This potato kielbasa soup recipe is full of cheese, crispy sausage pieces, and potato chunks! It’s a hearty and cheesy soup, perfect for lunch or dinner.
My Eastern European heritage has definitely influenced my life and what I eat. My Austrian grandmother was a baker and my Hungarian grandfather was a butcher.
Together, they grew currants, grapes, pears, and all of the traditional vegetable garden veggies in their Chicago backyard. Nothing went to waste – they canned everything. Or turned it into lecso.
I find myself gravitating towards all of the ingredients and foods I used to eat at grandma’s house. She is truly the inspiration behind my love of food. There was always hot soup available and sausage. Lots of sausages. Thanks, gramps, for your contribution!
So, in a way, this is kind of my recipe for them. Awwww…
This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. Click here to read my full disclosure policy.
Cheesy Potato Kielbasa Soup
This is a very hearty and rich soup. It’s the kind of soup that sticks to your ribs and warms up your entire body.
How to make potato kielbasa soup
Begin by sautéing a sliced kielbasa sausage. You don’t want to overcook it, but it’s definitely better when the sausage pieces are a little crispy so keep that in mind when you’re standing at the stove. The directions call for 5-6 minutes of sauteing but if you want crispier sausage, make sure to adjust your cooking time.
When the sausage is fried, remove it from the Dutch oven (I love my Lodge dutch oven!) using a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate covered with a paper towel to soak up some of the grease. Then add the veggies and saute them in the same pot.
You can see the full recipe below! This is just a general idea of how to make it.
Add the chicken stock and potatoes to the pot; this is the longest part of the cooking process. Bring the stock to a boil and then reduce the heat to let the potatoes cook.
When the potatoes are tender, add the cooked sausage, milk, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to the pot. Once the cheese is melted and the soup is bubbling hot, it’s time to serve your soup.
Stir in some parsley, for color and flavor, and pair each bowl with a chunk of crusty bread. Yummmm.
How do I keep the cheese from clumping together?
The most common issue people have when making this soup is melting the cheese. Some readers have had the cheese clump at the bottom, others have had it burn there. Here are my tips if this is something you are struggling with.
- Use a boxed grater and a block of cheese instead of using packaged shredded cheese. The shredded cheese you buy at grocery stores is usually coated and for some reason (I don’t know why yet), it causes cheese to clump.
- Stir the soup constantly while adding the cheese.
- Add the cheese slowly and not all at once. If you see it starting to clump, adjust the heat up or down until you see it melting, then add more cheese.
Looking for more soup recipes?
Potato Kielbasa Soup
This potato kielbasa soup recipe is full of cheese, crispy sausage pieces, and potato chunks! It's a hearty and cheesy soup, perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound kielbasa, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
- ½ cup peeled and finely diced (2 large carrots)
- ½ cup finely sliced celery (2-3 stalks)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 pounds potato, cut into cubes
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a Dutch oven or soup pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the sausage using a slotted spoon.
- Add garlic, onions, carrots, and celery and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and potatoes. Bring to boil and then reduce heat. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Add the cooked sausage, milk, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook on low heat 5-10 minutes longer, until the cheese has melted.
- Stir in parsley before serving.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 336Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 817mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 15g
Audrey
Wednesday 1st of February 2023
I made this! SUPER yummy- the only thing I did differently is add a little flour plus the milk and whisked it, then added the cheeses and melted it before adding it to the soup so make sure it was consistently melted. Worked like a charm!
Janice Piper
Friday 27th of January 2023
I put the kielbasa in the air fryer, while I cut the vegetables up. I hate to grate cheese, so I sliced it into thin pieces. I used sharp cheddar and Monterey cheese. It melted easily. Very good soup, I will definitely make it again.
Lisa
Monday 16th of January 2023
This was delicious! I used velveeta just in case the shredded cheese melting situation happened and it was excellent!
Rose
Sunday 8th of January 2023
The cheese clumped up! I read the comments and there was one that said to rinse the cheese, so I did...it did not work for me. I was wondering if Velveeta would work better?!
Jenn
Friday 6th of January 2023
The freshly grated cheese wouldn't melt.. even with adding a little at a time. It ended being rubbery clumps in the soup. I am an experienced cook and have never had that happen. I kept the soup on warm for a half hour but then my teenage boys were so hungry I gave up😁 the soup tasted great so I will make it again and try again with the cheese. Thank you!
Lisa
Wednesday 1st of February 2023
@Jenn, Did you turn down the heat? I shred cheese and put it in fridge til ready to use then turn the heat WAY down and stir the cheese in small batches using a wire whip. It usually melts nicely.
Amy
Monday 16th of January 2023
@Jenn, did you use a pre-shredded cheese that come in packages. Sometimes they are known to have a substance on them that’ll make it harder for the cheese to melt, always great your own cheese.