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This Italian sausage and sweet potato soup recipe is hearty and so simple to make! It has melt-in-your-mouth vegetables, flavorful sausage, and an irresistible broth.
You may also like my Creamy Sweet Potato Soup or this Turkey Sweet Potato Chili.
Why you’ll love it
This Italian sausage soup is really easy to throw together with very few ingredients. We’ve got a garlic-infused broth with bell peppers and celery, and the tender sweet potatoes are just what I crave on a chilly day. It’s ready in under an hour and always hits the spot!
This soup makes yummy leftovers, and it’s the kind of meal that works great as something you’d take to work for lunch. It’s just really satisfying! Most of the cooking time is hands off, so a piping hot bowl of this sausage soup with sweet potatoes is on the table fast.
What you’ll need
- Italian sausage – I chose mild
- Onion and garlic – I like sweet (Vidalia) onions
- Chicken broth – for another layer of savory taste
- Vegetables – I chose the trio of sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, and celery for color, texture, and plenty of flavor
Pro tip
The quantity of Italian sausage or sweet potatoes listed doesn’t have to be exactly adhered to. Anything in the general ballpark works in this versatile soup!
How to make sausage sweet potato soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot, sauté the Italian sausage, breaking it up with your spoon as you go along, until browned. Add in the garlic and onion, and continue cooking until softened. Drain out any excess fat.
Stir in the broth, water, bell pepper, celery, and sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil, then cover with the lid slightly open and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft. Taste and season with salt & pepper.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I really like this sturdy ladle. It spills less than others I’ve tried.
- This is the Dutch oven I use for many of my soup recipes.
- A sharp chef’s knife comes in handy for chopping the sweet potatoes.
Substitutions and variations
- This soup is very forgiving — you can definitely add more veggies or swap out ones you don’t like. I love the combo of sausage and bell peppers, though, so I’d definitely keep those in. Adding a bit of spinach or kale towards the end would be delicious too.
- Want to add some spice to this soup? Use hot Italian sausage and/or add some red pepper flakes to spice it up.
- You could sub for another kind of sausage if you don’t like Italian. Even something like turkey sausage or kielbasa (Polish smoked sausage) would work.
What to serve with this soup
- This soup eats like a meal, but you could definitely kick it up a notch by serving it with some Garlic Bread or a nice crusty sourdough!
- For a salad pairing, try spring mix and fresh vegetables with my bright Creamy Pesto Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat on the stove or microwave until warmed through.
- You can freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
If you made this sweet potato sausage soup, please leave a star rating and review below! I hope you like it as much as I do. Tag me on Instagram with your S&L creations.
Sausage and Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Italian sausage
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 1.5 pounds sweet potatoes peeled & diced
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a soup pot, cook the sausage meat over medium-high heat, breaking it up with your spoon as you go along, for 5-6 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pot and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. If there's a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out.
- Stir in the broth, water, red bell pepper, celery, and sweet potatoes. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil.
- Once it's boiling, reduce the heat so it's simmering, and cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes have softened.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Notes
- Anything in the 16 oz/1 pound ballpark will work for the sausage. Here in Canada, I buy a 5-pack of Johnsonville’s mild Italian sausages that’s 500g/17.6 oz and take the meat out of the casings.
- I used 3 smallish sweet potatoes. Since sweet potato sizes vary so much and are so subjective, it’s easiest to just use the scales at the grocery store and weigh them.
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 December 1, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Really good if you add a can of coconut milk to it.
Good idea!
I made this soup to use up some sweet potatoes and it’s one of my favorite soups ever!!! I would keep this recipe and make it again and again. I used half regular and half spicy sausage and I added kale to mine. This is an amazing recipe that I would highly recommend. It was a break from the ordinary everyday things I had been eating for dinner. Thank you!!!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jess! 🙂
Have you tried making any of your soups in crock pots? Wondering if this recipe would turn out just as good in a crock pot if I browned the sausages first and then dumped everything in the pot?
I think it should work fine! You can find all my Crockpot soups in the “Crockpot” category (just hit the “Recipes” button in the menu at the top of my site) 🙂
I have made this soup four times already adding spicy Italian sausage and spinach or kale each time and it is so delicious! Thank you for the easy recipe 🙂
Aww you’re very welcome!! So happy it’s a hit.
Added a little couscous…was delish; making it again today! Had it with TJ’s pull apart cheddar bread. We could not stop.
Wonderful!! I am so glad it was good!
OK, I have to comment which I rarely do anywhere. I haven’t had a lot of luck with internet recipes. I usually get inspiration if I need it and come up with my own creations. I follow you on IG and saw your “Creamy garlic shrimp” recipe float by and decided to try it. It was excellent, I couldn’t believe how simple and good it was. So tonight I tried this Sweet potato sausage soup recipe. It too was excellent. I had 2 big bowls!! It is rare that I don’t tweak a recipe or have it come out so well that I put it in my permanent recipe box. I’m so thrilled to have found you and your great recipes. (a rare find) Thanks for sharing your talents with the world…
Awww I am so happy to hear that!! I’m glad you found me. 🙂
I have all the ingredients except i only breakfast sausages for the sausage requirement. Could I use those? Or better to wait for italian/kielbasa?
I think that they would be fine. If they’re a super sweet maple flavor (for example), then it might be quite a sweet soup since the sweet potatoes are sweet as well… so up to you! Let me know if you make it.
This was so delicious and easy to make! It didn’t take long to prep and make and the outcome was amazing. A great addition if you’re looking for a flavorful soup for winter that’s a little more interesting than chicken noodle! Followed every instruction and added lots of red pepper flakes for an extra kick. Thank you Salt and Lavender!
I am so happy you enjoyed it, Annie! Thanks for letting me know! 😀
Did it your way except for adding spinach and 2 tsps of balsamic vinegar. Yum….
Good ideas! Glad you enjoyed the soup, Sandra! 🙂
Looks delicious. Want to try it soon.
Thank you! Let me know if you make it! 🙂
This looks so good! I make something similar but am going to try your way next time because it looks so scrumptious and simple! Thank you! 🙂
Thanks so much!!