Sausage Soup

Copied from a recipe of Grandma Friesen's into my recipe box, it was called "Mother's Best Soup" in her book. This is our "potato, carrot, sausage, bean" soup. A family favourite, and always good on a cold winter day. It's not a terribly "exact" recipe, as I use my recipe as a guideline, but I'll do my best to give you some amounts so it tastes good for you too. It tastes very good without the cream, so can be served dairy free if desired. If you have issues with dairy, serve it with the cream on the side, allowing everyone to add it as they like.


4 small potatoes (figure 1 small potato per person)
4 large carrots (again, about 1 carrot per person)
Half a package of farmer sausage
Water
1 medium onion, finely chopped, or 1 tablespoon onion powder
2 bay leaves
1 piece of whole anise seed (or 1/4 teaspoon anise extract)
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried savoury, or 3 pieces of fresh summer savoury (in herb/plant form)
salt and pepper to taste
1 can kidney beans, drained (large or small can doesn't matter)
cream*

Cut potatoes, carrots and sausage into small cubes/ pieces. Put in large pot together with onion and spices/ seasoning. Cover with cold water, then bring to a boil. Simmer together until vegetables are soft and sausage is cooked. (let it simmer for at least half an hour)

10 minutes before serving, add kidney beans, and check for seasoning (adding salt and pepper if needed)

Immediately before serving, stir in enough cream (or canned milk) to give the broth a creamy look.

Serve with fresh buns and cheese for the full Mennonite experience.

And enjoy.

Should serve 4-6

*To keep it dairy free, put the cream on the table rather than adding it directly to the soup. Let everyone add it to their bowl after the soup is served.