Kielbasa Potato Soup
This Kielbasa Potato Soup is a hearty one-pot meal featuring smoky sausage, tender potatoes, and a rich, creamy cheddar broth. It's a comforting and practical weeknight dinner that comes together in about 40 minutes.
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Slotted spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 300 g kielbasa sausage, cut into bite-size pieces (10.5 oz)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 750 g potatoes, peeled and cubed (1 1/2 lb)
- 1.25 litres chicken stock (5 cups)
- 300 ml full-fat milk (1 1/4)
- 100 g cheddar cheese, grated (3.5 oz)
- 30 g fresh parsley, roughly chopped (1/2 cup)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, then cook the kielbasa for 4 to 5 minutes until the edges brown and crisp slightly. The sausage should sizzle steadily and smell smoky, and a little rendered fat should be left in the pot.
- Lift the kielbasa out with a slotted spoon and add the onion, carrot, and celery to the pot, then cook for 5 minutes. The vegetables should look softened and glossy, not browned hard, as they pick up flavor from the sausage drippings.
- Stir in the garlic and red chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute more. You should smell the garlic as soon as it hits the heat, and the mixture should stay fragrant without scorching.
- Add the potatoes and chicken stock, bring the soup up to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to a simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. The potatoes are ready when a fork slides in easily but the cubes still hold their shape.
- Mix a ladle of the hot soup with the milk in a measuring jug or bowl, then pour that tempered mixture back into the pot and return the kielbasa to the soup. This step warms the milk gently so it blends in more smoothly instead of hitting the hot soup cold.
- Add the cheddar and stir over low heat until it has fully melted into the broth. The soup should look creamy and unified, and this is the point where boiling can make the dairy split.
- Simmer the soup gently for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving. It is ready when the broth lightly coats the back of a spoon and the parsley brightens the whole pot.
Notes
Smooth Broth Tip: For the silkiest texture, use freshly grated cheddar from a block. Pre-shredded cheese has coatings that can make the soup grainy. Also, keep the soup at a gentle simmer, not a boil, after adding milk and cheese to prevent curdling.
Storage: Allow the soup to cool, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Freezing: For the best texture, freeze the soup base (broth, vegetables, and kielbasa) before adding the dairy. When ready to serve, thaw the base, warm it to a simmer, then add the tempered milk and cheese.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.