Comforting Sausage Potato Soup

There’s something about a warm bowl of soup that makes everything feel right. When the weather turns chilly, I find myself craving something hearty and filling that doesn’t require much fuss. That’s when I turn to this sausage potato soup.

I started making this recipe dairy-free a few years back, and honestly, I don’t miss the heavy cream at all. The coconut yogurt gives it that creamy texture without weighing you down. Plus, it’s one of those soups that tastes even better the next day, which means leftovers for lunch without any extra work.

The best part? It’s a one-pot meal that comes together in about an hour. You get protein from the sausage, plenty of vegetables, and those tender potatoes that soak up all the flavor. It’s the kind of soup that fills you up and keeps everyone at the table happy.

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What Kind of Sausage Should I Use?

Italian sausage comes in two main varieties – sweet and hot – and both work great in this soup depending on your preference. Sweet Italian sausage has a milder flavor with fennel and herbs, while hot Italian sausage adds a nice kick of heat from red pepper flakes. You can even use a combination of both if you want a little spice without too much heat. When shopping, look for sausage that’s already removed from the casing (bulk sausage) to save yourself some prep time, or you can easily squeeze the meat out of links yourself. Just make sure to choose a good quality sausage since it’s the star of this soup and will really impact the overall flavor.

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Options for Substitutions

This soup is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so feel free to work with what you have:

• Italian sausage: You can use mild, spicy, or sweet Italian sausage depending on your preference. Turkey or chicken sausage work great too if you want a lighter option. Just keep in mind that turkey sausage may need a bit more seasoning.
• Ghee: Since this is a dairy-free recipe, you can replace ghee with more olive oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil. Each will work fine for sautéing your vegetables.
• Gold potatoes: Red potatoes or russets can step in here. If using russets, cut them a bit larger since they’re starchier and tend to break down more during cooking.
• Coconut yogurt: Other dairy-free yogurts like almond or cashew yogurt work well. You could also use coconut cream or cashew cream for that creamy finish. If you’re not dairy-free, regular sour cream or Greek yogurt are fine substitutes.
• Chicken broth: Vegetable broth is a good swap if you want to keep it lighter, though the flavor will be a bit different. You can also use bone broth for extra richness.
• Sweet potato: If you’re not a fan of sweet potatoes, just add another regular potato instead. The soup will be slightly less sweet but still delicious.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake you can make with this soup is cutting your potatoes into uneven pieces, which means some will be mushy while others stay hard – aim for uniform 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes so everything cooks at the same rate.

Don’t skip draining the excess fat from your browned sausage, as too much grease will leave your soup with an oily film on top that’s not appetizing.

When making the sweet potato cream sauce, make sure your sweet potato is fork-tender before blending, and add the water gradually until you reach a smooth, pourable consistency – too thick and it won’t mix into the soup properly.

Finally, avoid boiling the soup after adding the coconut yogurt sauce, as high heat can cause dairy-free yogurt to separate and look curdled, so just heat it through gently and you’re good to go.

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What to Serve With Sausage Potato Soup?

This hearty soup is filling enough to be a meal on its own, but I love pairing it with some crusty bread or dinner rolls for dipping. A simple side salad with mixed greens and a light vinaigrette helps balance out the richness of the soup and adds some freshness to your meal. If you want to make it even more substantial, serve it alongside a grilled cheese made with dairy-free cheese, or just toast up some garlic bread brushed with olive oil and herbs. For a lighter option, some roasted vegetables or a crisp coleslaw would work nicely too.

Storage Instructions

Store: This soup gets even better the next day after all the flavors have had time to mingle. Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s perfect for meal prep since you can just grab a bowl whenever you need a quick, filling lunch or dinner.

Freeze: You can freeze this soup for up to 3 months, though the potatoes might get a slightly different texture when thawed. I like to freeze it in individual portions so I can pull out just what I need. Just leave a little room at the top of your container since it’ll expand as it freezes.

Reheat: Warm it up on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. If you’re using the microwave, heat it in 2-minute intervals and give it a good stir in between. You might need to add a splash of chicken broth or water if it’s thickened up too much in the fridge.

Estimated Nutrition

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

• Calories: 1700-1900
• Protein: 55-65 g
• Fat: 110-120 g
• Carbohydrates: 110-130 g

Ingredients

For the soup base:

• 1 lb italian sausage (I prefer Johnsonville mild for this)
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup carrots (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 cup celery
• 3/4 cup onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 gold potatoes (cut into 1-inch chunks to maintain texture)
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp parsley
• 5 cups chicken broth (I always use Kettle & Fire for best flavor)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

For the cream sauce:

• 1 sweet potato (peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup coconut yogurt (gives it a thick, velvety finish)

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place

• 1 cup carrots
• 1 cup celery
• 3/4 cup onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 gold potatoes
• 1 sweet potato

Dice the carrots into 1/4-inch pieces, chop the celery, dice the onion, mince the garlic cloves, and cut the gold potatoes into 1-inch chunks.

Peel and dice the sweet potato into 1/2-inch cubes.

Having everything prepped and ready will keep the cooking process smooth and prevent overcooking any components while you’re chopping.

Step 2: Brown the Sausage and Build the Aromatics Base

• 1 lb italian sausage
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 cup carrots
• 1 cup celery
• 3/4 cup onion
• 2 garlic cloves

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the Italian sausage, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks until browned, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove the cooked sausage and set aside, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat in the pot.

Add 1 tablespoon of ghee to the pot and sauté the diced carrots, celery, and onion for 5-7 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to bloom its flavor before proceeding to the next step.

Step 3: Build the Soup Base with Potatoes and Broth

• 4 gold potatoes
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Add the prepared gold potato chunks to the pot along with the basil, parsley, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, the remaining 1 tablespoon of ghee, and the chicken broth.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are very tender and beginning to break down slightly—this will help thicken the broth naturally.

I like to taste the broth at the halfway mark to adjust seasonings as needed.

Step 4: Prepare the Creamy Sweet Potato Base

• 1 sweet potato
• 4 cups water
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup coconut yogurt

While the soup simmers, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a separate pot and add the diced sweet potato cubes.

Boil for 10-12 minutes until the sweet potato is completely soft and easily pierced with a fork.

Drain the sweet potato well, then transfer to a blender with 2/3 cup fresh water and the coconut yogurt.

Blend until completely smooth and creamy—this dairy-free mixture will give the soup its velvety, luxurious texture without any cream.

Step 5: Finish and Serve the Soup

• creamy sweet potato mixture from Step 4
• cooked sausage from Step 2
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Pour the smooth sweet potato and coconut yogurt mixture from Step 4 into the simmering soup, stirring well to incorporate.

Add the reserved cooked sausage back into the pot and stir to combine.

Cook for 30 seconds just to warm through and allow all the flavors to meld, then ladle into bowls and serve hot.

For extra creaminess, I sometimes add a touch more olive oil to each bowl—it creates beautiful richness that mimics the mouthfeel of dairy without any animal products.

Comforting Sausage Potato Soup

Delicious Comforting Sausage Potato Soup recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Calories 1800 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the soup base::

• 1 lb italian sausage (I prefer Johnsonville mild for this)
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup carrots (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 1 cup celery
• 3/4 cup onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 gold potatoes (cut into 1-inch chunks to maintain texture)
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp parsley
• 5 cups chicken broth (I always use Kettle & Fire for best flavor)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

For the cream sauce::

• 1 sweet potato (peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup coconut yogurt (gives it a thick, velvety finish)

Instructions

 

• Dice the carrots into 1/4-inch pieces, chop the celery, dice the onion, mince the garlic cloves, and cut the gold potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Peel and dice the sweet potato into 1/2-inch cubes. Having everything prepped and ready will keep the cooking process smooth and prevent overcooking any components while you're chopping.
• Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the Italian sausage, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the cooked sausage and set aside, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat in the pot. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee to the pot and sauté the diced carrots, celery, and onion for 5-7 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds to bloom its flavor before proceeding to the next step.
• Add the prepared gold potato chunks to the pot along with the basil, parsley, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, the remaining 1 tablespoon of ghee, and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are very tender and beginning to break down slightly—this will help thicken the broth naturally. I like to taste the broth at the halfway mark to adjust seasonings as needed.
• While the soup simmers, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a separate pot and add the diced sweet potato cubes. Boil for 10-12 minutes until the sweet potato is completely soft and easily pierced with a fork. Drain the sweet potato well, then transfer to a blender with 2/3 cup fresh water and the coconut yogurt. Blend until completely smooth and creamy—this dairy-free mixture will give the soup its velvety, luxurious texture without any cream.
• Pour the smooth sweet potato and coconut yogurt mixture from Step 4 into the simmering soup, stirring well to incorporate. Add the reserved cooked sausage back into the pot and stir to combine. Cook for 30 seconds just to warm through and allow all the flavors to meld, then ladle into bowls and serve hot. For extra creaminess, I sometimes add a touch more olive oil to each bowl—it creates beautiful richness that mimics the mouthfeel of dairy without any animal products.