Requiring just a few minutes to toss into the slow cooker, this hearty combo of potatoes and smoked sausage is brightened by fresh baby spinach. For a heartier bite, you can substitute kale for the spinach if you like—just make sure to remove the tough stems and finely chop it first. (Incidentally, my kids are actually more likely to eat kale in their soup if I shred it in the food processor first and refer to it as parsley, but that’s another story for another day.) Spinach or kale, the don’t-wanna-miss-ingredient in this soup is, surprisingly, the feta cheese stirred in at the end, which somewhat melts into the soup to lend it a lovely creaminess—so don’t skip it!
YIELD: 6 SERVINGS
2 lb (910 g) small red potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
12 oz (340 g) smoked sausage (such as kielbasa), cut into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ tsp (6 g) House Seasoning
1 dried bay leaf
⅛ tsp hot sauce (such as Tabasco brand)
5 oz (142 g) fresh baby spinach
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 ¼ cups (6 oz [170 g]) crumbled feta cheese
Combine the potatoes, sausage, garlic, chicken broth, House Seasoning, bay leaf and hot sauce in a large slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the potatoes are tender. Discard the bay leaf, add the spinach, cover the slow cooker for about 5 more minutes until the spinach wilts, and gently stir the soup to combine. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and garnish each serving with a generous amount of crumbled feta cheese.