Belle’s Tuscon Potato and Sausage Soup

My cousin Angela Lombardo (“Belle”) and I used to laugh huge belly laughs while swinging on the creaky metal animal swings at the Warren beach. It was wild laughter, a bit sinister. Aunt Mary called it “a dirty laugh”, which made it even better.

Aunt Mary would be quite pleased to know what an excellent chef Angela has turned into, and this dish would certainly get official “Aunt Mary approval”. See below for a delicious recipe. This great photo is by Angela as well!

• Tuscan Potato & Sausage Soup
  
• 
  
• 8 cups chicken stock (homemade if you have it, if not, Kitchen Basics is the yummiest - and its gluten free)
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 celery stalks, chopped
• 6 links hot Italian sausage (you can use any sausage, but the hot really adds a lot of flavor)
  
• 4 large potatoes, halved and sliced
• 1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and chopped
• 1 cup light cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Chop the sausage and saute til cooked. Set the cooked sausage aside. In the same pot add the onions and celery,season well with salt and pepper, and cook til translucent. (I use the sausage fat to cook them - it adds a ton of flavor) When cooked, add the potatoes and stock, then simmer til the potatoes are cooked through. Add the sausage back to the pot, the spinach and the heavy cream (and if needed more salt and pepper). Simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Serve with crusty bread.