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This kielbasa soup recipe is loaded with plenty of sausage, vegetables, and potatoes. It’s a hearty and filling soup that has a richly seasoned broth with pantry ingredients!
Try my Cabbage Soup with Bacon and Potatoes or Sautéed Cabbage and Kielbasa next.
Why you’ll love it
This easy kielbasa soup has all the elements of a good Polish soup. Flavorful sausage, an irresistible broth infused with smoked paprika, and ribbons of tender cabbage make this a comforting cold-weather meal! It’s budget friendly and really simple to make.
You know I’m a fan of creamy soups, but this broth-based kielbasa and potato soup just hits the spot as the weather gets cooler. It’s an effortless way to pack in the vegetables as well! There’s plenty of hands-off time letting it simmer, and it’s fairly quick to prep.
What you’ll need
- Butter and olive oil – for sautéing
- Onion, celery, and garlic – our base aromatics. I like sweet onions (Vidalia, Walla Walla, etc.)
- Kielbasa – it’s often sold in grocery stores labeled as “smoked Polish sausage” or just “kielbasa”. “Kielbasa” actually means “sausage” in Polish!
- Cabbage – we’re using green cabbage
- Smoked paprika – it’s a staple in central European cooking to add tons of warm, savory goodness
- Italian seasoning – this tasty blend of dried herbs comes in a single jar
- Potatoes and carrots – Russets are my go-to variety in soups for that rustic texture
- Chicken broth – to add another layer of flavor
- Spinach – for a burst of freshness
Helpful tips
- I prep the carrots and potatoes during the cooking stage in step 1.
- It’s up to you if you want to peel the potatoes — I don’t bother.
- I like to mash some of the potatoes right in the pot to give this soup a little more texture/body. I like to use this trick in all sorts of soups that have potatoes.
How to make kielbasa soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Heat up the oil and butter in a large pot. Sauté the sausage, onion, celery, and cabbage until softened. Stir in the garlic, paprika, and Italian herbs, followed by the potatoes and carrots.
Pour in the chicken broth and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add in the spinach, and season with salt & pepper.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I love cooking with cast iron. Here’s my Dutch oven pictured.
- Grab one of these sturdy ladles to easily dish it up.
- Chop up the veggies with a sharp chef’s knife on my fave cutting board.
Substitutions and variations
- Smoked Ukrainian or Hungarian sausage would work in this soup if you can’t find kielbasa.
- You could definitely make this soup without spinach if you’re not a fan, or add in any vegetables in your fridge that need using up!
- You can use a different variety of potatoes if you wish.
What to serve with kielbasa soup
- It’s a hearty and filling soup that eats like a meal, so just round it out with some bread! I recommend a slice of rye bread or sourdough.
- Complement it with a salad. My Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad is a good option, or try this Creamy Cucumber Salad or Beet and Spinach Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- This kielbasa potato soup is one of those “tastes better the next day” kinda soups, so it makes great leftovers. Store for 4-5 days in the fridge in a covered container.
- Reheat over a low heat on the stove until warmed through.
- You can freeze it for up to 3 months, but if freezing the bulk of it, I’d wait to add the spinach until after thawing.
If you made this kielbasa and cabbage soup, I would love to hear from you in the comments below! You can always tag me on Instagram with any S&L creations too.
Kielbasa Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 13 ounces kielbasa (smoked Polish sausage) see note
- 2 sticks celery chopped small
- 2 cups green cabbage chopped small
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 Russet potatoes scrubbed & diced (peel if you want to)
- 2 medium carrots peeled & sliced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter and oil in a soup pot/Dutch oven, then add in the onion, sausage, celery, and cabbage. Sauté over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or so.
- Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning, then add the potatoes and carrots to the pot.
- Add the chicken broth and water. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat so it's simmering. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots can easily be pierced with a knife.
- I like to take a potato masher and quickly mash some of the potatoes to give the soup a slightly thicker texture (I just do this right in the pot). This step is optional.
- Add in the spinach and season the soup with salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- I bought a coil of kielbasa sausage that weighed 13 oz./375 g. Feel free to use anything similar weight-wise.
- Kielbasa sausage shouldn’t be too greasy, so you shouldn’t have to drain any fat. If you use a different kind of sausage, however, you may need to use your discretion and drain some of the fat if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on September 13, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
I have the soup on the stove right now, and it smells wonderful. Question – why the 2 cups of water instead of 2 additional cups of broth?
Because it may be too salty for some if you use 4 cups broth, but you can if you like. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the soup!
Best soup ever….my family loves this soup. Thank you
You’re welcome!
Hi am a complete novice but would love to try this, Masurian Sausage available in my local (UK) supermarket, is this the same as ‘Kielbasa’.
Also not a great cabbage lover, is there anything else, could replace it with?
Can I just check what ‘IP’ is an abbreviation for?
Thanks
Hi Ron! I think Masurian sausage should be fine. I live in Canada and honestly have no idea if it’s the same as Kielbasa as I’ve never encountered it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. 🙂 I’ve only ever tested this recipe as written, but you could probably increase the other veggies or add in others that appeal to you and leave out the cabbage. Or perhaps add another potato. For the “IP” abbreviation are you asking about Mark’s comment below? He would be talking about the Instant Pot (a brand of electric pressure cookers). Hope you enjoy the soup!
Loved it….i added some fresh herbs from my garden… basil and Cuban oregano. and 1 small minced jalapeno (I’m a spicy gal)… flavors were complex and satisfying
That’s great to hear! I love the jalapeno idea! Thanks, Carol.
I did this with Masurian sausages. Fabulous taste, 18 mins in IP as I didn’t cook potatoes beforehand as previous commenter did. Probably butchered your recipe a bit, as thinking of poor Polish country folk and their likely diet I chucked in some Parsnips, Swede and Polish mustard, trying for authenticity! Bang on. Ps, if you wanted a thicker version throw some Pearl Barley in.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Mark!! 😀
I made this in my instant pot, added entire small cabbage cut up, small can great northern beans, rinsed, 4 diced potatoes, cooked separate on stove, I always cook potatoes separate when making for soups with a pinch of oregano, have done this for decades
Sautéed cabbage carrots, onion, smoked sausage, then added the spices with garlic paste, sautéed another minute, added broth & water, pressed 15 minutes, NR,10 ,came out great, Mr really liked it, making again with Ham, PS, I sprinkled dill weed when serving, i use dill weed a lot. Next your dill pickle soup.
Thanks. Great recipe. I subscribed 🙂
Excellent! 😀 Thanks for the IP tips and for subscribing!
I did like the soup, added 2 medium sized Russet potatoes but even after mashing them a bit, felt it was too thin. I think next time will only add 1 cup or water and see how that goes. Has a very good flavor.
Hi! Yes, it’s definitely not a thick soup… more brothy for sure. You could absolutely try adding less liquid and mashing the potatoes as you suggest. Glad you enjoyed the flavor! 🙂
Wow! Five stars! Thank you so much for this delicious inspiration! I may have added more Kielbasa and spinach than your recipe called for…but wow! SOOOO good!
You’re very welcome!
This is SO good and flavorful! Perfect for a cold night. Made as is except I forgot to add the spinach at the end. Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it, Aly!! Thanks for taking the time to write me a review! 😀
Just thought you should know the recipe never calls out when to add the kielbasa:)
Hi! Step 1 (along with the onion, celery, and cabbage), and it never leaves the pot. 🙂