If you’ve been hanging around my kitchen for a minute, you know I am all for recipes that taste amazing but take minimal effort, and this Creamy Italian Sausage Potato Soup is exactly that. When the weather dips in the fall and winter, a warm bowl of soup is an obvious choice. But this one is actually one of my favorite spring and summer recipes too. I buy more sausages during the summer time (mostly because they’re RIGHT next to the bratwursts and become an impulse buy when I’m grabbing brats & burgers for grilling) so naturally this soup makes it into the rotation.

This recipe has a comforting feel with the mix of salty and creamy flavors. It is known for being an easy-to-make meal perfect for dinners, meal-prep or serving a crowd. Keep on reading for ingredient details, how and when to serve this dish, and more!

Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Sausage and Potato Soup

Because it’s made entirely in the slow cooker, it doesn’t heat up your entire house, and it isn’t overly heavy. It gives you your afternoon back so you can spend time outside, go for a walk, or kick back on the patio with a drink and a good book while dinner cooks itself. Plus, it makes enough to easily feed a crowd or leave you with leftovers for the next day. More time outside and less time cooking is a win in my book.

Short Prep Time: Your slow cooker does 90% of the heavy lifting here. Peeling and cutting the potatoes is the longest part of the prep work. The rest of the ingredients get dumped on top and you’re practically done making dinner.
Year-Round Comfort: Rich and creamy enough for a cozy winter night, but light enough that it won’t weigh you down on a warm day too.
Leftovers for Lunch: Like most good soups, the flavors marry overnight and taste even better the next day.
Everyone’s Favorite Toppings: You can set out bowls of crispy bacon, shredded cheese, and scallions so everyone can build their own perfect bowl.

Simple Ingredients, Maximum Flavor

We are measuring with our hearts and keeping the ingredient list simple (relatively). There is always room for creativity and adding your own touch of flavor through additional seasonings or add ins. As always, feel free to use this recipe as a starting point for what works for you and your family!

Here is what you’ll need to grab from the store:

Mild Italian Sausage Links: We cook these whole right in the slow cooker to keep them incredibly juicy before slicing them into coins. *Note – you will inevitably end up with a little bit of grease in the soup when you cook it this way. If you prefer to reduce the amount of grease, you can boil the sausages for 20-30 minutes on the stovetop before draining and adding to the slow cooker*
Russet Potatoes: Peeled and cut into large 2-to-3-inch chunks. Why? Because if you make them too small they will disintegrate into mush and there won’t be any chunks of potatoes left ☹️. To ensure that doesn’t happen, cut your potatoes into bigger chunks. You can always break them into smaller pieces as it gets closer to serving time if they look too big still.
White Onion & Baby Spinach: Onion adds flavor and spinach adds a touch of healthiness to this recipe.
The creamy base: A combination of chicken broth, a splash of heavy cream, and a block of cream cheese makes this soup velvety smooth without feeling overly rich.
Pantry Spices: Garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper (Tip: If you have a favorite local seasoning salt, like Gibson’s, you can use that in instead of salt & pepper).
The Toppings: Totally optional (not in my household lol), but you can enjoy your bowl of Italian sausage soup with crispy pieces of bacon, shredded Provolone or Monterey Jack cheese, a dollop of soup cream for extra creaminess, and/or freshly sliced scallions or chives. Bacon and cheese are my go to’s.

How to Customize Your Soup

Want to swap things up based on what’s hanging out in your fridge? This recipe is incredibly forgiving:

Swap the Greens: If you don’t have baby spinach on hand, chopped kale works beautifully—just throw it in during the last hour so it has time to soften.
Make it Spicy: Switch out the mild Italian sausage links for hot Italian sausage if you like a little kick. The potatoes and cream ingredients will help tone down the spice a bit.
Lighten It Up: You can swap the heavy cream for whole milk or half-and-half, though the final broth won’t be quite as thick and velvety.

What to Serve with Potato and Sausage Soup

If serving for a large crowd or family, you may want to supplement with some sides. Adding a fresh element or something simple would be the way to go. Here are some ideas:

Crusty Bread: A warm loaf of sourdough, garlic bread, or frozen dinner rolls would go great with this soup. You can dip the bread in the broth or slather them with butter, whichever you prefer.
A Simple Salad: A crisp spring mix or Caesar salad tossed with a tangy vinaigrette would cut through the creaminess of the soup perfectly.
Roasted Veggies: A side of roasted broccoli or asparagus could be a great option if you wanted to incorporate more veggies in the meal.

Best Occasions to Serve This Slow Cooker Meal

Because this soup is low-maintenance, it fits into almost any hosting scenario:

Casual Summer Patio Nights: Pop it in the slow cooker by noon, head outside to enjoy the sun, and come back an hour or two before dinner to add the finishing touches. Hooray for a dinner that doesn’t heat up your house.
Game Days: Keep the slow cooker on the “warm” setting and let your guests scoop up bowls throughout the game/watch party.
Meal Prep Sundays: Use to meal prep comforting lunches for the busy week ahead.

✰ If this recipe interests you, you might also like these recipes on Ready Set Host too:

Storing and Re-heating Instructions

My favorite part. If you have leftovers, lucky you! Here is how to store and reheat them:

To Store: Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
To Reheat: Pour the soup into a saucepan and warm it over medium-low heat on the stove, stirring occasionally so the dairy doesn’t separate. You can also microwave individual bowls in 30-second bursts. Note: The potatoes will absorb some liquid as it sits, so feel free to splash in a little extra chicken broth or milk when reheating!
Can You Freeze It? Because this soup contains heavy cream, cream cheese, and large chunks of potatoes, freezing isn’t recommended. The dairy can separate and the potatoes can become a bit grainy when thawed. It’s best enjoyed fresh!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I make this on the stovetop instead? Absolutely! In a large pot or Dutch oven, brown your sausage coins first, then remove them. Sauté your onions, add the potatoes, spices, and broth, and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender (about 20–25 minutes). Stir in the cream, cream cheese, and spinach at the end until melted through. If it’s not thickening, you can add a 1:1 ratio of cornstarch and water to make a slurry. This will help thicken it.

What potatoes should I use? Russet potatoes are a fantastic option because their natural starches help thicken up the broth. However, Yukon Gold potatoes are a good swap if you want more of a buttery texture that holds up well.

Why do you cook the sausage links whole first? Cooking them whole in the broth locks in all their juices and prevents the meat from drying out. Plus, the sausages are easier to cut once they’re cooked. Just make sure you cut them before serving as the bite size rounds are necessary to be able to scoop with a spoon.

Italian Sausage Potato Soup

This slow cooker Italian sausage potato soup is about as easy as dinner gets. Just dump the sausage, potatoes, and onions in the crockpot and stir in some cream, cream cheese, and spinach at the end. It’s perfect for a chilly winter night, or an easy summer meal that won't heat up the house. Top it with bacon and shredded cheese, and you're good to go!

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Prep Time:15

Cook Time:6

Finishing Touches:5

Total Time:6 20

Course: Main Course

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Amanda Grace

Equipment

slow cooker

Ingredients

5 mild Italian sausage links
5 russet potatoes
2 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
1 white onion diced
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp garlic powder
36 oz chicken broth
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 oz cream cheese
1 lb bacon optional for topping
shredded provolone or monterary jack cheese optional for topping
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper or seasoning salt like Gibson's!

Instructions

Peel the potatoes and dice into big chunks approx. 2-3 inches in size
Dice the white onion and add to slow cooker
Layer the Italian Sausages on top of the potatoes and onions
Add in the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and chicken broth. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours
If making bacon, make this while the soup cooks in the slow cooker. You can cook the bacon on the stovetop in a large pan, flip to cook on both sides, and set on a plat layered with paper towels to drain the grease. Let cool before chopping into bite sizes pieces.
After 4 hours, take the ItIalian sausage out and cut into coins before adding back in to finish cooking
Roughly chop/break up the baby spinach and add to the slow cooker. Add the heavy cream and cream cheese and give it a stir. Put the lid back on and let it cook for another 1-2 hours.
Taste to make sure it is seasoned to your liking by adding more salt/pepper or Italian seasoning. Spoon into bowls and serve with a generous topping of shredded cheese and bacon bits. Enjoy!