Sausage, Potato, and Swiss Chard Soup Recipe

When the temperatures start to dip, I become a little soup-obsessed. And this Sausage, Potato, and Swiss Chard Soup is one of my favorites. It’s simple, comes together quickly, and is incredibly flavorful. Plus, it’s a great way to enjoy one of my favorite fall greens: Swiss chard!

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The information in this post is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is always best to work with a qualified healthcare professional before incorporating herbs into your diet.

Potato, Sausage, & Swiss Chard Soup

This recipe is sort of a riff on the popular potato, sausage, and kale soup—aka the Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden. I made a few changes that simplify things a bit and also cater to my own personal preferences. 

First, I like to use precooked Italian chicken sausage because it’s what I keep stocked in my freezer. I most often snag the Sabatino’s Paleo Organic Sweet Basil Chicken Sausage from Costco. I love being able to just slice up the sausage and add it in with the potato, skipping the step of having to cook the sausage first. 

Next, I use Swiss chard as the greens in this soup. You can absolutely use any greens you prefer but I love Swiss chard the best. It’s milder and more tender than kale while still being an absolute nutritional powerhouse. I also prefer it over spinach because it seems to hold up better in a soup. Spinach often seems to break down and get almost mushy in soup, which is not my favorite. But, again, feel free to add whatever leafy green veg your heart desires. 

In addition to the above swaps, I skip the cream altogether. I always freeze about half of the soup I make and cream soups just don’t freeze well. Plus, I don’t think it needs it and it’s one less ingredient I have to worry about when making the soup. But if you wanted to add a bit of cream, milk, or non-dairy milk alternative to make this a creamy soup, I fully support it. Stir it in along with the Swiss chard.

The herbs I use in this recipe are my go-tos: thyme and rosemary. You’ll be hard pressed to find a soup recipe of mine that doesn’t call for thyme. I haven’t found a soup it doesn’t work with yet. And you can’t go wrong pairing rosemary and potato. 

A yellow onion, plenty of garlic, and a good quality chicken stock or broth (channel your inner Ina Garten here) round out the flavor of this soup. 

Why This Soup Is Nourishing AF

This soup may be pretty simple but it’s also packing some seriously nutrient-dense ingredients.

Chicken Stock/Bone Broth

A good-quality chicken stock or broth is a super nourishing base all on its own. Chicken stock or bone broths are both great sources of protein, vitamins, and minerals. And if you really want to a good source of collagen, bone broth is a great source.

What’s the difference between chicken stock and bone broth? Both are made using bones. But bone broth is made using specific bones that have lots of connective tissue and is cooked for much longer—up to 48 hours. Stock, on the other hand, is made using other types of bones and usually only cooked for 1-6 hours. Both are nourishing options, though. 

Potatoes

Potatoes often get a bad rap but they offer plenty of health benefits. They’re a good source of fiber, high in vitamin C, and a great source of potassium. They’re also just plain delicious and make this soup so comforting and satisfying. 

Swiss Chard

Like all dark leafy greens, Swiss chard is a good source of a number of vitamins and minerals. It’s particularly high in vitamin K (477% per cup, cooked), which is a key nutrient for blood clotting and bone health. It’s also a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, and potassium, along with a slew of other nutrients. 

Cooking greens like Swiss chard also helps make them much easier to digest, meaning you’re more likely to actually benefit from all of those nutritional benefits. 

Thyme

A common culinary herb, thyme has some impressive health benefits, too. Thyme can be helpfin in fighting infections, particularly in the lungs and digestion. It helps to promote healthy digestive function and can help soothe coughing spasms and a sore throat. 

Read all about the health benefits of thyme here!

Rosemary

Rosemary is a warming herb that helps support liver health and healthy digestive function. It stimulates circulation, which can help alleviate pain. It’s also a great restorative herb that can help in recovering from long-term stress or illness. 

Aromatics (Onion and Garlic)

I never skimp on the aromatics when making soup. Not only do onion and garlic make the soup taste delicious, but they’re also helpful in supporting the body’s immune function. Garlic, in particular, has great antifungal and antibacterial properties. Plus, they’re a good source of prebiotics, which help support a healthy microbiome in your gut. 

Making Sausage, Potato, & Swiss Chard Soup

One of the main reasons I love making soup is because it’s fairly low effort. Chop some vegetables, saute for a bit, then let everything cook together until delicious and ready to serve. 

I like to make sure my soup ingredients are cut to actual bite-size. Too-chunky soup bums me out because I like to be able to get as many ingredients in each bite as possible. I also don’t mind chopping. It’s almost meditative to me. But feel free to dice the vegetables however you like. Just make sure potatoes are cut to roughly the same size so they cook at the same rate. 

First, prep all the vegetables. Dice the onion and potato. Roughly chop the Swiss chard so there aren’t any long, stringy pieces or large chunks. Then mince the garlic. 

Fun fact: Mincing or crushing garlic triggers the release of allicin, which is the organic compound that activates garlic’s antifungal and antimicrobial benefits. Allowing minced garlic to sit for 5-10 minutes before cooking gives this process a chance to unlock those health benefits.

I like to halve the sausages length-wise and then slice them to make them easier to eat. Again, I’m very pro bite-size pieces. 

Once you’ve prepped your ingredients, the “hard part” is over. 

To make the soup, you’ll saute the onions in a bit of avocado oil or ghee over medium heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and turn translucent. 

Next, add in the garlic and herbs, stir, and let cook for 30 seconds or so until they’re fragrant. 

Stir in the chicken sausage, potatoes, chicken stock, and salt, and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes, until the potatoes are just about tender. 

Stir in the chopped Swiss chard and simmer for another 5 minutes or so until wilted and bright green. Taste and adjust seasonings and you’re ready to serve! 

The leftovers store well in the fridge for 3-4 days. I also always freeze my leftovers because I love few things more than having soup in my freezer ready to go. 

To me, this soup proves that sometimes simple food is the best. This soup perfectly captures what I love about seasonal eating and soup season. 

If you’re looking for another nourishing, comforting soup that’s veggie-based, check out this Spiced Red Lentil Soup Recipe.