Sausage Potato Soup with Sage

This recipe for another wonderful soup is adapted from my favorite author of Amish cooking, Marcia Adams, and her book entitled New Recipes from Quilt Country. This is a very easy soup to prepare and is made from ingredients that are usually in the pantry, except the sausage, of course. We love potato soup and the addition of the sage- flavored sausage adds a real country flavor to an otherwise basic and humble ingredient like a potato. A thick slice of Irish Soda Bread is wonderful alongside a bowl of potato soup. I'll post my favorite recipe soon. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 pound lean pork sausage with sage such as Jimmy Dean rolled sausage
2 cups chopped onion
5 cups peeled and thickly sliced potatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. celery seeds
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
4 shakes hot red pepper sauce
3 tbsps. chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp. minced fresh marjoram, or 1/2 tsp. dried

1. In a stock pot, brown the sausage over medium heat until the juices are released, about 3 minutes. Add the onions and saute' the mixture until the onions are limp, about 8 minutes. Drain off the fat, and set the sausage aside in a bowl.
2. Add the potatoes, broth, salt, celery seeds, and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
3. Slightly mash the potatoes, leaving some in chunks for good texture. Add the reserved sausage, the milk, hot pepper sauce, parsley, and marjoram. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, about 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

Yield: 8 cups