Potato Leek Soup with Spicy Sausage

This past week, I thought that spring had finally come!  It has been warm and sunny, with clear, blue skies.  I've been spending a lot of time in the garden and have already planted some lettuces (mesclun which includes a variety of greens, and mizuna, which is an Asian mustard green...slightly spicy like arugula) and some cilantro!  Grocery stores are starting to stock early spring veggies like leeks, Brussels sprouts, and asparagus.  Now is the time to start stocking up on these bright green veggies because they are higher quality and cheaper!  Eating seasonally is a practical way to save money, but it does mean that you have to be a bit creative in the kitchen.  When your pantry is overflowing with new, tender greens, it's time to find many uses for them!

Although the weather is warming, the past couple days have been gray and rainy.  It is still March after all.  And that means more hot soup!  This week I made an old time favorite: leek and potato soup.  As good as this soup is on it's own, neither me or my husband can stay away from spice, so I decided to add in some spicy sausage.

My original intention was to fry up some sausage links (cut into coins) until they were nice and crispy and use them like croutons on top of the soup.  However, I bought some "homemade" sausage that is made in-house at my grocery.  I love that the meat department cases the bulk sausage they make because it is a very fresh option.  I have made sausage in school, and it is a pain in the butt, so I can empathize with their efforts...because the sausage they made was not cased well at all.  There was a lot of air within the casing, so the sausage was loose and impossible to cut into coins.  What I realized (too late) was that boiling or frying the sausage links whole would have firmed up the meat and allowed for me to cut them.  Instead, I opened the casings and sauteed up the meat inside.  This won't be an issue if you buy pre-made sausage, but I mention it because you could use both pre-made cased sausage or bulk sausage for this recipe.

I also wanted to mention that I used chicken sausage.  I buy this because we don't eat pork, but I have to admit that it is quite inferior to pork sausage for one main reason: fat.  Pork sausage has a LOT of lard in it.  I know, I've made it.  Most sausage recipes are almost 1 to 1 meat and fat.  This makes them, of course, delectable, and also allows for them to be fried until they are brown and crispy.  Chicken sausage, on the other hand, has very little fat in it.  Plus, poultry fat just doesn't hold up well to cooking.  It is thin and watery, and does not stand up to frying.  So, when I fried my chicken sausage, it didn't become crispy.  The taste was good, but the texture was slightly rubbery which was odd in the smooth, silky soup.  However, I don't want to give up.  I think I need to boil the cased sausage until it's firm, then cut the link into coins and fry them again in oil.

I'm always fascinated by how one ingredient can change a whole dish.  In this case, I did not succeed at making a lovely, crispy sausage crouton.  So, I recommend if you're interested in making this dish (and you eat pork), use a pork sausage.  Or use the sausage in a totally different way.  Tiny sausage meatballs would be great, or don't put sausage in the soup...you could instead put it on garlic toast to accompany the soup.  

T.E.A.'s Potato Leek Soup with Spicy Sausage

1/2 pound spicy chicken sausage
olive or coconut oil, as needed for frying
2 leeks (about 2 full cups), cleaned well and sliced thin
3 medium potatoes, but into bite sized cubes (I used a yellow, waxy potato so I could keep the skin on.  If you use russet potatoes, you have to peel them)
2 TB garlic, minced
1 quart chicken broth plus more water if needed
salt and pepper to taste

NOTE: to keep your potatoes from turning brown/pink while you cook, immerse them in water.  They will stay fresh until you're ready to use them!

1. In a large soup pot, heat a little oil on medium high heat.  Add in sausage and saute until cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.

2. Remove sausage and any extra fat, and set aside and keep warm.

3. Add in leeks to pot and saute until wilted and soft, about 8 minutes.

4. Add in garlic, saute 1 minute or until fragrant.

5. Add in potatoes, chicken broth, and a sprinkle of salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender.

6.  Turn off heat and strain solids from broth.  Keep the broth and set aside.  Add solids to a food processor and puree until silky smooth, adding in broth when necessary.

7.  Add pureed mixture back into broth, and stir until smooth.
8.  Add in sausage and warm soup back up or garnish with warm sausage.