Comfort Soup: Italian Sausage & Veggie

• 2 ~14oz bags frozen Normandy veggies
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 8 oz. Shelton's Italian turkey sausage (no chemicals, awesome taste, get it in the health food store, or health food section)
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 1 16 oz. Southern Style hash brown potatoes (Mr. Dell's is the choice around here--no chemicals)
• 1/2 small bag frozen peas
• 1/2 small bag frozen corn
• 2 quarts water
• sufficient bullion cubes to make 2 cups broth

1. Thaw frozen veggies under hot running water in a colander. Warm some olive oil in your soup pot and sauté the thawed veggies until they're looking partly cooked and flavorful. Remove to a bowl for a little later.


2. Toss onion and sausage into the hot pot, along with enough water to cover the bottom of the pot 1/4", and cook until sausage is done. Cut into small pieces, if you have sausage links instead of bulk ground sausage.


3. Add frozen potatoes and cook, covered & stirring occasionally, until they're well-softened on the outside.


4. Add the reserved veggies, peas & corn, 2 quarts water & bullion.


5. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until it has thickened and looks so good you can't wait any longer to eat it.

You can easily convert this recipe for fresh veggies--just be sure you have about two pounds total of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, and about 8-10 oz each peas & corn. This was just something I came up with about 40 minutes before dinner was due, and I hadn't planned anything for dinner that day. (I know, I know. At least in my case, when necessity is the mother of invention, you get to see what I came up with. ;o)