Potato soup a one-pot wonder

Chicken soup famously warms your soul in all kinds of weather, but when the thermometer dips into the 20s, it’s time to pull out the big guns and get serious with a bowl that’s as sustaining as it is comforting.

Winter is when stick-to-your-ribs dishes come calling, after all. Winter activities such as shoveling snow, sled riding and ice skating burn calories and to properly refuel, you need carbs. Also, it’s just great to snuggle on the couch with a bowl full of something warm and filling after being out in the cold.

This nourishing potato soup is a one-pot wonder that goes from pantry and fridge to table in about a half-hour, using a familiar cast of characters many home cooks already have on hand, or can easily find in even small grocery stores.

It gets heft from the addition of andouille sausage, a flavor bomb that adds both a gentle heat and a wonderful smokiness that plays perfectly against the starchy potatoes and nutty, cheesy gouda.

The seasoned broth includes milk and cream along with chicken broth, which adds calories (boo!) but also makes the soup creamier (yay).

I like to thicken the soup slightly by mashing some of the potatoes in the pan about halfway through cooking, but if you like a chunky soup, you can skip that step. I also love the addition of sweet corn, which skews it into chowder territory, but again, that’s completely optional.

If you don’t like or can’t find andouille sausage, kielbasa makes a fine substitute. You could also swap bacon for the sausage, or leave it out altogether for a vegetarian dish.

Serve with crackers, crusty bread or a side salad for a complete meal.

Cheesy Potato Soup

Serves 8. Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

8 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into thin coins

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion (about 1 medium)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, diced

4 cups chicken stock or broth

2 cups milk

½ cup light or heavy cream

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of hot paprika

7-ounce can sweet corn, drained

½ cup shredded gouda cheese

Chopped green onion or chives, for serving

Crackers, for serving

Place sausage in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and fry until the sausage is crispy.

Remove sausage pieces to a plate and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.

Add butter and chopped onion to pan, and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent and tender, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Sprinkle flour over the ingredients in the pot, give it a good stir, and cook until the mixture is smooth and has a slightly nutty aroma.

Add diced potatoes to the pan, along with the chicken broth or stock, milk and cream. Give it another good stir, then season to taste with salt and pepper and a pinch or two of smoked paprika.

Bring mixture to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 10-15 minutes.

Reduce heat to simmer and use a potato masher or immersion blender to puree some of the potato until it is smooth. (This will thicken the soup.)

Add reserved sausage slices and corn and allow the soup to simmer an additional 15 minutes. Add shredded gouda and stir until it melts and the soup is well combined.

Serve with crackers and diced chives or green onions as a garnish.