Sausage-Potato Soup

Today, 2 weeks after the big snowstorm, it did not snow at all. This was the first day in the past 14 that we have not seen as much as a single flake. We rejoiced. :)

Ever since the electricity came back on a week ago, we have been in our own hellish version of the movie Groundhog Day. Every other day, we shovel and remove ice then spend the rest of the day in pain. On our “off” days, we just spend the days in pain… We really do only the bare minimum that we have to, but with over 2’ of snow, plus ice dams on the roofs and having to remove the resulting icicles (some of which are 7’ tall), it’s quite difficult.

Spring? Where are you???

On those days we do not feel the need to kill ourselves by working outside, I am able to get into cooking. Funny how being able to stand for more than 10 minutes at a time, and to bend to get a saucepot out of the base cabinet without moaning, makes me more willing to prepare meals. :)

Lunch yesterday was made from a CuisineLite recipe. In my last post I mentioned how much I am enjoying this special edition of Cuisine at Home magazine, and this soup was the third recipe I have taken from there and enjoyed.

We are certainly having “soup weather” and this Sausage-Potato Soup fit the bill perfectly for lunch. It is a thick, creamy soup flavored with smoky turkey kielbasa.

Of course, I made some changes. Not so many, I first thought, but then as I wrote this I realized that there were quite a few. Nothing so drastic, however, to diminish the concept of the basic recipe. My version is below.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Sausage-Potato Soup

Recipe Adapted from CuisineLite

Servings: 4 (2 cups each)

Preparation Time :0:40

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup sliced carrot

1 cup diced onion

2/3 cup diced red and yellow bell peppers

1 1/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

16 ounces mashed potatoes -- about 2 cups

2 1/2 cups skim milk -- divided

7 ounces turkey kielbasa -- diced

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2/3 cup frozen peas

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

4 tablespoons lowfat cheddar cheese

Heat oil in nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat, add peppers and carrot and sauté (stirring frequently) for 2 minutes. Add onion and continue to cook, stirring often, for another 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

Add about 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, stirring up any browned bits that might be on the bottom of the pan, then add the remaining broth. With a whisk, stir in the mashed potatoes until well blended. Stir in 2 cups of the milk, the sausage and the chipotle pepper then turn the heat down a little.

Stir the flour into the remaining milk until smooth, then slowly pour this mixture into the hot soup, stirring constantly. Increase the heat to medium and cook soup until it thickens, stirring often, about 3-5 minutes.

Add peas and cook until they are heated through. Season soup with salt and pepper. Garnish each serving of soup with 1 tablespoon of cheese.

Yield:

"8 cups"

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Per serving: 316 Calories (kcal); 10g Total Fat; (28% calories from fat); 23g Protein; 36g Carbohydrate; 55mg Cholesterol; 1206mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

Basically, the changes which I made to the original recipe were:

Added bell pepper, increased the amount of peas(this adds nutrients, bulk, and flavor)

Increased the amount of chicken broth a little, and some extra flour

Used skim milk (the “super skim” variety) instead of 2%

Used ground chipotle pepper instead of dill

These changes resulted in slightly more soup per serving, with a slight drop in calories but more significantly 3g less fat per serving (1g less saturated). Every little bit counts, right?

I especially liked the chipotle pepper subbing for the dill, since it added both heat and extra smoky flavor.