Italian sausage and fingerling potatoes in a flavorful broth, simply delicious. Sprinkling flour over the meat mixture turns this soup into a creamier and thicker broth. Toss in a a bay leaf and a sprig of rosemary makes this a savory delight. This Fingerling Potato Italian Sausage Soup is one of our favorites.
This year’s Colorado harvest of tiny fingerling and new potatoes have given us some of the sweetest and most flavorful I can remember. I’m smug to announce that I have generous supply of these little gems. Thanks to two trips out to Brighton to our vegetable farms this Fall.
Northeast of Denver, you’ll find acres and acres of sweet corn, potatoes, sugar beets, tomatoes, cabbage, peppers…the lineup of vegetables goes on and on. Roadside markets offer a large selection of locally grown vegetables and food products. If you’ve ever flown into DIA, our airport sits not far South of this farming community.
Our San Luis Valley, is also a big producer of Colorado Potatoes.
I think the history of the area is fascinating. For those of you who have read James Michener’s Centennial, you know it depicts the history of pioneers heading west with focus on the Front Range of Colorado. In true Michener style, he begins in the 1800’s with relationships with Indian tribes and early French trappers. He then guides us through time with pioneers traveling to Colorado in covered wagons followed by Army troops building forts and negotiating with Native Americans. Centennial finally ends with the business rivalries between cattle and sheep ranchers, and vegetable farmers.
“Potato” Brumbaugh was a colorful immigrant featured in the book. He settled in the Denver area and planted potato farms and recruited Japanese families to help build his farming empire. Today, several of those farms are still owned and operated by descendants of those original Japanese families.
Most likely Brumbaugh’s character was depicting “Potato” Clark. Rufus Clark arrived in Denver via ox-pulled covered wagon with his wife and child in July 1859. He staked out a large farm in an area that became Overland Municipal Golf Course, along the South Platte River across from Ruby Hill. Clark made a fortune selling potatoes to miners, subsequently venturing into real estate. At one time, his landholdings included nearly 20,000 acres, much of it located in the area that became Greenwood Village and Cherry Hills Village. He divided the acreage into plots and provided irrigation to encourage farmers to move West.
I just read that Colorado is the fourth largest potato producing state, following Idaho, Washington and Wisconsin.
So with all that said, let’s talk about these sweet little fingerlings and this delicious soup.
Sprinkling flour over the meat mixture turns this soup into a creamy sausage and potato soup. Toss in a a bay leaf and a sprig of rosemary makes this a savory delight. I’ve also made this with the addition of fresh spinach leaves just before serving. With all that said, grab some potatoes and give this recipe a try. This is one of our favorite Italian Sausage Soup Recipes.
More Sausage Soup Recipes
- Creamy Sauerkraut and Sausage Soup with Potatoes
- Chorizo Soup with Chickpeas and Cabbage
- Italian Sausage Soup
Simple and delicious. If you like Italian Sausage, you’re going to love this soup recipe.
- 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
- 1 small sweet onion sliced into thin strips end to end
- 1 large clove garlic crushed
- 2 Tablespoons All-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 Cups Chicken broth
- 1 pound fingerling potatoes cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 2 piece Fresh rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 Cups Half and half
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Brown sausage in a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium high heat, breaking it up as it cooks. When it is starting to brown, add onion and cook until they are wilted and transparent; add garlic and cook for one minute longer, stirring frequently.
- Sprinkle flour over the top of the sausage mixture and quickly stir in. At this point the mixture will be very dry in appearance. While stirring, slowly add the chicken broth; stir until it comes to a boil. Add the potatoes, bay leaf, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil before reducing the heat to low.
- Cover and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, approximately 30-40 minutes. Add the half and half and salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the rosemary stem and bay leaf. Serve piping hot.
Looking for more soup ideas using potatoes and sausage? Take a look at this:
Creamy Sauerkraut and Sausage Soup with Potatoes
Creamy Fingerling Potato and Sausage Soup …It’s What’s for Dinner.
Vickie says
October 26, 2011 at 8:28 pmYUM! This recipe is right up my alley. I have a bag of little potatoes in the pantry, I’m a fiend for Italian sausage, and it is soup weather! Love all the farming history in Colorado – you are so good to research these things. And those photos of the market are yummy. I am smitten with all things pepper and those basketfulls are beautiful. Glad you shot the roaster, too. I was describing this process to Dana and now I can show him what the roaster looks like.
Lea Ann says
October 27, 2011 at 5:27 amYou’re gonna love this soup Vickie. I too am a fiend for Italian sausage. You drove right by the area when you took that 470 bypass. We should have met out there and did a little vegetable shopping.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
October 26, 2011 at 8:49 pmI have enjoyed catching up on your posts that I missed while traveling in Europe. This soup sounds delicious as well as the brownies. Can’t wait to try them.
Lea Ann says
October 27, 2011 at 5:25 amAnd I’ve been following that trip Karen. Even though I didn’t always have time to comment. Welcome back.
Larry says
October 27, 2011 at 2:33 amWhat a great combo – sausage and potatoes in any form. The soup sounds delicious and when you can get new potatoes with their extra sweetness it’s even better. I have read Centennial and appreciate the added info – I’m a history and geography buff. It’s always nice to be able to buy directly from the farmer to get very fresh produce and find out just what you are eating. Pimento peppers are a favorite of mine for grilling – thick flesh and very sweet. I grow the heart shapped variety vs the sheepnose in your photo, but I think they taste pretty much the same.
Lea Ann says
October 27, 2011 at 5:24 amI have never in my life seen a pimento pepper until I went to Pete’s. And those were good. I ended up roasting them last year for your pimento cheese spread. I didn’t read Centennial, but did watch the mini series. I love going out east and imagining what it must have been like for those first folks seeing our majestic mountains for the first time. As always thanks for the comment Larry.
Sam @ My Carolina Kitchen says
October 27, 2011 at 3:55 amI love those little potatoes when I see them in the market. Love your soup with the potatoes and sausage and you know I think rosemary makes everything better. (Maybe they should have named me Rosemary?)
Going to Pete’s to get vegetables would make everything even more enjoyable.
Sam
Lea Ann says
October 27, 2011 at 5:19 amI look forward to that trip to Pete’s all year long. It’s a wonderful adventure and I come home with my trunk packed. I agree about Rosemary making everything better Sam. Especially good on potato dishes.
Heather @girlichef says
October 27, 2011 at 5:18 amMmmm…potatoes and sausage in a soup. Sounds like heaven to me!
Lea Ann says
October 27, 2011 at 6:16 amI could not agree more Heather. 🙂
Norma says
October 27, 2011 at 5:37 amI am catching up on your posts…was away and missed a bunch. This soup is perfect for today…gloomy, rainy and chilly. After coming back from florida I need this.
Lea Ann says
October 27, 2011 at 6:14 amComing from Florida to cold and rainy???? You definitely need this soup. Thanks for stopping by and the comment.
Karen Harris says
October 27, 2011 at 6:52 amI so glad you liked this soup as much as I do. I loved your story. So interesting. I wish I had a crisper full of these potatoes. We’d have a pot of this on the stove right now.
Lea Ann says
October 29, 2011 at 5:44 amThat has become one of my favorite soups Karen. Your version is so much better than the recipe I had. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Kirsten@My German Kitchen...in the Rockies says
October 27, 2011 at 9:00 amLea Ann, do you think it would be to late to go up to Pete’s one more time? I would really love that, especially since my farmers market has already closed for the year.
The fingerling potatoes and the corn you recommended were delicious!
This sounds like the perfect soup for today. Wish I had the ingredients on hand.
Great picture!
Lea Ann says
October 29, 2011 at 5:43 amI’d love to make another trip Kirsten. I suppose there are a few things left. Thanks for the compliment on the photo. I thought it needed a little work … don’t like the shadow in the bowl, no utensil …. 🙂
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
October 27, 2011 at 10:38 amI have been on such a soup kick lately but most of them have been meatless. Now I’m anxious to find some good sausage and try my hand at this, sounds fabulous.
Lea Ann says
October 29, 2011 at 5:42 amI love all soups Barb, meatless works too. Thanks for stopping by.
Velva says
October 28, 2011 at 7:39 amSoup looks divine. Soulful and comforting.
Stay warm.
Velva
Lea Ann says
October 29, 2011 at 5:42 amI am staying warm and cozy Velva. 🙂
Care's Kitchen says
October 28, 2011 at 7:40 amPerfect soup for the time of year especially! I also love how she added the flour to the meat to thicken the soup! Such a comforting meal!!! We’re expecting snow here in NJ this weekend…SNOW!?!? May have to whip this up!!!
Lea Ann says
October 29, 2011 at 5:41 amWe still have snow on the ground from our Wednesday adventure. Winter is here and so is soup season. 🙂
Susan says
October 28, 2011 at 2:23 pmWhat an interesting story about the potato farming and how it started! Our biggest crop is Wisconsin Russet potatoes – aka Idaho potatoes.
This soup sounds delicious and one my sausage-loving husband would love.
Lea Ann says
October 29, 2011 at 5:40 amIts a cinch to make too Susan. As always thanks for stopping by and the commnet.
Joanne says
October 29, 2011 at 11:02 amI find potatoes to be one of my ultimate comfort foods. This soup looks incredibly tasty! My fingers are frozen right now after just being outside and I could use a big bowl of this!
Lea Ann says
October 31, 2011 at 6:18 amI couldn’t agree more Joanne.
Chilebrown says
October 30, 2011 at 3:33 pmthat sounds like a yummy soup. I just got some potato seeds and will attemp to grow my own potatos. They should be ready in April or May.
You know who is playing next week. Is Elway coming to the Bay Area?. I would love to meet him, Not!
Lea Ann says
October 31, 2011 at 6:17 amYou are too funny! Not! 😉
I grew potatoes when I lived in Kansas. They were really delicious. The soil was pretty sandy. Wonder if that helped? I’d have to Google it and read about it. Thanks for stopping by ChiliB
Greg says
October 31, 2011 at 9:23 amGreat looking soup. So perfect for that cold weather that you must be having these days.
Lea Ann says
October 31, 2011 at 10:09 amThanks Greg. Definitely soup weather in Colorado; 🙂
Chris says
November 1, 2011 at 4:00 pmThat soup sounds right up my alley with the italian sausage and potatoes. Did not realize you guys were such potato producers over there, interesting to know.
Lea Ann says
November 1, 2011 at 4:46 pmSimple and delicious. I’m an Italian Sausage fan … so this is one of my favorite soups.
Karen says
November 11, 2011 at 12:14 pmI love those little fingerling potatoes. This soup reminds me of the copykat recipe I use from Olive Garden (zupa toscana). It’s delish!
Lea Ann says
November 12, 2011 at 9:18 amI think I’ve got that Zuppa Toscana recipe in my database.