Creamy Kielbasa Potato Soup (One Pot)

A bowl of creamy soup with sausage slices, potato chunks, herbs, and a piece of toasted bread, garnished with chopped parsley and black pepper.

Creamy Kielbasa Potato Soup (One Pot)

Creamy kielbasa potato soup is a one-pot dinner made with browned smoked Polish sausage, tender Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, and celery in a creamy broth. Serve it with crusty bread or my garlic butter dinner rolls. Make it on the stovetop, in an Instant Pot, or in a Slow Cooker.

Course Soup

Cuisine American, Polish

Keyword creamy kielbasa soup, kielbasa potato soup, Polish sausage soup, smoked sausage potato soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 55

Servings

Calories 746kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

Soup

14 oz smoked kielbasa (400 g) sliced into ¼-inch rounds
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil use high-smoke-point olive oil or canola
1 medium yellow onion diced
2 medium celery stalks diced
2 medium carrots diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups chicken stock (1.2 L)
1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (450 g) peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
1 large bay leaf
½ cup heavy cream (120 ml)
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
Salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
chili flakes
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Brown the kielbasa. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sliced kielbasa and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and lightly caramelized. Transfer to a plate and reserve a small portion for garnish.
Cook the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, paprika, and dried parsley and cook one more minute, until fragrant.
Make the base. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock until smooth. Add the potatoes and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Thicken the soup. Remove the bay leaf. Using a potato masher, gently mash some of the potatoes directly in the pot, leaving plenty of chunks intact. This creates a naturally creamy texture while keeping the soup hearty.
Assemble. Return the browned kielbasa to the pot (don't use the reserved slices). Stir in the heavy cream and whole-grain mustard. Cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until heated through, about 185°F (85°C). Taste and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and chili flakes.
Serve. Ladle into bowls. Top each serving with the reserved browned kielbasa, chopped fresh parsley, and a generous sprinkle of cracked black pepper. Serve hot with slices of rustic crusty bread on the side for dipping.

Notes

I provide step-by-step photos below this recipe card if you need a visual guide.
Kielbasa: Use smoked kielbasa, not fresh Polish sausage. Andouille, smoked turkey kielbasa, or smoked beef sausage all work.
Potatoes: Yukon Gold, red, or yellow potatoes hold their shape and mash into a silky texture. I don't recommend russets, which are too starchy and break down.
Season at the very end: Smoked sausage and chicken stock are both salty. Taste after you add the cream, then adjust.
Gluten-free: Skip the flour and mash a few extra potatoes to thicken.
Dairy-free: Swap the butter for olive oil and the heavy cream for full-fat canned coconut milk.
How do I make it thicker? Mash more potatoes. That is the simplest fix. You can also stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch whisked with 2 tablespoons cold water, then simmer for 2 minutes.
Why did my soup separate? The cream was too hot. Heavy cream can break if you boil it, especially in a soup with mustard. Keep the pot below a simmer once you add the cream.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat over medium-low heat so the cream doesn't separate. The soup thickens as it chills, so add a splash of stock when you reheat.
Freezing: Freeze without the cream and stir it in after reheating. Portion the soup into zip-top bags, press out the air, and freeze them flat on a sheet pan. Once solid, they stack like files, which saves a shocking amount of freezer space.

How to Make It in a Slow Cooker:

Brown the kielbasa and sauté the vegetables in a skillet first. Remove the kielbasa to a plate.
Slow Cook: Transfer everything except the browned kielbasa slices, cream, and mustard to the slow cooker with the stock, potatoes, and bay leaf. Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.
Add the remaining ingredients: Remove the bay leaf. Mash some potatoes, then stir in the cream, mustard, and ⅔ of the kielbasa slices during the last 20 minutes.
When serving, garnish with the reserved ⅓ of kielbasa slices.

How to Make It in an Instant Pot:

Brown the kielbasa on Sauté, remove and reserve.
Cook the vegetables and stir in the flour on Sauté.
Turn Sauté off, whisk in the stock, and scrape the bottom clean to avoid a burn notice.
Pressure cook: Add the potatoes and bay leaf, seal, and pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes with a quick release.
Add the remaining ingredients: Remove the bay leaf, mash some of the potatoes, then stir in ⅔ of the kielbasa slices, cream, and mustard with the pot on Keep Warm.
When serving, garnish with the reserved ⅓ of kielbasa slices.

Nutrition