This sausage, rice and tomato based soup will satisfy your hunger and is quick enough for a busy weeknight meal.
Soup Weather, Baby!
Is it soup weather in your neck of the woods? I love soup weather! In fact, I wish we had a few more months of it here in Arizona. Today our high is 80 and it is December 2nd. Not exactly soup weather but this soup is on the menu anyway. It is delicious and easy.
Many years ago I ate this soup at a baby shower and I knew I had to have the recipe. It is a tomato-based soup that is filling like a casserole but in a simple soup form. The ingredient list is fairly short and may be ingredients you already have on hand.
Homemade or not
This soup is great with homemade chicken broth, if you happen to have any of that lying around. My favorite way to do chicken broth is to start with a whole organic chicken.
First, cook the chicken in a crockpot or instant pot with some water, a few garlic cloves, onions and seasonings. Once it is cooked completely and cooled slightly, remove all the chicken from the bones.
Let the chicken meat cool completely and then shred it or chop it in chunks and freeze it for future meals.
Homemade is cheaper but not the only healthy option
Second, take the bones and all the chicken leftovers and put them back into the crockpot or instant pot. Add a couple stocks of celery, a couple carrots, a chopped onion, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Cover it all in about 10 cups (whatever will properly fit in the pot you are using) of good, clean water.
Cook in the crockpot for 12-24 hours or the instant pot for 1½ hours. Strain out the solids and voila, you have made yourself some delicious and nutritious chicken broth.
If you don’t want/like/need to make your own chicken broth, I like the Kettle and Fire brand as well as the Pacific brand. They are made with no funky junk.
Italian Sausage and Rice Soup
1 pound sausage
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 – 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 – 14 oz can tomato sauce
2 – 14 oz cans pinto beans, drained (can use other beans – navy, black, red, etc.)
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup uncooked rice
In a large pot, add the sausage and break it apart. Turn stove to medium heat and begin to brown it. Half way through its browning, add the onions and garlic. Stir well. Once the onions are starting to turn clear, add the rest of the ingredients. Stir until everything is well incorporated.
Let the soup start to boil, cover it and then reduce the heat to medium low. Stir every few minutes so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Once the rice is soft, about 15 minutes, turn off the heat and serve. Can serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top. Not necessary but delicious.
