Description
A savory, filling, and comforting low carb soup featuring cauliflower, spicy Italian sausage, and nutrient-dense kale. Perfect for weight loss and ready in under 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cauliflower florets (about 600g)
- 12 oz Italian sausage (spicy or mild, remove casings if crumbled bits desired)
- 4 cups fresh kale, packed and chopped (curly or dinosaur kale, stems removed)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth (1.4 liters)
- ½ cup heavy cream (120 ml) or coconut cream for dairy-free option
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Add diced onion to the pot and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using), cooking another minute until fragrant but not burnt.
- Stir in cauliflower florets and cook for 2 minutes, coating them in the sausage fat and onion mixture.
- Add chicken broth and cooked sausage back to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender but not mushy.
- Add chopped kale and heavy cream. Cook for another 5 minutes until kale wilts but still has some bite. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
Notes
[‘Do not rush the simmer step to ensure cauliflower softens properly.’, ‘Stir kale in at the end to keep it vibrant and avoid mushy texture.’, ‘Brown sausage properly for best flavor.’, ‘Use fresh cauliflower for better texture; if using frozen, thaw and drain well.’, ‘Remove kale stems as they are tough and do not soften well.’, ‘Heavy cream is optional; coconut cream is a good dairy-free substitute.’, ‘Season gradually because sausage can be salty.’, ‘Let soup rest a few minutes before serving to meld flavors.’, ‘Soup tastes better the next day and can be reheated with added broth if thickened.’, ‘Soup can be frozen for up to 3 months; kale may soften after freezing.’]
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 280
- Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 8
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 18
Keywords: low carb soup, cauliflower soup, sausage soup, kale soup, weight loss recipe, healthy soup, easy soup recipe