Sausage, Spinach & Potato Soup

We are now well into Soup & Braise cooking territory in Melbourne.
The chill has set in & in our house the lurgies are amongst us too.

SOUP SOUP , ALL the SOUP!
That's what the doctor ordered.

"BEAUTIFUL Soup, so rich and green,
Waiting in a hot tureen!
Who for such dainties would not stoop?
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!
Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!

Beau- ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau- ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo- oop of the e- e- evening,
Beautiful, beautiful Soup!

Beautiful Soup! Who cares for fish,
Game, or any other dish?
Who would not give all else for two
Pennyworth only of Beautiful Soup?
Pennyworth only of beautiful Soup?

Beau- ootiful Soo-oop!
Beau- ootiful Soo-oop!
Soo- oop of the e- e- evening,
Beautiful, beauti- FUL SOUP!"

Lewis Carroll 

SAUSAGE, SPINACH & POTATO SOUP:

I don't know about you but I tend to trot out similar soups time & time again- delicious nonetheless but it was time for a change.
This was the result.
It relies on VERY GOOD quality all-meat sausages - sausages with fillers and other stabilisers just won't do, so if you don't have great quality sausages replace them with Chorizo or bacon.
I use sausage this way in pasta often- an old Italian method but have never used it in soup before. it worked well.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

• 4 Pork & Fennel sausages (see notes above) If replacing sausages, use 3 coarsely chopped rashers bacon or 1 chorizo sausage in their place.
• 4 large waxy potatoes, skin on & chopped into large cubes
• 300g washed & drained spinach
• 1 bunch Parsley, coarsely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 onion, cubed
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 1/2 cup cream
• S & P.
• olive oil

METHOD:

Heat a large fry pan and add a small dollop of Olive oil.
Gently squeeze the sausage out of the casing so it falls into the fry pan in small meatball shapes.

Continue with this until all sausages are browned.

Remove from pan and set aside on kitchen paper to drain.

Now place a large saucepan on the stove and heat to medium heat.
Use a glug of fresh olive oil and add the onion, garlic & bay leaf.
Cook until Onion is translucent and the garlic fragrant.
Add the cubed potato, chopped parsley & the reserved browned sausage.
Stir.
Now add chicken stock, increase heat and bring to boil.
Immediately reduce heat to simmer and cook until spuds are soft.
Now add cream and bring back to simmer.
Check seasoning (i think this soup is best with a VERY generous amount of black pepper).
And just before serving add the rinsed Spinach and stir until just wilted - this keeps the spinach's nutritious goodness and also keeps it's glorious GREEN!
Serve with extra chopped parsley & some Sourdough & Chorizo crumb.