This Sausage Potato Soup combines hearty ground sausage, tender russet potatoes, carrots and celery, simmered in a creamy, cheesy cheddar broth – all made in one pot.
It’s truly the ultimate comfort food for chilly nights. As the weather cools, there’s nothing cozier than a big pot of bubbling away on the stove. 🥔 Ready under 30 minutes, it’s a yummy easy meal even on the busiest weeknights.
The Coziest Creamy Potato Sausage Soup
And if you’re already a fan of my Creamy Potato Bacon Soup or Corn Potato Chowder, this potato sausage soup deserves a spot right next to them in your Fall lineup.
What sets this creamy sausage and potato soup apart is that rich, deep flavor. We first sauté onion, celery and carrots, famously known as a mirepoix in French cuisine, to build the flavor base of the soup.
Then we add in sausage, which also does a lot of heavy lifting on flavor. It’s already seasoned, so it brings plenty of savory goodness without a long list of spices.
After experimenting with a few sausages, I’ve decided I love using uncooked breakfast sausage in this recipe. I just love that savory flavors from breakfast sausage – in a way it reminds me of Southern Sausage Gravy used on biscuits that I love so much .
If you prefer the flavor of Italian sausage or other sausages, those can definitely be used as well. Make sure to use raw sausage to really incorporate the flavor into the soup.
Potato Sausage Soup is also SO filling. Between the sausage, potatoes and cheddar cheese, one bowl makes a satisfying dinner – no sides required (though a little bread for dunking never hurts!).
It’s the kind of cozy, crowd-pleasing soup that easily becomes a regular in the colder months, right alongside favorites like Chicken and Dumplings and Spinach Tortellini Soup.
Ingredients For Creamy Sausage Potato Soup
Here’s everything you’ll need for this cozy soup. You’ll find the exact amounts in the recipe card below.
- Butter: It gets everything started and adds richness to the base. Salted or unsalted both work.
- Onion: Yellow or white onion adds a mellow sweetness once it softens.
- Carrots: They bring a pop of color and a little natural sweetness.
- Celery: A classic soup veggie that adds a subtle savory note and a bit of texture.
- Ground sausage: The star of the show! I love to use raw breakfast sausage but feel free to use any bulk ground sausage you love – mild or hot Italian sausage works too. If you can only find links, just squeeze the meat out of the casings.
- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic gives the soup a fragrant, savory boost.
- Flour: This thickens the soup into that creamy, spoon-coating texture. Plain all-purpose flour is all you need.
- Half & half: Makes the soup rich and creamy without being as heavy as heavy cream. If you like an ultra thick soup, feel free to use heavy cream.
- Chicken stock: The backbone of the broth. Use high quality chicken broth for best flavor.
- Russet potatoes: Russets get nice and tender and release a bit of starch as they cook, which helps thicken the soup. Peel them or leave the skins on – totally up to you.
- Cheddar cheese: For that irresistible cheesy finish. Sharp cheddar gives the boldest flavor, and shredding your own block tends to melt the smoothest.
How To Make Sausage Potato Soup
Step 1: Saute veggies and Sausage
Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the butter and let it melt.
Toss in the onion, carrots and celery. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring now and then, until they start to soften.
Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Keep it moving so it doesn’t burn.
Add the ground sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Keep going until it’s fully cooked with no pink left, about a couple of minutes.
At this point, the fat from sauteing the sausage will start appearing. No need to drain the pan! That little bit of fat is where the flavor lies!
Step 2: Build the creamy base
Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir until it coats the sausage and veggies. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.
Slowly pour in the half & half and chicken stock, stirring as you go so the flour doesn’t clump. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil.
Step 3: Cook potatoes & Melt the Cheese
Once the soup is boiling, add the russet potatoes. Lower the heat to a steady simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Give the bottom of the pot a good scrape every so often – creamy soups love to stick!
Turn the heat down to low and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese.
Give it a taste and add a little salt and pepper if needed. Between the sausage, stock and cheese, it may not need much at all!
Step 4: Serve and enjoy
Ladle the soup into bowls, grab some crusty bread to dip into the soup, then dig in!
Variations And Substitutions
This creamy sausage potato soup is super easy to customize with whatever you have on hand.
- Sausage swap: Try spicy Italian sausage for a little kick, or ground turkey sausage for a lighter bowl.
- Potatoes: Other potatoes such as red potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes etc can be used as well.
- Dairy: Whole milk makes a slightly thinner, lighter soup, while heavy cream makes it extra rich and indulgent. We decided to take the middle of the road route and went with half and half!
- Cheese: Pepper jack adds some heat, and smoked Gouda gives it a cozy, smoky twist. A mix of cheeses works too!
- Greens: Stir in a few handfuls of spinach or chopped kale right before the cheese for extra veggies.
- Gluten-free: Skip the flour and thicken the soup at the end with a cornstarch slurry instead.
- Toppings: Crumbled bacon, sliced green onions, a dollop of sour cream or extra shredded cheddar all take it over the top.
Make Ahead, Storage, And Reheating
Make ahead: This soup is great made a day ahead, and the flavors only get better as it sits. It will thicken in the fridge, so plan to loosen it up with a drizzle of milk or water when you reheat.
Storage: Let the soup cool, then keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freezing: You can freeze it for up to 2-3 months, but creamy, potato-based soups can turn a little grainy once thawed. Thaw overnight in the fridge and give it a really good stir while reheating to bring it back together.
Reheating: Warm it on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring often and adding a splash of water, milk or half & half to thin it out. Avoid letting it boil, since high heat can make the cheese separate. The microwave works too – just heat in short bursts and stir in between.
How To Serve
A bowl of this soup is a full meal on its own, but it’s even better with some bread to dunk. Cheese Stuffed Dinner Rolls or Cheesy Garlic Bread are perfect for soaking up every last drop.
For something fresh and crunchy on the side, a simple green salad or Broccoli Bacon Salad balances out all that creamy goodness.
Tips and Tricks
- Use a heavy pot: A Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot holds heat evenly and helps prevent the creamy base from scorching.
- Cut evenly: Dice the potatoes into similar-sized pieces so they all cook at the same rate. No crunchy surprises!
- Shred your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese is often coated to keep it from clumping, which can make it melt less smoothly. A block of cheddar and a box grater make a real difference.
- Keep the fat: Unless your sausage is extra greasy, don’t drain it. That fat helps the flour turn into a smooth, flavorful base.
- Cook the flour: Give the flour a minute or two in the pot before adding liquids so the soup doesn’t taste floury.
- Add liquids slowly: Pour in the half & half and stock gradually while stirring to keep lumps away. Use a whisk if needed to smooth our the texture.
- Season at the end: Sausage, stock and cheese all bring salt, so wait until the very end to taste and adjust.
- Adjust the thickness: For a thicker soup, mash a few potato pieces against the side of the pot. Too thick? Just stir in a splash more stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any ground (bulk) sausage works! Mild Italian sausage is a crowd-pleaser, hot Italian sausage adds a kick. For me, I personally love cooking this with breakfast sausage as it gives it a slightly sweeter, sage-y flavor. Plus, it reminds me of biscuits and gravy, one of my favorite dishes ever.
Yes. Just remove the casings and crumble the meat into the pot. You can use slice smoked sausage after cutting them into coins, but I find that cooking raw sausage releases the flavor from the sausage into the creamy broth – making it much more flavorful.
Not if you don’t want to – and I typically don’t! Peeled potatoes give a smoother, more classic texture, while leaving the skins on adds a rustic feel and saves you some prep time.
This usually happens when the cheese is added over high heat or all at once. Lower the heat, add it a handful at a time and stir until each addition melts.
Let it simmer a few extra minutes, or mash some of the cooked potatoes right in the pot. The soup also thickens as it cools.
Absolutely. Use milk a lighter soup.
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More Cozy Soups To Try
- Mashed Potato Soup
- White Chicken Chili
- Ground Beef Vegetable Soup
- Spinach Tortellini Soup
- Navy Bean Soup
Sausage Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup onion diced
- 2 cups carrots sliced
- 2 cups celery diced
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup flour
- 2 cups half & half
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 lbs russet potatoes diced
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the butter and allow to melt. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until they begin to soften. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Add ground sausage. Break up the meat as it cooks. Fully cook the sausage.
- Add flour and stir to mix. Add half & half and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender, ~5-10 minutes.
- Add cheese and allow to fully melt.
- Serve and enjoy!
