Dig into this Hearty Southern Greens and Sausage Soup recipe for a portion of deliciously flavorful comfort food at its finest. Assorted greens, Andouille sausage, smoked sausage, Chaurice sausage served over rice provide a fantastic bowlful of substance and flavor.
One of the things I love about this Southern Greens and Sausage Soup, you can pretty much mix or match your greens and sausage. I always make it a habit to use at least three or more different types of greens and a few different types of sausage along with diced smoked ham and a ham hock to give it layers of excellent flavor.
I started making this Southern Greens and Sausage Soup years ago when I would have abundant greens on hand and need to use them. The recipe is somewhat similar to a green gumbo with meat, give or take a few things not included in the method. It’s very versatile and forgiving all year around. Being I live in the South, fresh greens are usually very easily obtained year-round, but if you are in a Northan state, you may find it a little harder to find them year-round.
What can you do if you can’t find fresh greens year-round?
There have been times I have had to use frozen organic greens, and the soup comes out great. In this case, you will substitute the fresh greens with frozen organic greens. Do not thaw the greens. You will simmer the fresh parsley and ham hock without the frozen greens for 35 minutes to flavor the stock and then continue with the recipe. The most common frozen greens in the Northern states are Kale, spinach, and turnip greens.
Be sure to cook up some fluffy white rice to serve with your Southern Greens and Sausage Soup because, trust me, it just takes it to another level in taste. I usually make enough for 1/2 cup servings of white steamed rice to go with the soup. The rice makes it a super hearty meal. I do not recommend cooking the rice in the soup or adding the cooked rice to the pot of soup as it drastically changes the recipe’s flavor. Serve the soup over the rice for best results.
How to make the perfect rice (example only)
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups water
Method
- Bring 1 and 1/2 cups water to a full boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice and salt and return to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid until close to the end of cooking time to check the rice.
- Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 8-10 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and serve.
Let’s talk a little about the meat selection in this Southern Greens and Sausage Soup. You will want to pick out two or more mentioned sausages if possible. I usually use Andouille sausage and smoked sausage in this recipe, along with diced ham and the ham hock. However, if you prefer a more spicy version, you could go with the Chaurice sausage and andouille sausage for more of a kick.
Andouille sausage: This sausage is most often associated with Cajun cuisine. It is a smoked sausage made using pork, garlic, pepper, onions, wine, and various seasonings
Chaurice Sausage: Chaurice is a pork sausage that is of Creole and Cajun origin. It has a hot and spicy flavor. Chaurice sausage is popular in Creole and Cajun cooking as an ingredient in dishes such as gumbo and jambalaya.
Smoked sausage: This is a sausage that has been cured using aromatic wood, which is then burned to produce smoke. The smoke gives the smoked sausage flavor.
The final result of all these beautiful ingredients is a wonderful combination of delicious comfort food over a bed of fluffy white rice that is hearty and flavorful. Trust me. You’re going to want seconds of this Southern Greens and Sausage soup!
Ingredients needed for Southern Greens and Sausage Soup:
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Three pounds of assorted fresh greens, sliced in ribbons
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One cup of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
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One large yellow onion, finely chopped
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One large green bell pepper, finely chopped
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One cup diced celery
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Six garlic cloves, minced
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Five tablespoons butter, reserve three tablespoons for Roux
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One tablespoon oil
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Three tablespoons all-purpose flour
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Vegetable stock to cover greens
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Two pounds of assorted sausages, sliced
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1/2 pound diced smoked ham, optional
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One Ham hock
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One teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
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One tablespoon kosher + more if desired
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One teaspoon cayenne pepper +more if desired
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1/2 teaspoon white pepper + more if desired
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White steamed rice to serve
Greens to use:
Mustard greens, spinach, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, watercress, beet tops, carrot tops, swiss chard, arugula lettuce, and peppergrass.
Meats to use:
Andouille sausage, smoked sausage, Chaurice sausage, smoked diced ham, and ham hock
How to make Southern Greens and Sausage Soup
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Clean all the assorted greens under cold tap water to remove the grit. Pick out all discolored and spoiled leaves and discard them. With a sharp kitchen knife, shred all the fresh greens into roughly 1/2-inch ribbons. You will want to pick three or more different greens to use in your Southern Greens and Sausage Soup.
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Once done cleaning the fresh greens and flat-leaf parsley, add them to an 8-10 quart stockpot, cover the greens entirely with the vegetable stock, add the ham hock, and place on medium-high heat to bring to a full simmer- you will want to simmer for 40-50 minutes to cook the fresh greens down.
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Meanwhile, place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat allow the cast iron to heat up before adding the two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of oil. Once heated, add the butter and oil. After melting the butter, reduce the heat slightly under the cast-iron skillet and add the onions, peppers, and diced celery- cook the vegetables until softened but do not brown them. Once softened, add them to the simmering stockpot of greens.
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At this time, cook the sliced sausages to render off the fat. This will take approximately 10 minutes or so. Once the sliced sausage is done, add them to the stockpot only after you have cooked the fresh greens for at least 40 minutes- do not combine the sausage before the greens have cooked down.
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In the same sizeable cast-iron skillet used to soften the vegetables, melt the reserved three tablespoons of butter on medium heat, then add the flour and stir to combine. Continue to stir frequently until the flour taste has cooked off-about 4-5 minutes. Once done, add the roux, thyme leaves, kosher salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and cooked sliced sausage. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 35-40 minutes.
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Taste the finished product and season accordingly to taste before serving over white rice.
Frequently asked questions:
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I can not find fresh greens in my area this time of year. What can I do? You can substitute fresh greens with frozen organic greens. Do not thaw the greens. You will simmer the fresh parsley and ham hock without the frozen greens for 35 minutes to flavor the stock and then continue with the recipe. The most common frozen greens in the Northern states are Kale, spinach, and turnip greens.
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I am not able to locate chaurice sausage/ andouille sausage in my area. What can I do? There are two ways to handle this. You can order it online, and it may take 3-7 days to ship, or you can take the easy route and use a smoked sausage in place of them. It’s still going to be delicious tasting.
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What can I use to substitute for the ham hock? You can use smoked pork shanks, which are a little meatier than ham hocks, or you can use smoked turkey to flavor the stock.
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How many different types of greens do you suggest using in this recipe? I try to use three or more if possible. My favorites to use are collard greens, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and arugula lettuce.
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Can I use black pepper in place of the white pepper? Absolutely! I just like white pepper better in some things, but there is no reason you cannot just use black pepper.

Southern Greens and Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Pounds assorted organic greens, sliced in ribbons
see notes - 1 cup flat-leaf parsley chopped
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup green celery diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 5 tablespoons butter reserve 3 tablespoons for the roux
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 pounds assorted sausage Andouille sausage, smoked sausage, and Chaurice sausage
- ½ pound smoked ham diced
- 1 ham hock
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or t taste
- steamed organic long-grain white rice You will need approximately ½ cup of cooked rice per serving.
Instructions
- Clean all the assorted greens under cold tap water to remove the grit. Pick out all discolored and spoiled leaves and discard them. With a sharp kitchen knife, shred all the fresh greens into roughly 1/2-inch ribbons. You will want to pick three or more different greens to use in your Southern Greens and Sausage Soup.
- Once done cleaning the fresh greens and flat-leaf parsley add them to an 8-10 quart stockpot, cover the greens entirely with the vegetable stock, add the ham hock and place on medium-high heat to bring to a full simmer- you will want to simmer for 40-50 minutes to cook the fresh greens down.
- Meanwhile, place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat allow the cast-iron to heat up before adding the two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of oil. Once heated, add the butter and oil. After melting the butter, reduce the heat slightly under the cast-iron skillet and add the onions, peppers, diced celery, and garlic- cook the vegetables until softened but do not brown them. Once softened, add them to the simmering stockpot of green.
- At this time, cook the sliced sausages to render off the fat. This will take approximately 10 minutes or so. Once the sliced sausage is done, add them to the stockpot only after you have cooked the fresh greens at least 40 minutes- do not combine the sausage before the greens have cooked down.
- In the same sizeable cast-iron skillet used to soften the vegetables, melt the reserved three tablespoons of butter on medium heat, then add the flour and stir to combine. Continue to stir frequently until the flour taste has cooked off-about 4-5 minutes. Once done, add the roux, thyme, kosher salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and cooked sliced sausage. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 35-40 minutes.
- Taste the finished product and season accordingly to taste before serving over white rice.
Notes
- Mustard greens, spinach, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, watercress, beet tops, carrot tops, swiss chard, arugula lettuce, and peppergrass.
Although themccallumsshamrockpatch.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and how ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will themccallumsshamrockpatch.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on nutritional information.
Nutrition
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16 Comments
Nicolas Derome
December 20, 2022 at 2:43 pmHave you ever made these with broccoli, romanesco, cauliflower or kohlrabi greens? I have a fair bit of those.
Rini
February 15, 2020 at 10:43 amThat looks like a warm and comforting soup recipe! It looks so easy to make and delicious. Pass me a bowl of it, lol
hmccallum
February 17, 2020 at 9:49 amThank you so much, Rina. I appreciate your feedback.
Cindy Gordon
February 15, 2020 at 10:34 amThis is so delicious!! We are always on the hunt for new recipes to try each week! My kids even loved this!
hmccallum
February 17, 2020 at 9:53 amThank you, Cindy! That’s awesome that the children enjoyed the recipe too~ Thanks for sharing.
Kushigalu
February 15, 2020 at 10:00 amLove the flavors and the combination that goes in this soup recipe. Must try!
hmccallum
February 17, 2020 at 9:54 amThank you, I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the soup recipe. Have a wonderful day.
Kelly
February 15, 2020 at 8:38 amI’ve never heard of Sothern Greens Soup but it sounds amazing and something my entire family would enjoy. Excited to try something new!
Krissy Allori
February 14, 2020 at 6:31 pmThis is so so good. I love how hearty and bursting with flavor this soup is. I also loved the tip about the rice. It just goes so well with it. Yum!
hmccallum
February 17, 2020 at 9:46 amThank you, Krissy.
Anita
February 14, 2020 at 4:52 pmThe soup is so good and full of flavor. And adding rice into the soup makes this into a perfect lunch.
hmccallum
February 17, 2020 at 9:45 amThank you, Anita! I appreciate you dropping by to share your thoughts on the soup
Cathleen
February 14, 2020 at 4:17 pmI have never actually tried southern greens soup, mainly because I only just moved to the US a couple of months ago. Definitely on my to-do list 🙂
hmccallum
February 17, 2020 at 9:44 amWelcome to the US Cathleen! I hope you enjoy the recipe and congrats on your move.
Erica
February 14, 2020 at 3:48 pmOh. My god. This looks amazing. I can’t wait to make this – the flavors sound soooo good.
hmccallum
February 17, 2020 at 9:43 amThank you, so much Erica.