Description
A rich and hearty creamy potato soup featuring tender potatoes, savory sausage, and a smooth, velvety texture enhanced with heavy cream. Perfect as a comforting meal for cold days, topped with cheddar cheese and green onions for added flavor and garnish.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 4 slices sausage, diced
Vegetables
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions (optional, for garnish)
Dairy
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional, for topping)
Pantry
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Sausage: In a large pot over medium heat, cook the diced sausage until golden and slightly crispy. This step infuses the soup with savory flavor and adds a delicious texture contrast.
- Remove Sausage: Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage and set it aside, leaving the flavorful drippings in the pot for the next steps.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the diced onion to the pot and sauté in the sausage drippings for 3-4 minutes until the onion is softened and translucent.
- Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for approximately 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Make the Roux: Melt the butter in the pot, then stir in the flour. Cook this mixture for 1-2 minutes until it turns lightly golden, which will help thicken the soup.
- Create the Broth: Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk, stirring continuously to break up any flour lumps ensuring a smooth base for the soup.
- Cook the Potatoes: Add the peeled and diced potatoes along with dried thyme. Simmer the soup gently for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Blend and Cream: Use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency, either fully smooth or slightly chunky depending on preference. Then stir in the heavy cream to add richness.
- Season: Taste the soup and season with salt and black pepper as needed to balance the flavors.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with the reserved crispy sausage, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped green onions for garnish. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- You can substitute sausage with bacon or leave out for a vegetarian version, adjusting the broth to vegetable stock.
- For a thicker soup, use less milk or add an extra tablespoon of flour in the roux.
- Using an immersion blender allows for easy blending right in the pot without transferring hot liquid.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stove.
- To make it gluten free, use gluten-free flour or cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour.
