Sausage Cream Soup with Potatoes and Cheese

sausagepotatosoup This Creamy Sausage Potato Soup is made with hot or sweet Italian sausage, potatoes and vegetables. it's an easy soup recipe for the stovetop or a slow cooker.

Soup:
1 lb Italian sausages, hot, casings removed, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup onions, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. hot sauce
4 cups chicken broth
2 cup heavy cream
2 cups red potatoes, diced
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Seasonings:
1 tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. dried parsley
½ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. mustard powder
¼ tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

Garnish:
red pepper flakes
fresh parsley

Stove Top Method:
Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, crumble to break it apart. Once cooked halfway through, cover partially and continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked through. It'll take about 10-12 minutes total. Set the sausage aside and reserve 1 Tbsp. drippings. (Butter can be used if you don't have drippings.)

Add the drippings to the pot along with 2 Tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the diced onions, celery and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth in splashes and use a silicone spatula to "clean" the bottom of the pot to add more flavour to the soup. Slowly stir in the heavy cream, hot sauce, soy sauce and seasonings.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Clean the potatoes and pat them dry. Cut into 1" cubes and add them to the soup. Simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20-25 minutes. Add the sausage back into the soup and stir to combine.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheddar cheese. Garnish with red pepper flakes and parsley. Serve.

Slow-Cooker Method:
The drippings, butter and flour are not used for the slow-cooker method. Drain the grease well from the sausage after you cook it. Since the sausage will continue to cook in the slow-cooker for several hours, you may need to skim the grease off of the top of the soup at the end of cooking.

Cook and crumble the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat on the stove top.

When the sausages are cooked halfway through, add the diced onions, celery and carrots. Once the sausage is cooked through and the vegetables are softened, drain the grease well and transfer it to the slow-cooker.

Add all remaining ingredients to the slow-cooker except the heavy cream and cheddar cheese.

Cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.

Reduce the heat to warm and slowly stir in the heavy cream until combined. Turn the heat off. Sprinkle in the shredded cheese and stir until well combined. Garnish with red pepper flakes and parsley. Serve.

Makes 11 cups.

Cook's Notes:

The mustard powder, hot sauce and soy sauce are flavour enhancers and can't be tasted outright in this recipe.
The hot sauce doesn't make this soup hot/spicy. I usually use Texas Pete or Frank's Hot Sauce.
Red potatoes are best for soups and stews because they hold their shape much better due to their waxier consistency and lower starch. content. Yukon Gold potatoes are a good backup, Russets may also be used but are starchier and don’t hold up quite as well.
Corn makes a good addition to this soup and can be added at the end of cooking.

Storage:

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
This soup does freeze/reheat well, just ensure the potatoes aren't overcooked or they will become mushy.