Kartoffelsuppe (German Potato Soup)

Method

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1. 1Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent.
2. 2Add the carrot, celeriac and leek and stir for 5 minutes, until the vegetables look glossy and smell fragrant.
3. 3Add the potatoes, hot stock, bay leaf and marjoram. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer partly covered for 20-25 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart when pressed with a fork.
4. 4Remove the bay leaf. Mash about half the soup with a potato masher or a few short pulses of a stick blender; it should be thick but still chunky.
5. 5Add the sliced sausages and simmer for 5 minutes until heated through. Stir in the cream now if using, then keep the soup just below a boil.
6. 6Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. If it has become too thick, loosen it with a little hot water.
7. 7Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot, ideally with thick slices of rye bread.