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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!
The quick story.
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.
The details.
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!
Smoky Potato and Kale Soup
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 465 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 pound smoked Spanish chorizo, regular chorizo, or smoked sausage
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 small Yukon gold or russet potatoes, chopped
- 6-8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- juice of 1 lemon
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 4-6 cups Tuscan or curly kale, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup whole milk, heavy cream, or canned coconut milk
- 1/4 cup grated Manchego cheese, sharp cheddar, or parmesan, plus more for serving
- fresh oregano, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Stove-Top
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chorizo and onions, and brown all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and cayenne, and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, toss to coat. Add the broth and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.2. Remove about 1/2 cup of the potatoes from the soup and either mash or puree them in a blender, then sir them back into the soup along with the kale, milk, and Manchego. Cook until the kale is wilted, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.3. Serve the soup topped with fresh oregano, if desired. Enjoy with crusty bread.
Instant Pot
- 1. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the olive oil, chorizo, and onions, and brown all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and cayenne, and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, toss to coat. Add the broth and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.2. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function. Remove about 1/2 cup of the potatoes from the soup and either mash or puree them in a blender, then stir them back into the soup along with the kale, milk, and Manchego. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Cook until the kale is wilted, about 10 minutes. 3. Serve the soup topped with fresh oregano, if desired. Enjoy with crusty bread.
Slow Cooker
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chorizo and onions, and brown all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and cayenne, and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, toss to coat. Transfer everything to the bowl of your crockpot. To the crockpot, add the broth and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5.3. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, remove about 1/2 cup of the potatoes from the soup and either mash or puree them in a blender, then sir them back into the soup along with the kale, milk, and Manchego. Cook until the kale is wilted.3. Serve the soup topped with fresh oregano, if desired. Enjoy with crusty bread.
Please look up patatas a la riojana (Rioja style potatoes), which is basically this dish without the kale. From Spain.
So good. So addicting. So happy it’s finally soup season so I can make this over and over again!! I don’t alter the recipe at all it’s perfect as is.
Hey Danielle,
Happy Wednesday!!❄️ Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, I am so glad it was a hit! xx
Really enjoyed the layers of texture and flavors of this soup. Made with venison sausage and spinach; it was fabulous with a side of good bread.
Hey SusieBee,
Happy Holidays!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! 🎄❄️
This is a stellar soup. I followed the recipe to the tee but found it a bit too spicy so added 2 more Tbs. cream. If you love smoked paprika, you’ll love this soup.
Hey Cheryl,
Happy Holidays!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! 🎄❄️
Love! I swapped the regular potatoes for sweet potatoes (and used curly mustard greens; because I don’t like kale) but this has a great flavor and took less than 30 min total made in the IP!
Hey Jennie,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend!🎄⛄️
Would like to make this today but have a question. Do you take the sausage out of its casing? If not, do you put the whole link/links to brown? Cut them up?
Hey Carolyn,
If you sausage is in the casing, I would suggest that you remove it first:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this dish! xx
I had all the wrong things and still went ahead and made this. Couldn’t get chorizo so I used bratwurst, didn’t have the right potatoes, only had three cups of chicken broth and had to sub beef broth, ran out of cream… the amazing thing is that these recipes have the foundation to build great dishes and it makes substitutions easy. You do no wrong! Me on the other hand, well that’s another story! But your recipes make me look good! Everyone loves my dinners now and I look forward to them. Thank you for so generously sharing your talents.
Wishing you all the holiday happiness:)
Hey Lauren,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and using what you had access to, love to hear that it was a hit! xT
Hi! Are you using dried/cured chorizo like the kind you get at the deli meats cheese counter? Or raw chorizo sausage??
Hi Cari,
For this recipe, you are going to use the raw chorizo sausage:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
This was bold, delicious, and didn’t take a whole bunch of prep work! I added a couple tablespoons of tomato paste towards the end of cooking the onions for an extra bold flavor! Thanks for this tasty recipe!
Hey Adrienne,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend:)
My husband loved this . We had another of your recipes for dinner the previos night !
This is a great soup but may be too spicy for some folks.
My store was out of kale so I used frozen chopped spinach that I had on hand. I used Abdouille sausage , no chorizo at the store . Very good subs
Hey Paula,
Happy Friday!!🌻 I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for trying it and sharing your review:) xT
This is a perfect, warming soup for a rainy fall evening that doesn’t take long to make! I used regular chorizo and Manchego cheese, but together, it’s so flavorful and delicious. It could be a tad rich for some, but you could just add more of your dairy/non-dairy choice to your bowl or bread/crackers would help reduce that. I’ve already saved this to make again.
Hey Angela,
Happy Friday!👻 Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try and sharing your review! I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xT
My daughter made this for me. Just a bit spicy. How do you tone down the spiciness once made? More potato? Honey? Sour cream?
Hi Carrie,
So sorry to hear this was spicy for you, you could certainly add more sour cream and broth to see if that helps! xT
insanely delicious!!! the spanish chorizo takes this to another flavor level. I will never make this type of soup with italian sausage again. wowza!!
Hi Gilda,
Awesome!!🤩 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review and love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
Made this with smoked cajun sausage from my local German meat market and it was AMAZING. Obviously we love heat/spice around here so I’d only add if you’re into spicey foods 🙂 Thanks Tieghan!
Hi Andrea,
I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
Made wayyyyy more than 6 servings. I put in a tomato and yellow pepper b/c I had them. So GOOD! The whole family loved it. Also used plant protein beef!
Hey Bri!
Amazing! Thanks for sharing your feedback and making this recipe, I am so glad it was enjoyed:)