This is a quick and satisfying soup for winter months. Garnish with lots of grated Parmesan cheese, the way Italians do! I like to heap it on and am happy to pass on the idea. I like leeks so I tend to have them on hand, ditto for thyme as it is a permanet resident in my herb garden, but other than that, the carrots, potatoes, and garlic are all “cupboard staples”

Ingredients:

1. 2 links of Italian sausage
2. 4 carrots
3. 1 head of garlic, peeled*
4. 2 leeks – whites only OR, alternatively, one leek using all of it
5. 1 large potato
6. a bunch of thyme, tied
7. 2 tablespoons olive oil
8. 6 cups of water
9. Salt & pepper to taste
10. ¼ cup chopped parsley

*buy garlic cloves already peeled or, follow the instructions below to peel a whole head of garlic easily.

Directions:

1. Set a small pot of water to boil. You will use it in a few minutes.
2. Wash the vegetables.
3. Peel the carrots and cut them into coins.
4. Peel the potatoes and cut them into ½” cubes.
5. Cut the leeks into rounds,
6. Separate the garlic into cloves and plunge them into the boiling water. After 30 seconds, drain them.  Peel the garlic. The skins should slide off!
7. Cut the sausage into rounds.

1. Using a stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add all the ingredients except the water and parsley.
2. Sauté the mixture for about 4 minutes, enough to coat with the oil and heat through. Alternatively, you can brown the sausage first for a richer flavor and THEN add the vegetables and cook to soften a bit, for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the water, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium or high simmer for about 30 minutes. 
4. Taste, take out the thyme tied with twine, add salt and pepper, sprinkle the reserved parsley and serve.