If you know me you’ve probably heard me say that soup season is the best season. I grew up in the northeast where 82% of the year is grey, rainy and cold. A warm bowl of soup was a necessary staple in my home, and now it’s one of my favorite meals! It’s also a fantastic way to feed a crowd and use up any old vegetables/proteins you would otherwise end up throwing out!
Although my husband is also from the northeast (Massachusetts) soup isn’t really his thing. Well actually, only New England Clam Chowder is his thing, but isn’t that how everyone is from the Boston area? 😉 Just joking!… maybe? Anyways, when I am craving soup and not in the mood for a heavy chowder, I have to get creative or he won’t eat it. And this is how this soup came to be! He loves hot Italian sausage so I knew I could use that flavor as my base and build from there. Surprisingly, he now requests this recipe and I was even able to sneak some spinach in there 🙂
I like to build my soups by using a protein with some fat for flavor. In this case, I used hot Italian sausage and built flavors from there by sautéing everything in the same pan. The broth is right between a chicken noodle and chowder, perfectly hearty but light! This soup is so good, I’ll make it in the Houston heat and just crank up the A/C to justify it, it’s that delicious!
I like to garnish the soup with fresh Parmesan and pair it with a warm biscuit or bread. I hope you enjoy this soup as my family does!
Hot Italian Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage links
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced about 1 tablespoon
- 1 red pepper, chopped about 1 cup
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped about 1 cup
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 cups diced red potatoes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 ½ cups milk you can use whatever milk you prefer
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- salt & pepper to taste
- fresh Parmesan for garnish
Instructions
- Slice sausage links and cook in a large pot over medium heat until fully cooked, 4-5 minutes. Once the sausage is cooked, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the sausage and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pot and melt.
- Add in garlic, onion and red pepper and sauté until they begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add flour and stir for about 1 minute. While constantly stirring, slowly add in 1 cup of chicken broth to allow to flour to evenly distribute. Then add the rest of the chicken broth, bay leaves and potatoes. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Once the potatoes are cooked add in the spinach, milk, and heavy cream and cook until the spinach wilts. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve!