I didn’t feel like going to the store or ordering in, so I had to come up with something with materials on hand… This is the product of those efforts, and it is delicious.
That which you must acquire:
- 2 Tbs butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 lb bulk Italian Sausage (spicy or regular)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 can (10 oz) Rotel diced tomatoes & chilis
- 1 Tsp dried basil
- 1 Tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 Tbs soy sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
- 1 1/2 cups grated smoked gouda
- Salt to taste.
Let us begin…
1) Okay, first thing we want to do is melt the butter over medium-high heat in a heavy soup pot and throw in the garlic. Cook it until it’s fragrant, which should be about 30 – 45 seconds.
2) Toss in the diced onion and the sausage and cook it up until the onions are soft and the sausage is brown (about 7 minutes, or so).
3) Pour in about 4 – 5 cups of the broth and add in the Rotel, basil, oregano, thyme, the bay leaf, and the soy sauce.
4) Using a blender (I use an immersion blender, easier to clean), mix the cream cheese in the remaining broth to make a creamy/milky looking substance. Once mixed, pour it into the soup pot.
5) Bring everything to a good simmer and pour in the heavy cream. Then, stir in the gouda slowly to melt it into the soup.
6) Let everything cook at a low simmer for about 20 minutes to meld the flavors and then, if you think it needs it, add salt to taste (mine needed just a heavy pinch).
Now… Enjoy.
Yum 
It’s tasty…
The Judgmental Monkey 