Colorado fingerling potatoes bring a tender sweet element to this sausage potato soup. Seasoned with rosemary and thickened with half and half makes this a savory delight. An easy flavorful soup recipe that your family will love.
This fingerling potato and sausage soup has definitely earned its merits as one of our very favorite comfort food Soup Recipes. What makes it so good? The broth becomes irresistible by taking on seasonings from the Italian sausage. And is rich and buttery by adding half and half.
Sprinkling the meat with a little flour before adding the broth, thickens the soup to a “just right” consistency.
And, icing on the cake … it’s an easy soup to make.
And, this year’s Colorado harvest of tiny fingerling and new potatoes have given us some of the sweetest and most flavorful I can remember. With so many stellar ingredients, the potatoes become the star of this recipe. Every year, I make this Italian sausage potato soup.
What Are Fingerling Potatoes?
Fingerling potatoes are 2 – 4 inches long; finger-shaped; red, orange, purple or white skin; red orange, purple, yellow or white flesh. And sometimes streaked with veins of color. They have a waxy firm texture and can be used for pan frying, roasting or in salads. The flavor is referred to as nutty, buttery and earthy with a medium sugar content. Fingerling varieties are Austrian, Crescent, Banana, French, Larette, Red Thumb, Rose Finn Apple, Purple Peruvian. Source: Colorado San Luis Valley Potatoes.
So with all that said, let’s talk about how I put these sweet little fingerlings to work for this sausage and potato soup.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Half and Half
- Chicken Broth
- Italian Sausage, hot or mild.
- Onion, sweet, yellow or white
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Dried Rosemary
- Flour
- Garlic
- Bay Leaf
- Potatoes: Fingerling, or small new potatoes.
Crushing Dried Herbs: You’ll get more flavor out of dried herbs if you crush them before adding to recipes. First measure the herbs in a measuring spoon, then empty the spoon into your hand. Crush the dried herbs with the fingers of your other hand to release the herb’s flavor. Then add it to the recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Potatoes: Fresh locally grown fingerling potatoes are sweet, tender and absolutely divine. If you can’t find fingerling, small potatoes, or new potatoes are an excellent choice. Larger Yukon gold potatoes, cut into cubes is also a great substitution. Save those starchy russet potatoes to make mashed or baked potatoes. Russets won’t hold up as well in a long simmer soup.
- Half and Half: By all means substitute cream to make it even more that luscious.
- Substitute Fresh Rosemary for dried.
- Flour: Make this a gluten free sausage potato soup by using gluten free flour.
- Italian Sausage: To lighten things up, substitute a good quality Chicken Italian Sausage for the traditional pork variety.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy
- Step 1: Brown sausage in a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. When it is starting to brown, add onion and cook until they are wilted and transparent; add garlic and cook for one minute longer, stirring frequently.
- Step 2: Sprinkle flour over the top of the sausage mixture and quickly stir in. At this point the mixture will be very dry in appearance.
- Step 3: While stirring, slowly add the chicken broth; stir until it comes to a boil.
- Step 4: Add the potatoes, bay leaf, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil before reducing the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, approximately 30-40 minutes.
- Sep 5: Add the half and half and salt and pepper. Simmer on low for an additional 10 minutes. If using fresh rosemary, remove the stem and remove the bay leaf. Serve piping hot.
Tip: Make sure that the soup is simmering on low heat. Too high of heat can cause the half and half to separate. No need to worry if using heavy cream, the fat content in cream is more friendly to heat.
Variations:
- I make this sausage potato soup often and many times add a fist full of spinach leaves just before serving. No need to add any additional cooking time. The hot soup will wilt the spinach almost immediately.
- During Colorado sweet corn season, I’ve also added kernels of fresh corn that’s been freshly cut from the cob. Corn is a great partner for potatoes.
- I’ve been known to swirl in a heaping tablespoon of sour cream at the end of the cooking time. It adds a little layer of tangy goodness.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- This soup will also freeze well for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then gently reheat on low heat stovetop. Heating the soup over too high of heat may cause the half and half to separate.
With all that said, grab some potatoes and give this recipe a try. This is one of our favorite Italian Sausage Soup Recipes.
More Soup Recipes You Might Like
And if you love soup as much as we do, don’t miss my Soup Category. You’ll find lots of great soup, chili and stew recipes including the most popular recipe on my site for Chicken Noodle Soup.
Creamy Sausage Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage mild or hot
- 1 small sweet onion peeled, both ends removed and sliced into thin strips end to end
- 1 large clove garlic crushed
- 2 Tablespoons All-purpose flour or gluten free flour
- 2 1/2 Cups Chicken broth
- 1 pound fingerling potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or one sprig fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 Cups Half and half or heavy cream
Instructions
- Brown sausage in a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. When it is starting to brown, add onion and cook until they are wilted and transparent; add garlic and cook for one minute longer, stirring frequently.
- Sprinkle flour over the top of the sausage mixture and quickly stir in. At this point the mixture will be very dry in appearance.
- While stirring, slowly add the chicken broth; stir until it comes to a boil. Add the potatoes, bay leaf, rosemary, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil before reducing the heat to low.
- Cover and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, approximately 30-40 minutes. Add the half and half and salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the rosemary stem and bay leaf. Taste to see if more salt is needed and serve piping hot
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- This soup will also freeze well for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then gently reheat on low heat stovetop. Heating the soup over too high of heat may cause the half and half to separate.
- I make this soup often and many times add a fist full of spinach leaves just before serving. No need to add any additional cooking time. The hot soup will wilt the spinach almost immediately.
- During Colorado sweet corn season, I’ve also added kernels of fresh corn that’s been freshly cut from the cob. Sweet corn is a great partner for potatoes.
- Use gluten free flour to make this a gluten free soup.
Nutrition
Creamy Sausage Potato Soup (Italian Potato Soup) …It’s What’s for Dinner.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
I love those little fingerling potatoes. This soup reminds me of the copykat recipe I use from Olive Garden (zupa toscana). It’s delish!
I think I’ve got that Zuppa Toscana recipe in my database.
That soup sounds right up my alley with the italian sausage and potatoes. Did not realize you guys were such potato producers over there, interesting to know.
Simple and delicious. I’m an Italian Sausage fan … so this is one of my favorite soups.
Great looking soup. So perfect for that cold weather that you must be having these days.
Thanks Greg. Definitely soup weather in Colorado; 🙂
that sounds like a yummy soup. I just got some potato seeds and will attemp to grow my own potatos. They should be ready in April or May.
You know who is playing next week. Is Elway coming to the Bay Area?. I would love to meet him, Not!
You are too funny! Not! 😉
I grew potatoes when I lived in Kansas. They were really delicious. The soil was pretty sandy. Wonder if that helped? I’d have to Google it and read about it. Thanks for stopping by ChiliB
I find potatoes to be one of my ultimate comfort foods. This soup looks incredibly tasty! My fingers are frozen right now after just being outside and I could use a big bowl of this!
I couldn’t agree more Joanne.
What an interesting story about the potato farming and how it started! Our biggest crop is Wisconsin Russet potatoes – aka Idaho potatoes.
This soup sounds delicious and one my sausage-loving husband would love.
Its a cinch to make too Susan. As always thanks for stopping by and the commnet.
Perfect soup for the time of year especially! I also love how she added the flour to the meat to thicken the soup! Such a comforting meal!!! We’re expecting snow here in NJ this weekend…SNOW!?!? May have to whip this up!!!
We still have snow on the ground from our Wednesday adventure. Winter is here and so is soup season. 🙂
Soup looks divine. Soulful and comforting.
Stay warm.
Velva
I am staying warm and cozy Velva. 🙂
I have been on such a soup kick lately but most of them have been meatless. Now I’m anxious to find some good sausage and try my hand at this, sounds fabulous.
I love all soups Barb, meatless works too. Thanks for stopping by.
Lea Ann, do you think it would be to late to go up to Pete’s one more time? I would really love that, especially since my farmers market has already closed for the year.
The fingerling potatoes and the corn you recommended were delicious!
This sounds like the perfect soup for today. Wish I had the ingredients on hand.
Great picture!
I’d love to make another trip Kirsten. I suppose there are a few things left. Thanks for the compliment on the photo. I thought it needed a little work … don’t like the shadow in the bowl, no utensil …. 🙂
I so glad you liked this soup as much as I do. I loved your story. So interesting. I wish I had a crisper full of these potatoes. We’d have a pot of this on the stove right now.
That has become one of my favorite soups Karen. Your version is so much better than the recipe I had. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I am catching up on your posts…was away and missed a bunch. This soup is perfect for today…gloomy, rainy and chilly. After coming back from florida I need this.
Coming from Florida to cold and rainy???? You definitely need this soup. Thanks for stopping by and the comment.
Mmmm…potatoes and sausage in a soup. Sounds like heaven to me!
I could not agree more Heather. 🙂
I love those little potatoes when I see them in the market. Love your soup with the potatoes and sausage and you know I think rosemary makes everything better. (Maybe they should have named me Rosemary?)
Going to Pete’s to get vegetables would make everything even more enjoyable.
Sam
I look forward to that trip to Pete’s all year long. It’s a wonderful adventure and I come home with my trunk packed. I agree about Rosemary making everything better Sam. Especially good on potato dishes.
What a great combo – sausage and potatoes in any form. The soup sounds delicious and when you can get new potatoes with their extra sweetness it’s even better. I have read Centennial and appreciate the added info – I’m a history and geography buff. It’s always nice to be able to buy directly from the farmer to get very fresh produce and find out just what you are eating. Pimento peppers are a favorite of mine for grilling – thick flesh and very sweet. I grow the heart shapped variety vs the sheepnose in your photo, but I think they taste pretty much the same.
I have never in my life seen a pimento pepper until I went to Pete’s. And those were good. I ended up roasting them last year for your pimento cheese spread. I didn’t read Centennial, but did watch the mini series. I love going out east and imagining what it must have been like for those first folks seeing our majestic mountains for the first time. As always thanks for the comment Larry.
I have enjoyed catching up on your posts that I missed while traveling in Europe. This soup sounds delicious as well as the brownies. Can’t wait to try them.
And I’ve been following that trip Karen. Even though I didn’t always have time to comment. Welcome back.
YUM! This recipe is right up my alley. I have a bag of little potatoes in the pantry, I’m a fiend for Italian sausage, and it is soup weather! Love all the farming history in Colorado – you are so good to research these things. And those photos of the market are yummy. I am smitten with all things pepper and those basketfulls are beautiful. Glad you shot the roaster, too. I was describing this process to Dana and now I can show him what the roaster looks like.
You’re gonna love this soup Vickie. I too am a fiend for Italian sausage. You drove right by the area when you took that 470 bypass. We should have met out there and did a little vegetable shopping.