Potato Soup with Cabbage and Smoked Sausage

     I miss summer and all of the fresh, local produce that's available that time of year.  I miss grilling burgers and fish outdoors, I miss tomatoes and berries, and their incomparable fresh-from-the-vine flavor.  But one thing I now welcome with open arms is making an entire meal in one pot.  This soup of hash brown potatoes, chopped cabbage, and slices of smoked sausage is a big favorite of mine.  Serve it with a really good, crusty bread spread with salted butter...yum.

• 1 medium onion
• 1 rib celery
• 1/4 head cabbage
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound frozen hash brown potatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 large smoked sausage link, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating
• freshly chopped chives, optional

1.  Chop the onion and the celery.  Shred enough cabbage to make one cup.
2.  Melt the butter over medium heat.  Add onion and celery.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion looks transparent, about 10 minutes.
3.  Stir in the cabbage and potatoes, then add the chicken broth and the water.  Cook over high heat until the mixture boils then simmer for 30 minutes.
4.  Mix together sour cream and flour; add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition.  Stir the sour cream mixture and the sausage into the soup; heat.
5.  Serve the soup with a generous grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano and a sprinkling of chives, if desired.

TAKE a LOOK: