Ingredients

Soup

• 450 g / 1 lb ground Italian sausage — mild or spicy

• 1 tbsp olive oil, if needed

• 1 medium onion, finely diced

• 3–4 garlic cloves, minced

• 3 medium potatoes, about 500–600 g, diced into 1–1.5 cm cubes

• 2 medium fresh tomatoes, diced

• 1 cup / 240 g canned diced tomatoes

• 5 cups / 1.2 L chicken broth

• 1 cup / 240 ml heavy cream

• 3 cups / 90–100 g fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped

• ½ tsp dried oregano

• ½ tsp dried basil

• ½ tsp paprika

• ¼–½ tsp red-pepper flakes, optional

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½–1 tsp salt, to taste

• ¼ cup / 25–30 g grated Parmesan, optional

For garnish

• Fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped

• A little Parmesan

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Optional drizzle of olive oil

Detailed Method

1. Brown the sausage

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.

Add the sausage and break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon.

Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned and cooked through.

Tip: Don’t stir constantly. Let the sausage sit against the hot pan for a minute or two at a time so you get those browned bits visible in the finished soup.

Remove about ¼ of the sausage and reserve it for topping the bowls.

2. Cook the aromatics

If the pot is very dry, add 1 tbsp olive oil.

Add:

• diced onion

• minced garlic

Cook for 3–4 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent.

Add oregano, basil, paprika and red-pepper flakes.

Cook for another 30–45 seconds.

3. Add tomatoes

Add the fresh diced tomatoes and canned tomatoes.

Cook for approximately 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The tomatoes should begin breaking down and releasing their juices.

This gives the soup the orange-red color visible around the edges of the bowl in your photo.

4. Add potatoes and broth

Add the diced potatoes and chicken broth.

Add the bay leaf and black pepper.

Bring the soup to a gentle boil.

Then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover partially and simmer for approximately 15–20 minutes.

The potatoes should be easily pierced with a fork but shouldn’t completely fall apart.

5. Make it creamy

This is the important step for getting the consistency shown in the photograph.

Remove about 1–1½ cups of the soup, including some potatoes and tomatoes.

Blend until smooth using an immersion blender or regular blender.

Return the blended mixture to the pot.

This naturally thickens the soup without needing a large amount of flour.

Alternatively, simply mash several potato pieces against the side of the pot.

6. Add cream

Lower the heat.

Slowly stir in:

1 cup / 240 ml heavy cream

Do not rapidly boil the soup after adding the cream.

Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes.

For an even richer version, add the Parmesan now and stir until melted.

7. Add spinach

Add the chopped spinach.

Stir for approximately 1–2 minutes, just until wilted.

Taste and adjust:

• Salt

• Black pepper

• Red-pepper flakes

• Parmesan

Similar sausage-and-spinach soups add the greens near the end so they retain their color and don’t become excessively soft.

8. Finish and serve

Turn off the heat.

Return the reserved browned sausage to the top or stir some through the soup.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with:

• Fresh chopped parsley

• A little Parmesan

• Black pepper

• A few pieces of fresh tomato

• Optional drizzle of olive oil

For the same visual effect as your photo, leave some sausage crumbles, tomato pieces and green herbs visible on top rather than stirring everything completely into the soup.

 Approximate Nutrition

For 6 servings, using pork sausage and heavy cream:

The actual numbers will vary considerably depending on the sausage, broth and cream. For comparison, published sausage-potato-spinach soups range from about 287 kcal to 504 kcal per serving depending on ingredients and serving size.

 Nuts / allergens

No nuts are required for this recipe.

Potential allergens:

• Milk/dairy: heavy cream and Parmesan

• Gluten: check the sausage and broth labels; some processed sausages can contain fillers

• Soy: check sausage/broth labels if relevant

For a nut-free soup, use a certified nut-free Parmesan/cream product if you’re cooking for someone with a serious allergy.

Easy substitutions

• Turkey/chicken sausage: lighter version

• Half-and-half: less rich than heavy cream

• Evaporated milk: creamy with less fat

• Kale: substitute for spinach

• Sweet potato: substitute for regular potato

• Vegetable broth: instead of chicken broth

• Coconut cream: dairy-free option, though it will noticeably change the flavor

A dairy-free sausage-potato-spinach version using coconut cream is also a documented variation.