Recipe for Hot & Spicy Sausage Soup - How To Make

This is a winter type soup, that is designed as a meal on its own when served with hearty slices of thick fresh bread.

This soup was first served to my family just after I returned from hospital, having had some abdominal surgery, for the 2nd time in less than a month, and I was feeling a heck of a lot better. So I had the time and the mental inclination to do the preparation.

I must admit I made the soup, but did not really have the energy to do my normal photo documentation, for which I apologise.

In the past we have always relied on obtaining ready mixed 4 in 1 dried soup ingredients. However in a shopping trip to our local green grocer, we saw that they had the individual dried ingredients sold loose per weight.

As the prepackaged soup ingredients cost nearly Ten Rand, and usually contain more barley and grouts than anything else.We made our own which comprised of a scoop each of:-

• green split peas
• yellow split peas
• barley
• red lentils
• brown lentils

This worked out to Seven Rand a Kilo, and we have a tastier mixture.

So the result of this little exercise was, that you do not needlessly have to settle for prepackaged ingredients that are sometimes not what you need, but rather shop around and get what and more importantly what balance you would like at a more economical rate.

1 Chourico

1 cup of dried soup mix

1 packet of fresh soup mix

3 litres of filtered water

3 tablespoons of Paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste

Chourico, a spicy Portuguese sausage, which is loaded with Paprika and some Peri Peri chilies.

Fresh soup mix, this usually comprises of some carrots, a couple of turnips, some leeks, fresh parsley and some celery stalks, a couple of potatoes a fresh onion and also a parsnip or two.

Place the water in a large saucepan or pressure cooker, you will not add all the water at once, use only about half.

Bring the water to the boil and add the dried the dry soup mix. Let it boil for an half an hour, then reduce to a brisk simmer.

Peel and grate the carrots, turnips, potatoes, parsnips and onion and add these to the simmering mixture.

Slice and chop the celery, parsley and leeks and then add this to the pot.

Keep the pot simmering and top up with water frequently so that the soup does not stick to the bottom of the pot.

Take a teaspoonful of the mixture and check if the peas, lentils etc are very soft, once they are that soft and you cannot see the bottom of the pot for soup, then it is ready.

Slice the Chourico into thick slices, add to the pot, add the Paprika, and let simmer for about ten minutes.

Place a good selection of bread, butter and rolls on the table.

Place the soup in a serving dish, and put in the centre of the table, have some salt and pepper pots as well as a dish of freshly copped chilies if you so desire, you can also have some cayenne chili powder on hand for those that like it really hot.

Enjoy