6-8oz.Kielbasa or Polish sausage, about a 4 to 5-inch piece, sliced into 1/2-inch wide slices, then cut in half/half moon or quartered
1teaspooncooking oil
4 Tablespoonsbutter
3Tablespoonsall purpose flour
1/4cuponion, diced
1/2carrot, sliced into rounds, then cut in half/half moon shape
1/3celery stalk, diced or thinly sliced
2cupschicken broth
1 1/2cupsmilk, plus more to thin
3cupsRusset (baking) potatoes, peeled or unpeeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
To finish:
1/4cupparsley, chopped and loosely packed or 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1/4cupcheddar cheese, shredded
salt and freshly ground pepper
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Instructions
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and swirl around, then place the Kielbasa round into the skillet. Cook sausage without disturbing until starting to brown underneath, then flip over and brown the other side. Remove to a bowl and set aside. *Can be done ahead and refrigerated.
In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring, until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the broth and milk and stir to combine. Add the potatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and gently simmer the soup, stirring regularly to avoid the potatoes sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the potatoes and vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes. *Taste-test the vegetables to be sure they are tender. If soup has thickened too much, thin with a bit of additional milk or broth.
When vegetables are tender, add the cooked Kielbasa chunks and stir in. Cook a couple of minutes to re-warm the meat, then stir in the parsley. *Taste the soup and add additional salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed. If the flavours taste flat, it needs more salt! Remove the pot from heat and add the shredded cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.
Serve soup garnished with additional chopped parsley.
Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days. Soup will thicken as it sits. Thin with additional milk or broth when re-heating.
Notes
I've included some tips and substitution suggestions above this Recipe Card. You'll also find step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.