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Sausage and Ham Soup

Sausage and ham soup with smoky kielbasa and diced ham simmered until the potatoes turn fork-tender. Finished with heavy cream for a rich, savory broth and wilted greens.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Base
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 oz kielbasa sausage
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 3 cloves garlic
Soup
  • 6 cup chicken broth
  • 2 cup diced ham
  • 3 cup diced Yukon gold potatoes
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
Finish
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cup fresh spinach or kale
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the kielbasa
  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Add the kielbasa and cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes, then remove and set aside.
Sauté the vegetables
  1. In the same pot, add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until softened, about 6-7 minutes, stirring as needed to prevent scorching.
Bloom the garlic
  1. Add the garlic to the pot. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, keeping it from browning too much.
Simmer the soup
  1. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Stir in the diced ham, diced Yukon gold potatoes, dried thyme, smoked paprika, black pepper, and bay leaves.
Cook until potatoes are fork-tender
  1. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer. Cook for 15-18 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender, with steady bubbling but not a hard boil.
Make it creamy
  1. Return the browned kielbasa to the pot and stir to combine. Add the heavy cream and mix until the broth looks uniformly creamy.
Wilt the greens
  1. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and discard them.
Serve
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh parsley. Serve hot so the greens stay tender and bright.

Notes

For the best flavor, scrape the browned bits thoroughly when you add the chicken broth—this builds the savory base. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3-4 days; rewarm gently to avoid separating the cream. Freezing is not recommended because the heavy cream can change texture when thawed. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a similar richness with less fat.