Easy Instant Pot Potato Sausage Kale Soup

Finding a hearty, comforting soup that doesn’t require hours of hands-on cooking can feel nearly impossible, especially when you’re juggling dinner prep with everything else life throws at you. Traditional soup recipes often mean standing over the stove, constantly stirring and checking, which just isn’t realistic when you’ve got a million other things on your plate.

Thankfully, this Instant Pot potato, sausage, and kale soup solves that problem perfectly: it’s warm and filling without being complicated, comes together in a fraction of the time, and uses straightforward ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

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What Kind of Sausage Should I Use?

The beauty of this soup is that you can use pretty much any sausage you have on hand or prefer. Italian sausage is a popular choice – both sweet and hot varieties work great depending on how much spice you want. If you’re looking for something with a bit of a kick, spicy chorizo or andouille sausage will add some nice heat to the soup. For a milder option, kielbasa or smoked sausage brings a subtle smoky flavor that pairs really well with the potatoes and kale. Just make sure to remove the casings if your sausage has them, and break it up into bite-sized pieces as it cooks.

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Options for Substitutions

This soup is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Sausage: You can use Italian sausage, kielbasa, chorizo, or even turkey sausage depending on what you have. Each will give the soup a slightly different flavor profile, but they all work great.
• Kale: If kale isn’t your thing, try spinach, Swiss chard, or collard greens instead. Spinach will wilt faster, so add it at the very end. Collard greens might need a few extra minutes to soften up.
• Potatoes: Russet, Yukon gold, or red potatoes all work fine here. Just keep the pieces roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
• Chicken broth: Vegetable broth works just as well if you want to keep things lighter, or use beef broth for a heartier flavor.
• Cream: Heavy cream, half-and-half, or even whole milk can be used here. For a dairy-free option, try coconut milk or cashew cream – just know it’ll change the flavor slightly.
• Tomato sauce: Crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes work as a substitute. If using diced, you might want to blend them a bit for a smoother consistency.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with this soup is not scraping the bottom of the pot well enough after adding the broth, which can trigger the dreaded “burn” notice on your Instant Pot – take an extra minute to really get under those browned bits with a wooden spoon.

Another common error is adding the cream directly to the hot soup, which can cause it to curdle and look grainy, so always temper it first by mixing it with a cup of the hot liquid before stirring it back in.

Don’t skip the natural pressure release time either, as opening the valve immediately can cause the soup to splatter and the potatoes to break apart into mush instead of staying in nice chunks.

For even better results, cut your potatoes into uniform pieces about 1-inch thick so they cook evenly, and if your kale seems tough, remove the thick stems before adding it to the pot.

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What to Serve With Potato, Sausage, and Kale Soup?

This hearty soup is pretty filling on its own, but I love serving it with some crusty bread or dinner rolls for soaking up all that good broth. A simple side salad with a light vinaigrette helps balance out the richness of the soup, or you could go with some roasted vegetables like carrots or Brussels sprouts. If you want to make it a bigger meal, garlic bread is always a winner, and it’s perfect for dunking. Sometimes I’ll even sprinkle some extra parmesan cheese on top of the soup and serve it with a few lemon wedges on the side for a bright finish.

Storage Instructions

Store: This soup keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The flavors actually get better as they sit together, so it’s great for meal prep. Just give it a good stir before reheating since the cream might separate a bit.

Freeze: You can freeze this soup for up to 3 months, though I’d recommend leaving out the cream if you know you’re going to freeze it. Add the cream fresh when you reheat instead, since dairy can get a little grainy after freezing. Store it in freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving a little room at the top for expansion.

Reheat: Warm it up on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. You can also use the microwave in 1-2 minute intervals, stirring in between. If it seems too thick after storing, just add a splash of broth or water to thin it out.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1300-1500
• Protein: 40-50 g
• Fat: 80-95 g
• Carbohydrates: 90-110 g

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion (diced into 1/2-inch pieces)
• 12 oz smoked sausage (I prefer Johnsonville Italian style)
• 1.5 tbsp minced garlic
• 5 cups chicken broth (I always use Swanson for the best base layer)
• 1.25 lb potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 3 large kale leaves (stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces)
• 2.5 oz heavy cream

Step 1: Prep Your Ingredients

• 1 large onion
• 1.25 lb potatoes
• 3 large kale leaves
• 12 oz smoked sausage

Dice the onion into 1/2-inch pieces, peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks, remove kale stems and tear leaves into bite-sized pieces, and slice the smoked sausage into 1/4-inch rounds.

Having everything prepped before you start cooking ensures the Instant Pot cooking process moves smoothly without interruption.

Step 2: Sear the Sausage and Onions

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz smoked sausage
• 1 large onion

Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode and heat the olive oil until shimmering.

Add the sliced sausage and diced onion, cooking for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage develops some color and the onions begin to soften.

This browning creates a flavorful base that builds depth into the entire soup.

Step 3: Build the Aromatic Base

• 1.5 tbsp minced garlic
• 5 cups chicken broth

Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

Pour in the chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot, loosening all the browned bits—this is called deglazing and transfers all that flavorful caramelization into your broth.

Step 4: Add Potatoes, Seasonings, and Kale

• potato chunks from Step 1
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• kale from Step 1

Stir in the potato chunks from Step 1, black pepper, smoked paprika, tomato sauce, and torn kale.

I like to add the kale now so it cooks down fully and infuses the broth with its earthy flavor rather than adding it at the end.

Stir everything together to combine the seasonings evenly throughout the pot.

Step 5: Pressure Cook the Soup

Close the Instant Pot lid and ensure the pressure valve is set to ‘Seal.’ Set the pot to high pressure for 4 minutes.

Once the cycle completes, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes before carefully turning the valve to ‘Venting’ to release any remaining steam.

Natural pressure release helps keep the potatoes intact rather than turning them to mush.

Step 6: Finish with Cream

• 2.5 oz heavy cream

Using a ladle, carefully scoop 1 cup of the hot broth from the pot and whisk it together with the heavy cream in a separate bowl—this tempers the cream so it won’t curdle when added to the hot soup.

Pour the cream mixture back into the pot and stir gently to combine.

The result is a rich, silky soup with a beautiful subtle creaminess that doesn’t overpower the other flavors.

Step 7: Serve

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot.

The potatoes should be tender, the kale will have infused the broth, and the sausage will have released all its smoky flavor throughout the dish.