Santa Soup
This wonderfully hearty soup is an autumn and winter tradition in our home. I first served it when my children were small—I told them that it was the very soup that Santa eats before he goes on his big ride to deliver all of the toys. The kids loved it and have been asking for it every fall and winter since. The soup is simple to prepare and is very aromatic with the scent of the basil and the caraway seeds. Create a special tradition this fall by serving Santa Soup!
This wonderfully hearty soup is an autumn and winter tradition in our home. I first served it when my children were small—I told them that it was the very soup that Santa eats before he goes on his big ride to deliver all of the toys. The kids loved it and have been asking for it every fall and winter since. The soup is simple to prepare and is very aromatic with the scent of the basil and the caraway seeds. Create a special tradition this fall by serving Santa Soup!
- 2 32-oz containers beef stock 32 ounces each (salted or unsalted or mix them both)
- 2 cups of water
- 8 cups potatoes 1 inch cubes, yellow
- 8 cups brussel sprouts small, trimmed and cut in half
- 1 cup sweet onion chopped
- 3 tablespoons basil fresh, chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms chopped
- 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
- 4 cups ground sausage fresh and formed into 1 1/2 inch balls
- Carbohydrate 52.8189958333333 g
- Cholesterol 107.52 mg
- Fat 40.6598683333333 g
- Fiber 9.75686669750015 g
- Protein 37.3456691666667 g
- Saturated Fat 13.37712325 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (817g)
- Sodium 1586.27616666667 mg
- Sugar 43.0621291358332 g
- Trans Fat 3.74872166666666 g
- Calories 716 calories
Step-by-step
- Fry the sausage balls on high heat in a dutch oven or stew pot. After the first five minutes add the mushrooms, 1/2 of the caraway seeds, onion and basil. Continue to fry another 5 minutes to add a dark edge to the onions.
- As soon as the onions develop a brown edge add a cup of the beef stock. Keep the heat on high and allow the beef stock to reduce. After the stock reduces to a syrup-like consistency add another cup of stock. Continue to reduce and add for 10-15 minutes or until the sausage balls are thoroughly cooked.
- While the sausage balls are cooking add the second container of beef stock and the water to a stew pot. Bring to a boil. When boiling add the potato and sprouts and the remainder of the caraway seeds. Boil until the potatoes are mostly cooked through but still slightly firm.
- Add the sausage mixture to the pot with the potato and sprouts. Bring back to a gentle simmer and allow to simmer for 20 minutes to distribute the flavors. Add the remainder of the stock to taste or supplement with additional water if desired.
Unlike a standard beef stew that relies on a slow, passive simmer from the outset, this preparation demands aggressive early heat management to build deep flavor complexity through fond development. When cooks treat it like ordinary soup by dumping everything into cold liquid at once, the results taste flat and muddy. Mastering the initial high-heat pan stage prevents this failure entirely.
- Brown the sausage balls on high heat for the first five minutes before introducing the mushrooms, onions, basil, and half the caraway seeds.
- Deglaze progressively by adding beef stock one cup at a time, allowing each addition to reduce to a syrupy consistency over 10 to 15 minutes.
- Select small Brussels sprouts that measure under an inch across; larger heads yield excessive bitterness and fail to soften properly in the boiling liquid.
- Boil the 1-inch yellow potato cubes and trimmed sprouts separately until they are mostly cooked through but retain slight resistance in the center.
- Substitute white cannelloni beans for potatoes if managing carbohydrates, though the starch release will differ noticeably from standard yellow potatoes.
Proper timing during the final 20-minute gentle simmer marries the sausage fats with the vegetable broth without turning the sprouts to mush. Temperature control separates a robust seasonal dish from a watery disappointment.
