For most folks in the eastern US this week, it’s a COLD one. We got snow, which I love, but I have less love for the cold itself. So, to warm myself up this week, I’ve made some soup for meal prep. I love a good soup, but soup can easily be less than good – how many times have you gotten soup and wished there was more to it because you end up hungry again a couple of hours later? To me, that’s a bad soup. A good one is jam packed with all kinds of things so it fills you up and keeps you going all day long. This soup is a good soup for sure.
THE RECIPE
This one is pretty simple! Let’s take a look at all the components:
- the sausage – I used my butcher box Italian sausage! I love how flavorful sausage is in this soup
substitution ideas: honestly any ground meat will work here! if you use something other than sausage, be sure to increase the other seasonings since you won’t be getting as much flavor from the meat - the base veggies – the classics: onion, carrots, garlic. I know the classics also include celery, but I didn’t want to buy a whole thing of it just to use two or three stalks. If you have it, or really like it, throw it in!
- the seasonings – a bit of italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes are what I threw in, along with salt and pepper of course
substitution ideas: whatever seasonings you’d like! really anything will work here, just choose a flavor profile and stick with it, think about how all of the flavors you’ve chosen will work together - the extra veg – frozen spinach is one of my favorite additions for soup! I add it frozen, and it’ll defrost and add some extra liquid to the soup
substitution ideas: pretty much any veg you’d like will work here! Just make sure it gets cooked long enough. harder veg should be added along with the carrots and onions, others with the potatoes - the stock – I had homemade in the freezer, but whatever you’d like will work here!
- the potatoes – red potatoes cut into bite sized cubes will cook up perfectly in the soup and hold their shape, which is important in a soup!
substitution ideas: any waxy potato will work, although I would stay away from russets, they’ll fall apart too easily for this application
Or, if you want some other soup and soup related ideas, I’ve got some others on the site you might like:
Sausage and Potato Soup
This Sausage and Potato Soup is a truly great soup - jam packed with all kinds of goodness, and filling enough to be a meal that keeps you going all afternoon or evening. Quick and easy, it'll be a hit with the whole family!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground italian sausage
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- salt & pepper
- 1 Tbsp italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 5 oz frozen spinach
- 1 lb red potatoes, cut into bite sized cubes
Instructions
- prep: heat a large pot over medium high heat. chop all veggies
- cook the sausage: add the oil to the pot, then spread the sausage into one layer on the bottom of the pot. let cook for several minutes until the meat is browned. flip and use a wooden spoon to break the meat into smaller pieces and let it finish cooking through. remove from the pot, leaving the drippings behind
- cook the veg: add the onion, carrots, garlic, and a large pinch of salt to the pot. cook for 5-6 minutes or until the onion becomes translucent. add the italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and flour. mix well and cook for 2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste
- soup it up: add the stock, frozen spinach, and sausage into the pot and bring to a simmer. add the potatoes and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. taste and adjust seasonings as desired
- enjoy!
[…] sausage and potato soup […]