Sausage-Potato-Bean Soup

½# fresh Italian chicken sausage

~or~ any you like

½ lg. onion

1 carrot

2 stalks celery

2 lg. elephant garlic cloves

~or~ 6 regular cloves

3 Idaho potatoes

1 can your favorite beans

Peel off sausage casings then dice sausage into 5qt. pot. Works best while sausage is slightly frozen. Add diced onion, carrot, celery and garlic, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Stir-saute' for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice-chop peeled or unpeeled potatoes into a 2qt. pan, adding just enough water to cover them. Simmer on low-medium while sausage and vegetables are cooking. Pour potatoes and water into 5qt. pot and simmer another 30-45 minutes, adding rinsed, drained beans for the last 15 minutes as well as more water, if needed.

Check and correct any flavor deficiencies with powdered chicken bullion or seasoned salt and pepper. You could also add a can of cream-based soup at this point, if you'd like a heavier soup, stirring well to blend. . .Lin