Easy Potato and Sausage Soup

Summary

Yield4
Prep Time30 minutes
RecipesSoups and Stews
SeasonsAutumn

Description

I came up with this soup last week when we had our first autumn cold snap. (Vegetarians, olive oil is a fine substitute for the bacon and just leave off the sausage at the end of this recipe for a good potato soup.) Easy, fast, very satisfying--and inexpensive!

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2slice bacon
  • 6 large russett potatoes, chopped, peeling is up to you
  • 6c chicken, veggie or beef stock, or water
  • 2c white wine
  • 1 large sprig fresh rosemary or 2 tsp dried
  • 1 large sprig fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1⁄2lb dinner sausage, such as kielbasa or polish dogs

Instructions

In the soup pot, fry up the bacon for its fat. (If you save bacon fat, just put a spoonful of it in the pot and be done with it.) When it's done, either set aside the bacon for garnish or treat the cook. ahem.

Over medium heat, cook the onion in the fat until soft and slightly browned. Add the potatoes and the liquids; make sure the liquid covers the potatoes and add more if it doesn't. Be sure to scrape up any good stuff on the bottom of the pot so it doesn't stick. Add just a PINCH of salt; it will help soften the potatoes during cooking, but don't add it to taste. Link sausage and bacon are often quite salty and you may accidentally over-salt your soup at this stage (says the voice of experience).

Bring to a boil then turn the heat down. Simmer over medium-low heat till the potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. With the back of a wooden spoon, or whatever you stir your pot with, mash some of the potatoes against the sides to thicken the broth. Strip the rosemary and thyme from their stems, chop the rosemary roughly and add both to the pot; if you're using dry, just roll the herbs firmly between your palms to bruise them as you add them. Give it a stir. Cut the sausage into inch-or-so lengths; I cut them on the diagonal because it seems to release more flavor and I like the way it looks.

Let things "marry" for about ten minutes, then check for salt and pepper, adjust, and serve.

Notes

Good with craft bread, a bit of cheese and some sliced apples on the side! No need for dessert or much of anything else. An interesting variation is to use beer instead of wine--rather than measure it out just add a bottle of it and top off any deficit in the cooking liquid with more broth or water.