Sweet Potato Soup with Sausage (Slow Cooker, Instant Pot, Stove)
This creamy, Sweet Potato Soup with Sausage and Kale is a hearty, gluten-free, dairy-free soup you’ll want to add to your soup rotation! Slow Cooker, Instant Pot or Stove Top directions!
Sweet Potato Soup with Sausage and Kale
This is like a healthy spin on a Zuppa Toscana and it’s so good! Blending a cup of the soup and using dairy-free cream makes this nourishing soup so creamy without any actual cream. I love making it in the slow cooker, but there are directions for the Instant Pot and stove too. Whichever way you cook it, it’s sure to be a hit! Some other slow cooker soups to try are this Lasagna Soup, Butternut Pear Soup, and Navy Bean Soup.
This recipe is from Danielle Walker’s new cookbook Healthy in a Hurry, which features gluten-free, grain-free, and dairy-free recipes. All her recipes are SOLID! She has everything from pasta dishes and sheet pan dinners to no-cook lunches and freezer-friendly meals. All her recipes looked so good, but I was most excited to try this sweet potato soup. Danielle says, “Nearly every time I cook this soup, I change how I make it—switching from a simple broth to a creamy version that uses my cashew-based heavy cream and cooked sweet potatoes to add body. Either way, it’s a delicious comfort soup for those brisk fall and winter days, and even my kids down their bowls!”
I don’t always love slow cooker recipes I test from books, but I wanted to see how this would turn out in my slow cooker – this turned out so good! Feel free to make it on the stove or Instant Pot if you wish, directions are provided for all.
Sweet Potato Soup Ingredients
- Sausage: Mild Italian chicken sausage with the casings removed.
- Onion and Garlic sauteed with the sausage for extra flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: You only need 1/2 teaspoon.
- Seasoning and Herbs: Adobo seasoning, salt, dried thyme, black pepper, one rosemary sprig.
- Sweet Potatoes: Peel and cube one pound of sweet potatoes.
- Broth: I used chicken bone broth for more nutrition, but regular broth will work too.
- Heavy Cream: Here is the recipe for dairy-free cream. The cream’s optional, but I really like the soup with it. You can also use regular cream.
- Leafy Greens: Remove the stems and ribs from lacinato (also called Tuscan) kale or Swiss chard and tear the leaves.
How to Make Sweet Potato Soup
You can make this easy soup in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stove. Whichever method you choose, they all start with the same step.
- Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until the onion softens.
- Slow Cooker: Transfer the sausage mixture, the other ingredients, and six cups of broth into the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for six hours or on high for three hours.
- Instant Pot: Put the sausage mixture, the other ingredients, and five cups of broth into the pressure cooker. Cook for 10 minutes and let the pressure release naturally.
- Stove: Simmer the soup with six cups of broth for an hour and a half.
- Blend: Discard the rosemary sprig. Scoop out a cup of the broth, onion, and sweet potatoes while avoiding the sausage, and pour it into a blender with the cream if using. Blend on high until smooth, and return the puree to the pot.
- For the slow cooker, add the kale and cook on high heat for 10 to 15 minutes. For the Instant Pot, after adding the kale, set the machine to sauté on high heat. Bring the soup to a boil, and cook for a minute or two until thickened. For the stove, put the kale in the pot and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
How to Freeze Creamy Soup
I usually don’t freeze soup with dairy, but since this recipe calls for dairy-free cream, which is optional, it’s OK to freeze it. Pour it into smaller glass containers and freeze for up to three months. Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge and reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
Variations:
- Sub butternut squash for the sweet potatoes.
- Swap Italian turkey sausage for chicken or use spicy Italian sausage if you prefer an extra kick.
- Substitute spinach for kale/Swiss chard.
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love:
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Sweet Potato Soup with Sausage and Kale
5
This creamy, Sweet Potato Soup with Sausage and Kale is a hearty, gluten-free, dairy-free soup you’ll want to add to your soup rotation! Slow Cooker, Instant Pot or Stove Top directions!
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound mild Italian chicken sausage, casings removed*
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Adobo Seasoning, *
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 pound orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 6 cups unsalted chicken Bone Broth
- 1/4 cup Dairy-Free Heavy Cream, optional (see notes below)
- 1 buncg lacinato (Tuscan kale) or Swiss chard, stems and ribs removed and leaves torn (about 2 cups loosely packed)
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In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
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Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, until browned.
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Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the onion begins to soften.
Slow Cooker Version:
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Transfer the ingredients to the slow cooker with the 6 cups broth. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours.
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Remove and discard the rosemary sprig.
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Scoop out 1 cup of the broth, onion, and sweet potatoes, being careful to avoid the sausage, and transfer to a blender. Add the 1/4 cup cream, if using, to the blender, blend on high speed until smooth, and return the puree to the pot. Switch the slow cooker to high heat, add the kale, and simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until thickened. Serve immediately.
Instant Pot Version:
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Transfer the ingredients to the pressure cooker add 5 cups of the broth and cook for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
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Remove and discard the rosemary sprig.
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Scoop out 1 cup of the broth onion and sweet potatoes being careful to avoid the sausage and transfer to a blender. Add the cream to the blender blend on high speed until smooth and return the puree to the pot.
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Add the kale turn the machine to sauté on high bring the soup to a boil and boil for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened. Serve immediately.
No Slow Cooker, No Problem
MAKES 1 1/2 CUPS
Prep Time: 5 minutes, plus 4 hours soaking time
11⁄4 cups (about 185 g) whole raw cashews
3⁄4 cup water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1⁄4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3⁄4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
In a bowl, combine the cashews with water to cover. Cover and let soak at room temperature for 4 hours. Drain the nuts, rinse well, and drain again. Transfer them to a high-speed blender, add the water, lemon juice, salt, and vinegar, and blend on high speed for about 1 minute, until very smooth and creamy. There should be no visible bits of cashew. If needed, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and blend again for 30 seconds.Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days.Note: Plan on 4 hours for soaking the cashews.
Tidbits: Use this dairy-free cream in place of heavy cream in creamy soups or casseroles. A high-speed blender is necessary to puree the cashews to a very smooth cream.
*check labels for whole30 and gluten-free, dairy free
Serving: 11/3 cups, Calories: 265kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 23.5g, Fat: 8.5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 66mg, Sodium: 1236mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g
Keywords: dairy free soup, gluten free dairy free soup, instant pot sweet potato soup, slow cooker soup, sweet potato soup
