s all about that smoked paprika in the broth.
First off, you can make this one of three ways, on the stove, in the instant pot, or in the slow cooker. Either way is great, but I’m keeping it basic and walking you through the stove-top version.
The awesome thing about this recipe is that it takes no effort to make and requires just one pot.
You’ll want to start with the sausage. When I was testing this, I tried three varieties, but we all enjoyed the smoked Spanish chorizo the best. You can easily find Spanish chorizo at most grocery stores, Whole Foods (which is where I got mine), and I believe Trader Joe’s.
If you can’t get Spanish chorizo, a spicy chorizo or smoky andouille sausage will also be great!
And lastly, with all that said, if you’re a meat-free kind of person, you can omit the sausage all together. Just add more paprika and a touch more cayenne to keep the soup flavorful.
Alright, moving along.
Crisp the sausage up along with an onion. Add in smoked paprika and lots of fresh garlic (very key here, so don’t skimp on the garlic…unless you really don’t love garlic). You really need to use smoked paprika for this. It’s what makes this soup so delicious and gives it that beautiful red color. Cook everything together for a bit to help intensify those flavors. Then toss in the potatoes, add the broth, and simmer until those potatoes get nice and tender.
To thicken the soup, you can puree some of the potatoes or mash them down with a fork. It’s not needed, but if you want a creamy soup, give the potatoes a mash. Then stir in all the kale and just a splash of cream.
I finish each bowl with a sprinkling of sharp Manchego cheese and fresh oregano. Neither are traditional, but both are very delicious additions.
Pretty simple, but they add so much flavor and color to this warming bowl of soup.
I’ve already served this up to my brother Creighton and my dad, they loved every last spoonful. My dad said it’s the smoky broth with the crispy sausage…and the greens…that make this soup perfect.
Oh, and the cheese on top too. If you know my dad, you know he’s always down for some cheese…actually, a lot of cheese.
It’s safe to say, I’m already excited to make this for the rest of my family over the holidays. I know so many of us are celebrating with small groups this year. This is even more reason to try some new recipes like this soup!
My only request is that you serve this with some really good crusty bread. This broth deserves a good bread for dipping and dunking on the side.
Looking for other simple wintery soups? Here are my favorites:
Creamy French Onion and Mushroom Soup
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup with Salty Lime Chips
Healthier Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup
Lastly, if you make this Smoky Potato and Kale Soup, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
This soup is so good and so easy to make! I love all your recipes and so does my husband. thank you!
Jane
Hi Jane! Thanks so much, so glad you are enjoying this recipe. xTieghan
I had a few of your recipes I wanted to make, seriously could decide so I pulled one out of a hat. So, I made this. It’s absolutely delicious. Keeping this one in the rotation for sure! Thanks for another awesome recipe.
Hey Sarah,
Happy Friday! I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xxTieghan
This is so good. I saw another recipe that sounded bland. They didn’t call for really browning the sausage and onions, nor did they add smoked paprika. I only changed two things: I didn’t add any dairy to soup but I did add chickpeas while the potatoes were simmering. A can, rinsed and drained (probably didn’t need to rinse). It is for tomorrow night, I will garnish with manchego. Now I’m going to make some no knead bread and grab a nice Spanish red. Thank you for this recipe! It will be on rotation through the winter. I tried it now because neighbor gave me kale from her garden and I happened to have all the other ingredients 🙂
Hey Jenn,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
This soup is amazing!
Thanks so much Lauren!
Such a delicious recipe! We have made it at least twice a month since discovering it, and on the off weeks are always wishing we had made it! We sometimes use Parmesan instead of manchego if it is out of stock, and this seems to be a good replacement!
Hey Deborah,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I absolutely LOVE this soup. It is so delicious. I use veggie stock and Beyond hot “sausage” because my partner and I are vegetarian. This is by far my favorite soup….and I make A LOT of soup.
Hey Suzanne,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
This is delicious! I have made it vegetarian by using homemade veg broth and veggie sausages or white beans for the protein. Love it! Thanks
Hey Kim,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This is my all time favorite soup! I absolutely love it! Thank you, BJ
Thanks so much BJ!! xTieghan
Oh my gosh. My best friend and I made this for dinner last night, it was amazeballs. We added carrots and only used 6 cups of broth but this soup.. MAKE THIS SOUP. It is spicy but not too spicy and flavorful and filling and ermergerd. You’ll be so happy you made this.
Hey Anne,
I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for giving it a try. Have a great week! xTieghan
It was very good. I loved the kick the chorizo gives this soup but I will use smaller potatoes next time 😉
Hey Syrine,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
I made this recipe last night – my fiancée and I LOVED IT! So smoky and perfection!
Hey Marissa,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I altered this to be vegetarian subbing Soy chorizo for the sausage and veggie stock for the chicken stock and it turned out delicious! I will definitely be making it again someday. And the leftovers are divine!
Hey Courtney,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Very yummy.
We thought we had kale, but we didn’t after all so we used broccoli and it was still delicious!
Hey Sam,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have a great week! xTieghan
How do you think this soup would be if I substituted white beans for the sausage?
Hey Lily,
That would be awesome! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I love this soup!!
I made it yesterday – it felt like the perfect soup for a snowy day, and it was!
I’ll make it again soon, double batch this time, so I can freeze some ?
Hey Stefania,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Really great. Perfect shovel snow and eat this soup, type of soup. Lol. Made bread with it.
Thank you.
Hey Karen,
I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan