Sausage shows up on my dinner table often, and I was tired of the same two directions, a red sauce or sauerkraut and mustard. Keto sausage and kale in white wine garlic sauce was what happened when I looked in the fridge instead of reaching for the usual.
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I had frozen Italian sausage, a big bunch of kale, and some leftover white wine, and it turned into a one-pan dinner without much planning. My family got theirs tossed with pasta, and I ate mine exactly as written, both versions came from the same skillet.
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Chef Jenn’s Take on Sausage & Kale in Wine Garlic Sauce
Kale can turn tough and bitter if it gets crowded into a hot pan without room to wilt properly. Give it space and stir it frequently rather than letting it sit, and it softens into something closer to spinach than the chewy, raw kale most people are used to.
I use a leaner sausage for this rather than something heavily marbled, since a fattier sausage leaves the sauce greasy instead of light. Any mild or hot Italian sausage works, or your favorite garlicky variety, as long as it is not too fatty.
The white wine matters more than people expect. Let it reduce for a full five minutes before adding the water, since that reduction is where most of the sauce’s flavor comes from. If you swap in spinach instead of kale, add it at the very end of cooking instead of with the sausage, spinach wilts in under a minute and turns to mush if it goes in too early.
What You’ll Love About Sausage & Kale in Wine Garlic Sauce
- One pan, about 30 minutes, and a sauce with real depth from the wine reduction.
- Works with pasta for non-keto family members or plain for a strictly low-carb plate.
- Sneaks a serious amount of greens into dinner without anyone treating it like a health food.
Ingredients
- Sausage – A leaner Italian sausage, mild or hot, casing removed. Fattier sausage makes the sauce greasy.
- Kale – Fresh, chopped fine. Spinach works too, added at the very end instead of with the sausage.
- Onion – Thinly sliced.
- Bell pepper – Red or yellow, seeded and sliced. Use whatever color you have on hand.
- Garlic – Fresh, minced. Skip the jarred kind for this one.
- White wine – Dry, like a Chardonnay. Whatever you’d actually drink works fine here.
- Xanthan gum – Optional, for a thicker sauce. A small amount goes a long way.
How to Make Sausage & Kale in Wine Garlic Sauce
Scroll down for the full recipe card with exact measurements and printable instructions.
Remove the sausage from its casing and add it to a large skillet with the sliced onion and minced garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, breaking the sausage into large chunks.
Wash and chop the kale, then add it to the pan with the sausage. Stir frequently and cook for about 5 minutes, until wilted. Add the white wine and let it reduce for about 5 minutes, since this is where most of the sauce’s flavor develops.
Add the sliced peppers and continue cooking, stirring often, until the peppers are tender. Add the water to thin the sauce to your liking, and season with salt and pepper. If you want a thicker sauce, whisk in a small amount of xanthan gum at the end.
Make It A Meal
I round this out with a Greek Salad on the side, something light balances the richness of the sausage. It also works well spooned over Zucchini Spaghetti or Low Carb Cauliflower Fried Rice if you want something under the sauce.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. This freezes well for up to 3 months, though the peppers soften somewhat after thawing. Chill fully before freezing, then thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Add Preferred SourceSausage & Kale in a White Wine Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound sausage links casing removed
- 2 cups fresh kale chopped finely
- 1/4 cup onion sliced thin
- 1 red or yellow pepper seeded and sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup white wine dry, like Chardonnay
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Remove the casing from the sausage and put it into a large skillet along with the sliced onion and minced garlic. Cook it on medium-high for 2-3 minutes, breaking it up into large, meatball-size chunks.
- Wash and chop the kale. Add the kale to the pan with the sausage. Stir frequently, cooking for about five minutes until the kale is wilted. Add the white wine and let cook for another 5 minutes to reduce the wine.
- Add the peppers and continue cooking, and stirring often, over medium-high heat until the peppers are tender. Add the water to make a thin sauce; season with salt and pepper and serve! Thicken the sauce with a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with two tbsp of water if you like a thicker sauce.
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Love these flavors! Kale and sausage go so well together!
This sounds absolutely delicious, sausage and kale is such a great combo, I can’t wait to try it through the week!
The sauce on this sausage and kale sounds marvelous. It brings the entire dish together.
This is a great light flavorful delicious meal! I love that you can make extra and freeze it!
Love how healthy and flavorful this recipe is!! Kale and sausage go so well together!