Creamy Potato & Sausage Soup

Disclaimer:  The following recipe is only semi-homemade, but wholly hearty & good!

Ingredients:
1 - 11 oz. Bear Creek creamy potato soup mix
8 cups of water
1 - 14 oz. Hillshire Farms turkey or beef Polska Kilbasa, sliced into 1/2 inch wedges and cut in half
4 large carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


Directions:
Pour 8 cups of water into a large saucepan, and then heat water on high until boiling.  While water is heating, chop the sausage, carrots, celery, and onion as directed.  Heat a saute pan to medium-high and coat the inside of pan with non-fat cooking spray.  Saute celery and onion on the stove until both vegetables are slightly translucent.  Once the water is at a rolling boil, add the pouch of soup mix, reduce heat to medium-low.  Using a whisk, stir the soup mix into the water vigorously to loosen up any clumps of potatoes and/or dried soup base.  After the soup pouch contents are thoroughly mixed with the boiling water, add the veggies and sausage.  Simmer soup for at least 20 minutes, stirring and checking frequently that soup contents are not sticking to the bottom of your saucepan.  Soup will thicken while simmering and become a 'chowder' consistency.  After 20 minutes, check carrots for tenderness.  Simmer the soup just until it has thickened and the carrots are tender.  Serve with ground black pepper and popovers (recipe to follow).