Chicken/Sausage stew - basic, but good on a cool evening:

[pinto]

for 2 - 4

2 large chicken breasts
2 Italian sweet sausages
2 medium potatoes, quartered
2-4 carrots, chunky cut
1 medium sweet onion, quartered
2 - 4 stalks celery, chunky cut
1- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 cup anise, sliced

1 can/box chicken stock

cheese croutons

bay leaf, ripped
black pepper
thyme
sage

(I don't add salt, the store bought stock usually has plenty, but add to taste.)

**********************************
Coat chicken with pepper, thyme and sage.
Place in a large soup/stew pot.
Cover with stock and water as needed, add bay.
Bring to a boil, turn to simmer, 30 minutes.

Add sausage (pierce the skins), simmer 15 minutes.
Add onion, carrots, celery, simmer 15 minutes.
Add garlic, anise and potatoes, continue simmer.

Cut sausage in quarters, simmer.
Add hot water as needed, till chicken is falling off the bone and potatoes are done.

Set aside.

Before serving, fish out the bones if desired.

Serve in large bowls, topped with cheese croutons.

[NMDemDist2]

1. why do I never think to combine those two? thanks for the idea! n/t

[pinto]

2. They work real well. (The anise here may be much, for some, but I like the flavor. Note -

many Italian sausages have a little anise, already. I'm just a fan of how it all 'cooks into' a simmered pot.)

[hippywife]

3. Good Italian sausage

has fennel seed which tastes like anise. That's the one thing so many grocery store meat departments around here leave out, if they even still do their own! Soup sounds really yummy for a chilly evening. :hi: