Mom's Creamy Potato & Sausage Soup (Dairy Free)

My Mom's potato soup is the best.  The coziest classic for a chilly day, and growing up in the Midwest we had plenty of those.  Lots of opportunity for this soothing soup with its luxurious, velvety texture.

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If you’re craving a warm, comforting bowl of soup but need to keep it dairy-free, this adaptation featuring cauliflower is the perfect solution. Packed with flavor and nutrients, it’s a delicious way to enjoy a classic soup without the heaviness of cream.  Let’s dive into how to make this hearty soup!

MORE COZY SOUP RECIPES:
20 Minute Ravioli Soup

​Black Bean Soup (in under 30 minutes)

Zuppa Toscana (Tuscan Kale & Sausage Soup)

​Pam's White Lightnin' Chicken Chili

TaylorKitchen House Chili

Creamy Lentil Stew

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I leave the skins on my potatoes and love the additional flavor and texture of the skins.  You can certainly peel your potatoes if you want to, and have the time.

HUMBLE INGREDIENTS FOR THIS FARMHOUSE STAPLE. CAULIFLOWER IS THE SECRET TO THAT CREAMY TEXTURE WITHOUT CREAM.

I cooked my potatoes in my Ninja Foodi on the pressure cook setting.  It made super quick work of the diced potatoes, coming in at 4 minutes.  If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can simply boil in a big pot of salted water until fork tender.

MUELLER DUTCH OVEN

CUISINART IMMERSION BLENDER

NINJA FOODI

SIMMERING AWAY

Cauliflower - when blitzed up with the stock, cauliflower becomes a creamy base for this soup without adding any milk or cream.  It also ramps up the nutritional value and fiber content,  You can certainly opt for dairy if you want, but I like to give a dairy free option whenever possible.

I SERVED MINE UP WITH SCALLION, BACON & CHEESE

Optional secret ingredient - for a thicker textured soup, add some potato flakes.  This secret works well in so many soups and I always keep a packet on hand for just such an occasion.  I used about 1/4 potato flakes to further thicken my soup, but again, this is totally up to you and your preference.

Mom's Creamy Potato & Sausage Soup (Dairy Free)

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter (or plant based butter for dairy free)
• 4 medium russet potatoes,  diced. (Peeling the potatoes is optional)
• 4 Italian chicken sausages, diced
• 1 12 ounce package riced cauliflower, from frozen and mostly thawed
• 4 cups (32 ounces)chicken broth or stock
• 1/2 to 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional - instant potato flakes (such as Idahoan)

Garnishes - bacon crumbles, chopped scallion, shredded cheese of choice


Instructions:

1. Cook the potatoes according to your preference, either in a pressure cooker (like my  Ninja Foodi) with a teaspoon of salt or in a large pot of boiling salted water.
2. In a large soup pot, like my Mueller Dutch Oven, add the chicken sausages and cook about 5 minutes just until seared.
3. Remove the sausage and onion from the pot to a plate and set aside.  Add in the cauliflower and cook just for couple minutes to heat through.
4. Add the chicken  broth to the pot, ensuring the cauliflower is covered. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blitz until smooth,  You can also transfer to a blender to carefully blend until smooth or simply leave it as riced cauliflower.  Totally up to you.
5. Add back in the onion and sausage mixture and your cooked potatoes.
6. Now stir in the almond milk (start with the lesser amount), garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Heat through, but do not let it boil.
7. If you want your soup to be thicker, this is when you add the instant potato flakes.  They will thicken the soup in just seconds.  If soup is too thick for your liking, this is where you can add more almond milk.
8. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped scallion, bacon crumbles and cheese.