19.5 oz. spicy turkey sausage

6 tablespoons butter

1 white onion, diced

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

5 tablespoons flour

3 (14.5 oz) cans of chicken broth

12 oz. can of your favorite beer

2 lbs. russet potatoes, diced in ½” pieces

1 cup heavy cream

8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt

fresh cracked pepper

Garnish:

sliced green onion

shredded cheddar cheese

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add turkey sausage and brown, crumbling with a spatula until cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat butter in the same large pot (no need to wipe it out) over medium-high heat.

Add onion, carrots, celery, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 10-12 minutes.

Turn heat to medium and add garlic, oregano, and thyme and cook for another minute.

Then add flour and stir to coat veggies. Cook for one more minute, stirring frequently.

Stir in beer, chicken broth, and diced potatoes along with another pinch of salt and pepper.

Cover, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring to a simmer.

Once it begins to simmer, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir occasionally to prevent potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Remove soup from heat. Transfer half of the soup mixture to a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour back into the pot.

Stir in heavy cream and shredded cheese. Then add the white balsamic vinegar.

Add cooked sausage back into the pot. Heat the soup over medium heat for a couple minutes, until the sausage is heated through.

Garnish with green onions and shredded cheddar cheese.

NOTES

Prep ingredients as you go. While the sausage is browning, chop your onion, carrots, and celery. Then while the onion, carrots, and celery are cooking, mince your garlic and dice your potatoes. While the potatoes are simmering, grate your cheddar. This will save you lots of precious prep time!

Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself. It’s often cheaper to buy a block of cheese rather than a bag of shredded. Freshly shredded cheese will also melt better as pre-shredded cheese is coated in cellulose to help the shreds not stick together, which can also prevent the cheese from melting evenly.

Use good quality beer. Skip the Bud Light and find a high-quality craft beer with a flavor that you enjoy. No dark beer, stick to lagers, ales, IPAs, or the like.

Use your favorite sausage – if you like it spicy (like me) use that. If you’re more into mild Italian sausage, that will work great too!

Salt liberally throughout cooking. The ingredients in this soup are simple, so be sure to salt liberally throughout the cooking process.