Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the sausage. Cook the Italian sausage for approximately 3-4 minutes until browned. Stir occasionally while breaking up any large pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Drain excess oil if necessary. Leave only about 1 tablespoon in the pot.

Add the garlic and black pepper to the pot and cook for 1 minute, stir frequently.

Add the potatoes and the chicken broth. If you were keeping the potatoes in water remember to drain them before adding them in.

Raise heat to high and bring the broth to a boil. Once it’s boiling lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.

Cook the soup for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fall-apart tender. They should break easily when pierced with a fork or knife.

Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat.

When the butter melts add the flour and stir until incorporated.

Gently cook the mixture for 1½ -2 minutes to get the raw taste out of the flour. Stir almost constantly.

Next, slowly add the milk while stirring with a large fork or whisk. Continue stirring until the sauce is smooth.

Cook the sauce for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once it starts simmering, lower the heat to medium-low and stir often.

Take the white sauce off the heat and give it a stir every so often while you wait for the potato sausage soup to finish cooking.

When the potatoes are super tender, take the pot off the heat and add the prepared white sauce. Stir well until the sauce is completely incorporated in soup.

Taste the soup and add salt if needed. As a reference we added 1 teaspoon to ours.

Serve the potato sausage soup with 1 or 2 tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese and garnish with parsley, if desired.