Chicken sausage and kale soup is the perfect healthy soup recipe to make on a cold winter night. It's an easy and nutrient-dense recipe that comes together in minutes!
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Why You'll Love This Instant Pot Kale and Chicken Sausage Soup Recipe
This healthy kale and chicken sausage soup is extremely easy to make but also make as a meal prep recipe. Leftovers freeze really well and can be thawed whenever you need a filling lunch or dinner!
It's loaded with nutrition from the carrots and celery, garlic and onion, beans and kale. You'll have a satisfying nutritious lunch or dinner in just minutes!
Equipment
Pressure cooker - the main piece of equipment used in this recipe is an Instant Pot (or any pressure cooker). You can use a large soup pot or dutch oven and cook on the stove top instead! See Recipe FAQ section below for more on how to cook this chicken sausage and kale soup on the stove.
Ingredients
Full ingredients, measurements, and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Chicken sausage - one of the main ingredients in this recipe, chicken sausage adds protein and a delicious, deep flavor. I like to use the Italian chicken sausage but you can use turkey sausage or regular pork sausage if you prefer! I also like to use sausage links and slice them into bite-sized pieces but ground sausage could work instead.
- Olive oil - since chicken sausage is mostly lean, I like to drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of the pot to brown the meat. Any neutral oil will work.
- Garlic & onion - minced garlic and chopped onion are fantastic in almost every soup, but especially this chicken sausage and kale soup. Both are great sources of prebiotics, which are the "food" the healthy bacteria in our gut eat.
- Carrot & celery - fresh carrot and celery give a wonderful texture to this recipe but also so much nutrition!
- Herbs - dried herbs are an easy way to add loads of fresh flavor to any recipe, especially in this hearty soup. Oregano, rosemary, thyme, and a bay leaf give this kale soup recipe a Tuscan flavor.
- Chicken broth - you can use any type of broth you'd like. Chicken broth compliments the flavor of the chicken sausage so well! Regular or low sodium chicken broth can be used.
- White beans - canned white cannellini beans are the easiest version of white beans to use! Beans are full of fiber and plant-based protein, making them a great addition to this soup.
- Kale - kale is an extremely nutrient dense food and is perfect in this soup because it's a sturdy green. Other leafy greens fall apart once cooked but kale holds its texture really well! It's a great source of vitamins C and K as well as beta-carotene.
- Grated parmesan cheese - parmesan cheese adds a salty tang as well as makes this a slightly creamy soup (but without adding heavy cream). If you happen to have any parmesan rinds in the refrigerator, I recommend throwing a couple in the soup for extra flavor!
How to Make Chicken Sausage and Kale Soup
1: Brown chicken sausage on "Sautee" setting in the pressure cooker until golden brown, ~6-7 minutes.
2: Add olive oil, garlic, onion, carrot, celery, herbs, salt, and pepper. Cook until veggies are soft and tender.
3: Pour in broth and beans and stir. Put lid on top and close valve so pressure can build. Set settings to "Pressure Cook" and the timer for 3 minutes. Once pressure is reached (this takes ~10-15 minutes), the 3-minute timer will start.
4: When timer beeps, press "Cancel" and release pressure from valve. Remove the lid and stir kale and parmesan cheese in immediately.
Variations & Substitutions
- You can use any sort of broth in this recipe: chicken broth, beef broth, vegetable broth, bone broth, etc.
- I like using an Italian sausage (made from chicken) in this recipe but any flavor would be good! You can also use a traditional pork sausage.
- Any dark leafy green will work in this recipe in lieu of kale! Spinach, escarole, swiss chard, etc.
- Dried beans can be used instead of canned, just be sure to rehydrate and cook them before adding them to the soup.
Pro Tips
- Chicken sausage is leaner than pork sausage, so I like to use that!
- Be sure to let the sausage brown in the pot before cooking. The browned bits that form on the bottom of the pot add a fantastic savory flavor to the soup!
- I recommend picking off any large stems from the kale before adding them to the soup. They can be tough and don't soften too much while cooking so I pick the leaves off of them before adding to the pot!
- I also like to tear the larger leaves of fresh kale into smaller pieces so they're easier to eat, even once cooked!
Storing & Serving
- STORING: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze it for up to 3 months! This makes a great meal prep recipe because it freezes so well.
- SERVING: This white bean kale soup is fantastic on its own but is great when served with a piece of crusty Italian bread or whole grain crackers! I also love sprinkling some extra grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes on top.
Recipe FAQ
Absolutely. This is one of my favorite meal prep recipes because it stores so well! Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 months in the freezer (or up to 5 days in the fridge).
Nope! I would follow the steps below, just in a normal pot. When it comes to cooking, simmer the soup for ~15 minutes and then add the kale. Cook for another 10 minutes or so, and that's it!
Whatever you want! I have to admit this soup is very filling on it's own, however a piece of crusty bread or some crackers go well with it.
As long as you make sure the sausage you use is gluten-free, yes! There should be no gluten in this recipe outside of the sausage.
I would first make sure the valve is completely sealed so no air can get out (check to make sure it's on the "Sealed" text). Once the valve is completely closed, it takes 10-15 minutes for the pressure to build up before the timer starts. If you're still having issues, I would check the user manual for your specific pressure cooker!
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PrintChicken Sausage and Kale Soup Recipe
Chicken sausage and kale soup is the perfect healthy soup recipe to make on a cold winter night. It's an easy and nutrient-dense recipe that comes together in minutes!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 pound (485g) chicken or turkey sausage (sliced links or crumbles)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium (178g) yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic (20g), minced
- 3 large carrots (240g), peeled & chopped
- 3 stalks celery (122g), chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 5 cups (1163g) chicken broth, regular or low-sodium (or veggie broth!)
- 2-15 ounce cans (528g) white beans, drained & rinsed
- 9 cups fresh kale, chopped & stems removed
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- ½ Tablespoon red pepper flakes, optional
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot for "Sautee" and wait ~1 minute to heat. Add sausage and brown (6-7 minutes).
- Add olive oil, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and seasonings and stir. Sautee for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently until veggies are soft and tender.
- Add broth and beans. Lock lid and close pressure valve.
- Set settings to "Pressure Cook" and timer to 3 minutes (these 3 minutes will start once pressure is reached, which takes ~10-15 minutes).
- When done, press "Cancel" and release pressure from valve.
- Once pressure is release and valve drops, take lid off and stir in kale and parmesan cheese.
- Let sit for 5-10 minutes and serve!
Notes
- To make on the stove:
- Brown sausage in a large pot over medium heat. Add oil, veggies, and seasonings. Sautee until soft and tender.
- Add broth and beans. Turn down heat to a simmer.
- Let cook for 1-2 hours.
- Turn heat off and stir in kale and cheese. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and serve!
- STORING: Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can freeze it for up to 3 months! This makes a great meal prep recipe because it freezes so well.
- SERVING: This white bean kale soup is fantastic on its own but is great when served with a piece of crusty Italian bread or whole grain crackers! I also love sprinkling some extra grated parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes on top.
- You can use any sort of broth in this recipe: chicken broth, beef broth, vegetable broth, bone broth, etc.
- I like using an Italian sausage (made from chicken) in this recipe but any flavor would be good! You can also use a traditional pork sausage.
- Any dark leafy green will work in this recipe in lieu of kale! Spinach, escarole, swiss chard, etc.
- Dried beans can be used instead of canned, just be sure to rehydrate and cook them before adding them to the soup.
- Chicken sausage is leaner than pork sausage, so I like to use that!
- Be sure to let the sausage brown in the pot before cooking. The browned bits that form on the bottom of the pot add a fantastic savory flavor to the soup!
- I recommend picking off any large stems from the kale before adding them to the soup. They can be tough and don't soften too much while cooking so I pick the leaves off of them before adding to the pot!
- I also like to tear the larger leaves of fresh kale into smaller pieces so they're easier to eat, even once cooked!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 399
- Sugar: 8
- Sodium: 1022
- Fat: 9
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 29
- Fiber: 10
- Protein: 29
- Cholesterol: 79
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