Sausage, Potato and Spinach Soup

This homey soup is hearty and simple. The original recipe is from damndelicious.net; I adapted the version offered by The Candid Appetite. Dicing the vegetables means the soup cooks faster, making it a good weeknight meal for busy people.

The changes I made were to cut fat, by replacing the Italian sausage with turkey Italian sausage and using fat-free “half-and-half.” It lessens the richness of the soup a bit, but also lessens my guilt. You could easily increase the spinach or substitute kale or another green. The next time, I might add carrots for color and increased nutrition.

Top with Parmesan to serve; it’s the perfect flavor addition.

Sausage, Potato and Spinach Soup

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casing removed (I used Italian turkey sausage to cut fat)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium-large sweet onion, diced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 pound red potatoes, diced (about 4 medium)

3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

1/4 cup heavy cream (I used fat-free “half-and-half”)

Shredded Parmesan to serve

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.

Stir in garlic, onion, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Stir in chicken broth and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in spinach until it begins to wilt, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in heavy cream until heated through, about 1 minute; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Top each serving with a generous spoonful of Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4.