Busy Day Kielbasa Potato Soup
For when you're short on time, but don't want to be short on flavor.
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There are some soups that seem to take a whole day of simmering to develop substantial flavor. But not this one. This one takes just about thirty minutes from start to finish but is every bit as hearty and flavorful as you could hope for. It’s perfect for a busy day – the kind of soup you throw on when you don’t have a lot of time but you still need some quick comfort to fill you up.
It’s a flavorful soup, with plenty of veggies, a rich, tomatoey broth, and an undercurrent of smoky flavor from the kielbasa. It starts with onions and carrots and celery that hang out in the pot just until they’ve softened before some garlic follows them in.
Kielbasa and green cabbage go in next and cook long enough for the sausage to take on some color and the cabbage to soften into a sweeter flavor. Then the broth goes in, along with crushed tomatoes and a few spices – a bay leaf, some dried thyme, a full tablespoon of paprika…
No, that’s not a typo. It seems like an awful lot of paprika, but it fits right in with the kielbasa and cabbage. Depending on the type of paprika you use, it adds a sweet/spicy/smoky depth to the soup which helps give it that long-simmered flavor. It’s easy to make – and easy to enjoy – which makes it just the kind of dish to turn to on your busiest of days.
Kielbasa Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 medium head green cabbage, cored and sliced
- 2 (13 oz) packages kielbasa sausage, sliced
- 6-8 cups chicken broth
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound red potatoes, cubed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving
Preparation
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sausage and cabbage and cook 4 minutes more.
- Add broth (using the full 8 cups if you'd like a more liquid consistency), tomatoes, potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and paprika. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from From a Chef's Kitchen.