Sunday Soup

Yes I know it was Super Bowl Sunday yesterday and I should have been somewhere watching the game and stuffing my face with little meatballs cooked in chili sauce and grape jelly and slathering queso on corn chips, but to be perfectly honest...I don't like football, and thankfully the bf doesn't either. Instead we tackled a home project that I have wanted to get done for some time...Hopefully we will get closer to being done tonight. In the midst of trying to get some work accomplished yesterday I had to make dinner and since we had a very hearty dinner the night before I decided to make soup for dinner.

What you need to make this simple soup are 1 pound bulk hot Italian sausage (or sausage of your choice), 1 large onion, diced, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1 large carton (32 oz. or 48 oz.) chicken broth or stock, Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional), 4-5 small red potatoes skin on, cleaned and cut into cubes 1 cup half and half, 3/4 of a bag of baby spinach, stems removed, 8 oz. of prepackaged sliced mixed mushrooms sauteed before adding to soup. Shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese (optional).

In a large pot, cook the sausage over medium high heat... breaking it up into pieces as it cooks. drain fat.. removing all but about a tablespoon. If your sausage doesn't have much fat add a little olive oil. Dump the onions on top of the sausage and stir... cook until the onions are almost soft ... about 4 minutes or so... add the garlic and stir well.. cook for another couple of minutes. Add the broth and bring to a low boil... add the potatoes and bring to a low boil again... reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender... about 15-20 minutes. Then add the spinach in handfuls and the mushrooms... stirring gently. When the spinach cooks down. Add the half and half and let soup get hot, but do not boil! Serve immediately with shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese at the table.

I had made a some bread yesterday in anticipation of this dinner along with a mixed baby greens salad with dried cranberries and goat cheese dressed with a light balsamic & honey dressing.

There would have been more photos to go along with this meal, but I was cooking with a little headlight strapped to my head and it just wasn't happening. Hopefully that hole is gone this week...tonight preferably.

Have a great week everyone.