Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons preferred fat
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 pound raw ground sausage or 1 pound chicken breast, chopped
- 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms or
- 1/4 cup dried, crumbled mushrooms
- 2 large potatoes, cubed
- 2 long carrots or 10 baby carrots, chopped
- 1 medium sweet potato, cubed
- Preferred seasonings, to taste
- 1 quart chicken broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
- In a heavy Dutch oven or pot, melt fat over medium heat.
- Add in onion and sausage or chicken breast, and cook until onion is translucent and meat is almost done.
- Add in mushrooms and remaining vegetables, as well as any additional seasonings, and lightly cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add in enough chicken broth and water, if needed, to cover all the ingredients. (This is where you can transfer your ingredients to an instant pot or slow cooker.)
- Bring to a boil, and then turn heat to low and simmer for 1 hour on the stove, or 4 to 6 hours in the slow cooker or the “pressured soup” setting on the electric pressure cooker.
- After all vegetables are tender, add salt and pepper, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese. Stir to combine, and serve hot with biscuits or cornbread. Note: A delicious variation is to use foraged mushrooms instead of store-bought mushrooms. I like to use hen of the woods, chicken of the woods, chanterelles, and lion’s mane.
More Hearty Meals for Hard Workers
Southern Homemade Chicken and Dumplings
How to Make Chicken Soup from Scratch
Originally published as “Hearty Meals for Hard Workers: Cheesy Mushroom and Potato Soup with Chicken or Sausage” in the November/December 2024 issue of GRIT magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.
Jenny Underwood is a homeschooling mom of four. She lives on a fifth-generation farm in the foothills of the Missouri Ozarks with her husband of 24 years. Her favorite things are reading a good book with a good cup of coffee, gardening, mushroom hunting, and fishing.