Kielbasa potato soup is a creamy one-pot soup of browned smoked sausage, diced Russet potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and corn in a broth seasoned with garlic, paprika and Italian seasoning, thickened with a little flour and a cup of heavy cream. It serves 6 and is ready in 45 minutes.
How to make it: Brown the sliced kielbasa and set it aside. Soften the onion, carrots and celery in butter, stir in the garlic, spices and flour, then add the broth. Add the cream, potatoes, corn and kielbasa, bring it to a boil and simmer about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Taste, then season.
Why You’ll Love It
- One pot, 45 minutes: the sausage, vegetables and broth all cook in the same Dutch oven.
- Crisp-edged sausage: browning the kielbasa first gives every spoonful a smoky bite.
- Thick and creamy: a spoonful of flour and a cup of cream make it rich.
- Feeds 6: a full pound of kielbasa and two big potatoes.
Can You Put Kielbasa in Potato Soup?
Yes, and it’s one of the best things to put in it. Smoked kielbasa brings salt, smoke and meatiness, so a simple potato soup needs very little else. Two things make it work:
- Brown it first, then set it aside. Cook the sliced sausage until it’s nicely browned and crisp, move it to a plate, and add it back with the potatoes. The browned bits left in the pot flavor the broth.
- Drain extra fat. Kielbasa shouldn’t release much fat. If yours does, pour most of it off before the vegetables go in.
Keep It From Getting Too Salty
Kielbasa is salty, and so is broth. Don’t add salt until the soup has finished simmering. Taste it first, then season with seasoning salt and pepper as needed.
How to Make It Thicker
This recipe thickens the soup with 2 tablespoons of flour cooked with the garlic and spices for about a minute before the broth goes in. Stir well when you add the broth so the flour dissolves. For an even thicker soup, ladle out half of it, avoiding the kielbasa slices, blend it smooth and pour it back in.
What Is the Best Broth for Kielbasa Soup?
Chicken or beef broth both work here; use 4 cups of either. Since the sausage is already salty, keep the seasoning light and taste at the end.
Ingredient Notes
Kielbasa: 16 ounces of smoked Polish sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds.
Potatoes: 2 medium-to-large Russet potatoes, peeled and diced.
Vegetables: 1 medium onion, 2 medium carrots and 2 sticks of celery, chopped small, plus 3/4 cup of frozen or fresh corn.
Seasoning: 3-4 cloves of garlic, 1 teaspoon of paprika and 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
Thickener and liquids: 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of flour, 4 cups of chicken or beef broth and 1 cup of heavy or whipping cream.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 ounces kielbasa, smoked Polish sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped small
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped small
- 2 sticks celery, chopped small
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 medium-to-large Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3/4 cup corn, frozen or fresh
- Seasoning salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make Kielbasa Potato Soup
1. Brown the kielbasa. Heat the oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium once it gets going. Transfer the kielbasa to a plate once it is crisp. Kielbasa should not release a lot of fat; if it does, drain most of the fat from the pot.
2. Soften the vegetables. Add the butter, onion, carrots and celery to the pot and saute for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, spices and flour. Stir in the garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning and flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring nearly constantly.
4. Add the broth. Add the broth and stir well so the flour dissolves and the browned bits are scraped up from the bottom of the pot.
5. Add the cream, potatoes, corn and kielbasa. Add the cream, potatoes, corn and kielbasa. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a rapid simmer so it is gently boiling.
6. Simmer until tender. Cook with the lid slightly open until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Season and serve. Season the soup with seasoning salt and pepper to taste, then ladle into bowls.
Variations
- Cheesy: stir in shredded cheddar at the end until it melts.
- Bacon: brown a few slices of chopped bacon with the kielbasa.
- White beans: add a drained can of white beans with the potatoes.
- A little heat: add 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes with the paprika.
- Herbs: fresh thyme in the pot, or parsley or green onions on top.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: It can be frozen for 3 to 4 months, but cream-based soups don’t freeze well and may change texture.
Reheating: Reheat covered until it comes to a rolling boil or reaches 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with crusty bread or a green salad.
More kielbasa and potato recipes: slow cooker Amish kielbasa potatoes and 3-ingredient slow cooker kielbasa and pierogies. More potato soups: creamy baked potato soup, baked potato soup, 5-ingredient slow cooker loaded potato soup and crockpot potato broccoli cheddar soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put kielbasa in potato soup?
Yes. Brown the sliced kielbasa first, set it aside, and add it back with the potatoes so it stays crisp at the edges.
What is the best broth for kielbasa soup?
Chicken or beef broth. Taste before salting, since the sausage is salty.
What is the secret ingredient for the best potato soup?
In this one, it’s the browned kielbasa and the bits it leaves in the pot, scraped up into the broth.
How do I make it thicker?
Cook the flour with the spices before adding the broth, or blend half the soup (without the sausage) and stir it back in.
Can I use a different sausage?
The recipe is written for smoked Polish kielbasa. Brown any smoked sausage the same way and drain extra fat.
How long do leftovers keep?
3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat to a rolling boil or 165°F.
Final Notes
Brown the kielbasa well, keep the salt for the end and simmer until the potatoes are tender. If you try the cheesy version, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Kielbasa Potato Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 16 ounces kielbasa smoked Polish sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion chopped small
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped small
- 2 sticks celery chopped small
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken or beef broth
- 1 cup heavy cream heavy or whipping cream
- 2 medium-to-large Russet potatoes peeled and diced
- 3/4 cup corn frozen or fresh
- seasoning salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium once it gets going. Transfer the kielbasa to a plate once it is crisp. Kielbasa should not release a lot of fat; if it does, drain most of the fat from the pot.
- Add the butter, onion, carrots and celery to the pot and saute for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, paprika, Italian seasoning and flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring nearly constantly.
- Add the broth and stir well so the flour dissolves and the browned bits are scraped up from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the cream, potatoes, corn and kielbasa. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a rapid simmer so it is gently boiling.
- Cook with the lid slightly open until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season the soup with seasoning salt and pepper to taste, then ladle into bowls.
Notes
Nutrition
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