Description
A rich and comforting Italian sausage potato soup featuring tender potatoes, savory sausage, and a creamy cheddar cheese base, perfect for a hearty meal served with buttered bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage and Vegetables
- 1 pound Italian sausage mild or hot
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-1/4 cups mirepoix or 3/4 cup each: diced carrots, celery, and yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 4 cups chopped baby gold potatoes no need to peel
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Liquids and Dairy
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups milk 1%, 2%, or whole
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups freshly shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Serving
- Hearty buttered bread for serving, optional
Instructions
- Cook Sausage: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and let it sear for 1 minute, then crumble with a wooden spoon. Cook until deeply browned. Transfer sausage to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving about 1 tablespoon grease in the pot. If grease is insufficient, add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Sauté Vegetables: In the same pot, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add diced carrots, celery, and onion. Sauté for 7 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Cook Potatoes: Stir in chopped potatoes, dried basil, dried parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour in chicken stock, bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Prepare Roux and Cream Sauce: While potatoes cook, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute. Slowly pour in milk while whisking until smooth. Cook whisking continuously until mixture thickens and gently boils. Stir in heavy cream, then remove from heat.
- Combine and Finish Soup: Once vegetables are tender, stir in the milk and cream mixture. Turn off heat and add shredded cheddar cheese a handful at a time, stirring gently until fully melted. Stir in sour cream, then return cooked sausage to the soup. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve: Serve the soup warm with hearty buttered bread if desired.
Notes
- Cut vegetables and potatoes into even pieces for uniform cooking and texture consistency throughout the soup.
- Use freshly shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese for best melting and flavorful results; pre-shredded cheese may not melt as smoothly.
- Let soup cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
- For freezing, place soup in a freezer-safe bag laid flat and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
