Sausage Cream Soup with Potatoes and Bacon (Coconut Milk)

sausagecreamsouppotaoesbacon There is nothing more comforting than this creamy soup loaded with tender chunks of potato, + bacon and sausage. It’s surprisingly easy to make, so delicious and dairy free.

1½ Tbsp. extra-virgin olive or avocado oil
4 sausages, cooked, sliced into half-circles ¼" thick
½ large white or yellow onion
3 slices bacon, diced
4 cups Yukon potatoes, peeled and diced (~ 2 lbs)
4 cups (32 oz) chicken stock or broth
1¼ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. dried thyme or chives
½ cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

Add oil to your soup pot on medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add diced bacon, onion and sausages. Sauté, stirring frequently, until onion is tender and bacon is fully cooked. You should see some browning on your sausages.

Add chicken stock and potatoes (peeled and diced into 1" cubes) to the soup pot. Season with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried thyme (or dried chives). Bring to boiling and cook for approximately 5-8 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Be careful to not overcook your potatoes or you'll end up decreasing the amount of chicken stock you have.

Once cooked, remove 1-2 cups of the diced potatoes from chicken stock. (Going with 2 cups will give you a thicker finished soup. It's okay if a little onion or bacon gets mixed in but don't pull out any of the sausage). Blend with ½ cup canned coconut milk until smooth. The consistency will be close to thick mashed potatoes. Add back to your soup and stir until well combined. Now your soup is creamy. Taste and add more salt if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's Notes:

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why Use Unsweetened Canned Coconut Milk? Canned coconut milk is my favorite way to make dairy free recipes creamy. It’s thick and if you’re not using too much you won’t get a strong coconut flavor. There really is no coconut taste in this soup. It’s important to make sure you don’t use a sweetened can though. That drastically changes the flavour and won’t work well.
Can You Substitute a Different Milk for the Canned Coconut Milk? In most recipes the answer is no because those other milks are all a lot thinner. But here I say yes since the potatoes do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to achieving the texture we want. You’re welcome to use regular cow’s milk, almond milk, or the refrigerated coconut milk instead of canned coconut milk. Be sure whatever you use is unsweetened and add less since these other milks are not as thick.
Can You Substitute a Different Sausage? This sausage potato soup recipe is designed to feature sliced fully cooked dinner sausage, but you can opt for a crumbled sausage if you prefer. A breakfast sausage, spicy Italian sausage, sweet Italian sausage, or mild Italian sausage are all good swaps.
Can You Sneak in Any Veggies? Well of course. Chopped broccoli or fresh spinach would be perfection in this soup. If using spinach or steamed broccoli you can just add it at the end of cooking time. If using raw uncooked broccoli add it with the diced potatoes.
What to Serve with this Soup? I think a soup and salad combo is a pretty perfect meal, how about you? This creamy potato soup is delicious with crusty bread but you can also add a salad to your dinner.

Storage:

Want to enjoy this hearty soup the next day or later in the week? Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat on the stovetop on low to medium heat until warmed through.
This soup freezes, thaws and reheats beautifully. Just add it to a pot on the stove over low to medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Feel free to double this recipe so you have plenty to freeze.