April 13, 2017
As soon as the weather gets warm soups are off my radar. This is my last attempt before it’s all farmer’s market veggies and grilling the next few months – but in my defense, even with the warm weather quickly approaching this soup is light but full of buttery rich flavor. Just looking at these pictures has my mouth is watering and I want to go back for seconds.
I was sick a lot more times this winter season than I have been the last few years. It never fails, even at 30 years old, that each time I’m sick I wish I had my mom here to take care of me. Do we ever grow out of that feeling? Out of pure luck, if you can call it that, I happened to be sick when I visited my parents last month. My mom made her famous chicken noodle soup (it’s the best) in addition to making sure I had everything I needed at my bedside. The life fit for a queen, sick or not. It really makes you regret all of those years as a child when we didn’t realize how good we had it because those times were too good to be true. Did anyone watch the Bachelor recently (Nick’s season?) I think Corrine was onto something with her adult nanny.
If I’m the sick one in our house, I usually send Will on a wild goose chase to find me some soup. It’s hard enough to get out of bed and brush my hair when I’m sick so cooking a meal is completely out of the question. However there is a downside. It’s really hard to find store bought soups that aren’t full of additives & sugars. I know adding sugar and other processed foods during a time that my body is already working on overload to fight of a virus, is not in my best interest. This soup is less than 7 ingredients, it cooks in the crock pot in less than 4 hours, & freezes easily. So even if your mom is not there to nurse you back to health, this nutrient packed soup will have you quickly on the road to recovery.
Disclosure: You don’t have to be sick to enjoy this dish!
PRO TIP: Use the Leftover spinach to make one of the following dishes:
- Chipotle & Spinach Egg Bake
- Spring Chef Salad with Red Wine Herb Vinaigrette
- Sweet Potato & Bacon Breakfast Hash. Spinach is not in the recipe, but toss in & Saute for some added greens.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Avocado or Olive Oil
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage (Check ingredients)
- 3-4 russet potatoes peeled & cubed
- 2 cloves large garlic minced
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 2 C fresh spinach
- 1 cup Coconut milk (or Cashew Milk)
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot powder or tapioca starch
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Pinch of red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Heat large saute pan over medium high heat and brown sausage.
- Add minced garlic and stir to combine.
- Add sausage and garlic to the bottom of slow cooker.
- Add diced potatoes & cover with chicken stock. Add water or more stock if necessary to cover potatoes.
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook on LOW for 5-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 (potatoes should be soft)
- BEFORE SERVING
- Pour Coconut milk into a bowl & whisk to combine. Measure out 1 Cup and whisk in arrow root or tapioca starch. Add mixture to crockpot along with spinach.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes until soup has thickened slightly.
- InstantPot Instructions
- On the Saute Feature: Add the oil and allow to heat. Add the sausage & cook until browned. About 5 Minutes.
- Add in the Garlic, allow to get fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the Potatoes, a generous pinch of salt (about 1 tsp) and a pepper. Stir to combine the pork & potatoes. Pour in the chicken stock.
- Place lid on the IP. Cook on "soup" for 5 minutes.
- While the IP is cooking, Mix 1 C of Coconut (or cashew) milk with tapioca or Arrowroot starch. When the IP has completed the 5 minute cycle. Release the pressure. Stir in the spinach & the milk mixture.
- Serve.
