Rustic Potato Soup!!

  Winter is officially upon us. There hasn't been any snow here yet but I can smell it in the air. The nights are getting colder and colder and it makes me want to cuddle up on the couch under a blanket with a big bowl of hot soup. I was sitting in my living room working on some ideas for future blog posts and realized I needed to run to the store so I could have dinner ready by the time my husband got home. It was cold and rainy outside so I knew some sort of soup was a must. I kept going back to potato soup but that just wasn't enough. I needed something new. Tonight I had to invent my very own potato soup. What I came up with literally blew our socks off. We ended up eating our leftovers the next day and were stilling craving more!! It's THAT good!!! It's one of the best soups I have ever came up with. 

So if you love potato soup or need something to take the chill away then keep-on-a-readin! 

   Here's what you'll need:

* 1 1/4 pounds spicy or sweet Italian sausage ( I used spicy of course! )

* One large carrot

* One medium yellow onion

* 6-7 medium potatoes 

* 3-4 cloves garlic

* 2 TBSP butter

* 4-5 TBSP flour

* A quart of chicken stock (about 4 cups) 

* 1 cup mozzarella/provolone mix (or just your favorite cheese) 

* 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

* tsp of ground thyme (or fresh) 

* Salt and pepper 

* Extra Virgin Olive Oil ( a couple TBSP )

   Start off by adding a couple TBSP olive oil and browning your sausage in a large stock pot. (On about medium-high) Make sure you get your sausage browned to where you cook off most of the fat/oil. There will still be some in the pan and you'll need it for the roux to thicken the soup. Add your carrot, onion and garlic and cook until softened. (You'll turn the heat down a bit so you don't burn the garlic. Medium-low should be good. Just watch your garlic.) Season with salt and pepper. Now chop your potatoes into bite sized pieces and cook an additional 3-5 minutes. Make sure you are stirring frequently. 

You can peel your potatoes if you want. I like them with the peel on. Also I think russet potatoes work the best in this soup. They keep their shape without turning to complete mush. Of course if you prefer another type of potato or if a different kind is on sale use those! 

   Now melt in your butter. Sprinkle in half your flour and mix then add the rest of your flour and mix making sure everything is coated. Stir in your chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add your thyme. Stir until thickened. It should come out to a gravy-like consistency. 

   At this point let it simmer for 10-15 minutes to cook your potatoes through. I don't blend any of this soup together. I love that it was chunky and thickening it gives it the perfect consistency. 

   After your potatoes are cooked through you will turn your heat to low and add your heavy cream. Start with a cup and taste from there. I used the whole cup and a half. (We love it creamy) heat through on low and right before serving melt in your cheese. Now test your seasonings (salt) and add any if needed. 

 Make sure you are stirring constantly. Even though your heat should be on low you don't want to scald the cream to the bottom of your pot. Your soup will taste burnt and be ruined. Ew! 

    This soup is so amazing you won't believe how fast and easy this recipe is. 

With it getting to temperatures below freezing this week this recipe is a must. You will be putting this in your chilly night recipes forever! 

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