This recipe is an adaptation of one of my favorite soups as a kid. That version featured potatoes, corn, and hot dog slices. In this one, I'm stirring in kielbasa as my protein and adding a few more veggies to round it out as a meal. Think clam chowder, but without the clams. This is a great winter soup because it uses all those good storage crops: potatoes, onions, carrots. Plus it's sure to make your insides warm on a dark, dreary night.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium green pepper, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt, more to taste (I use a whole teaspoon as my homemade broth has much less salt than most store-bought versions)
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
- 3/4 tsp. paprika
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (use homemade if you've got it)
- 2 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour (or a gluten-free flour such as brown rice or almond)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
- 1 12 oz. package of kielbasa, sliced into rounds. I was able to find a hormone- and nitrate-free version in my grocery store
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley or green onion tops, minced
Instructions
- Heat butter in a cast-iron Dutch oven or other soup pot, over medium high heat. Add onions, green pepper, carrots, celery and garlic. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, cayenne and paprika.
- Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes start to soften. Whisk together the flour and the milk in a separate bowl, then pour into the soup.
- Add corn and the kielbasa. Stir together and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Taste and make seasoning adjustments. Stir in cream. Heat for just a minute longer.
- Serve in bowls, garnished with parsley and/or green onions.
