This Slow Cooker Tuscan Sausage & Kale Soup is a hearty veggie-filled dish for cold days. Dump it in the crockpot then set it and forget it!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – any other neutral cooking oil will work.
- Garlic – use fresh or jarred minced garlic. Garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- Yellow onions – substitute with another onion like white onion, shallots or red onions.
- Carrot – use any vegetable of your choice or leave out altogether.
- Celery – use any vegetable of your choice or leave out altogether.
- Italian seasoning – use a blend of oregano, dried basil or dried parsley instead.
- Chicken broth – vegetable broth would be the best alternative here.
- Crushed tomatoes – diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, canned or fresh tomatoes will work instead.
- Chickpeas – fava beans, pinto beans or black beans would be a great alternative to chickpeas.
- Red pepper – use any vegetable of your choice or leave out altogether.
- Kale – collard greens or spinach would be a great alternative.
Turkey sausage
- Ground turkey – any ground meat like chicken or pork will work well for this recipe.
- Fennel – anise or cumin can be used as a substitute for fennel.
- Garlic powder – use ginger powder, cumin or ground coriander instead.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
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How to make this recipe
- Make the turkey sausage.
- Add everything but the red pepper and kale to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 hours.
- Stir in the red pepper and kale.
- Let sit for 3-4 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Making this soup on the stovetop
This is such a simple and delicious recipe that I've actually made a few times on the stovetop when the weather first started to get cold. To make this sausage and kale soup on the stovetop, follow these instructions:
- Sauté the sausage, onions and garlic for 5 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Simmer for 30-40 minutes on a lower temperature.
And that's it! You're ready to enjoy your delicious soup for dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tuscan sausage is typically made of ground pork with spices like basil, fennel, garlic and white wine. For this recipe, I used turkey sausage to cut down on the calories.
To make your own sausage, season a pound of ground turkey and season with some fennel seeds, garlic powder, salt and pepper. If you're feeling fancy, add some paprika! Once you've made the turkey sausage, you just add it to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients. It's that easy!
Kale is considered a superfood for good reason. It’s high in lots of nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, calcium, potassium and more. Adding it to this recipe will make your soup super delicious and provide tons of nutritional benefits.
There are 312 calories in one bowl of this hearty soup. It’s a great low-calorie meal option that’s still super filling.
Storing and reheating
This Tuscan sausage and kale soup will last in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store this recipe in individual portion sizes for easy reheating. When you're ready to enjoy your soup, reheat for 2-3 minutes in the microwave or bring to a boil on the stovetop.
Freezing this recipe
This recipe freezes beautifully! Freeze in an airtight meal prep container or a freezer bag. The leftovers will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, reheat in the microwave for 6-7 minutes or bring to a boil on the stovetop. You can also defrost it in the fridge the night before and then follow reheating instructions above. It's the perfect solution for nights when you don't feel like cooking.
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More slow cooker recipes
- Creamy Crockpot Sausage Tortellini Soup
- One Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Lentil Chili
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Dal Red Lentils
Meal prep tools for this recipe
- Get your square glass meal prep bowls here – they're so great for packing up your leftovers!
- Get your Slow Cooker here.
- And of course I get all my free-range poultry from Butcher Box.
Slow Cooker Tuscan Sausage and Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 yellow onions, diced
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 (796mL) jar crushed/strained tomatoes (passata)
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 2 cups kale, chopped
Turkey sausage
- 1 lb ground turkey (or use 4 turkey sausages instead of making your own, casings removed)
- 1 tbsp fennel
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- If using storebought sausages, remove casings and break up meat. If making your own, mix together sausage ingredients and break up. Add to slow cooker, along with rest of ingredients except for red pepper and kale.
- Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. When ready to serve, stir in red pepper and kale, then let sit for 3-4 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Scott M Riley says
So I do not have to cook the sausage or brown it first?
Taylor Stinson says
No, you can just add it in with the other ingredients and press start!
Erin says
This soup is amazing for a meal prep! We added an extra can of white beans, and some gnocchi in just for a little more substance. Amazing flavor, and great variation of veggies. I will be making again for sure! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you guys enjoyed 🙂 Thanks, Erin!
Marie says
Yum!! I think I will make this for dinner next Wednesday.
Sierra Mansini says
If using this as a meal prep idea, could i just leave in the fridge? Or would I need to freeze?
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Sierra – you could for sure store it in the fridge up to 5 days. After that, I’d freeze any remaining leftovers.
Dan says
Made this tonight. Used hot Italian sausage instead of turkey sausage. Browned the sausage before adding to pot and added red pepper and kale after 7 hours. Was delicious will make again!
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Lorraine says
Making this soup tonight for the second time, per request from my son. Everyone loves it. Thanks for sharing.
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you guys love it so much! 🙂
Gaby says
Hi! Does the nutrition information reflect the 6 servings or per serving?
Thanks!
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Gaby! Nutrition info is per serving.
Amy Fowles says
This soup was a hit in our house! Great way to use Kale!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed Amy 🙂
Barbara says
How large is a serving in ounces?
Taylor Stinson says
I don’t provide servings by weight/cup unfortunately! You will need to take the number of servings and divide into portions. Each portion is a serving.
Kristin says
I tried this recipe tonight and it’s different. I subbed dill weed in place of fennel seeds as I read fennel tastes similar to licorice. The soup had a spicy smell to it but overall was very pleasant. I added salt after tasting as I felt it lacked a bit.
Taylor Stinson says
Hey Kristin – dill would definitely give this soup a VERY, VERY different taste. Fennel seeds give the signature taste that you get with sausage. I hope you still enjoyed despite the substitute!