Recipe: Sausage and Potato Soup

This recipe for Sausage and Potato Soup started as a feeble attempt to re-create my Grandmother’s Brotwurst Soup. First I need to explain…. Brotwurst is a Hungarian sausage that I grew up eating… it’s similar to Polish Kielbasa but much more flavorful. It’s made with lots of Hungarian spice… and you guessed it… that means lots of paprika.

My grandfather used to make it… and when we ran out of his or he didn’t make it… we bought it from a wonderful Hungarian store in Brooklyn. You could get it smoked, which is similar to what unsliced pepperoni looks like …. or fresh …. which looks similar to Polish Kielbasa, except more red in color.

We also used to buy Hungarian paprika there… the owner had his own mix of sweet and hot Hungarian paprika that was a staple in our house…. and then a staple in my house when I had my own family.

Sadly, the store is no more…. and I haven’t had my Brotwurst in years. I truly miss it.

My Grandmother and Mother made the best soup with the fresh brotwurst. … the soup was flavored with vegetables and the brotwurst…. and was clear not thick like the recipe I’m going to give you…

I started out trying to re-create the soup using Kielbasa… but it just didn’t work… just not enough and certainly not, the same flavor… so I did the next best thing… made a different soup. The result is a really hearty soup that is loaded with flavor from the Kielbasa.

TIPS

I used seasoned potato flakes to thicken the soup… you can use flour and water …. I just wanted to add a little more flavor to the soup by using seasoned potato flakes.

I served it with bread for a wonderful weeknight meal.






Recipe: Sausage and Potato Soup

All you need:

1 pound smoked sausage (I used Hillshire Farms), sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, diced
4 fresh carrots, peeled and sliced
5 small to medium Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
About 3 cups chicken broth (enough to cover)
½ teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
Salt to taste (I used about 1 teaspoon)
Pepper to taste (I used about 10 turns on the pepper mill)
3 cups whole milk
½ cup seasoned potato flakes (I took this from a Butter & Herb Potato Flake packet)

All you need to do:

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.

Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add the carrots and cook another 3 minutes.

Add the sliced sausage and potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times.

Add the chicken broth… just enough to cover.

Cook the soup over medium high heat to a simmer….. if the soup begins to boil, turn it down a bit.

Cook on low, uncovered for about 1 hour or until potatoes are cooked but not too soft. You will need to check on the potatoes periodically… you don’t want mush.

Add the milk and cook for about 3 minutes… then add the potato flakes and stir well. The soup will thicken.

Cook for about 5 minutes or until soup is at desired thickness.

Serve with fresh crusty bread.