- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 1 pound uncooked sweet Italian sausage
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large large fennel bulb – quartered, cored and thinly sliced (reserve a handful of fronds, chopped)
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 fresh or dried bay leaf
- 1 pinch Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Freshly grated Asiago or Grana Padano cheese, to pass around the table
- Crusty Italian bread, to pass around the table
- In a large soup pot, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and brown for a couple of minutes. Add the onion, fennel, garlic and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine, stirring for about 2 minutes, then add the broth, cover and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, adjust the seasonings and top the soup with the chopped fennel fronds, basil and parsley. Pass around cheese and bread at the table.