Back from a week and a half on the road. Business trip to Atlanta and Florida. Funny how those work best in winter. Connie came back coughing and hacking. He spent a good part of the day on the couch in the office. My mission was to get him to eat some relatively healthy food for dinner - including what we call Jewish penicillin - chicken broth. The problem is that he doesn't like soup. Particularly brothy soups. Lobster bisque? Clam chowder? Both are just fine with him. Chicken noodle? Um, no thanks. So, I thought I'd make chicken and noodles. Then, when I opened the freezer and saw the solid block of four chicken thighs I decided to come up with plan B. There were three sausages in the freezer. They'd thaw a LOT more quickly. They went into a soup pot along with onion and green pepper. Then, I headed toward the pantry to gather ingredients that'd work. One of the recipes I'd read on eatyourbooks.com suggested using hash brown potatoes in a sausage soup. That sounded good but rice sounded better. Then, once everything was in the pot and simmering away, I made some sour cream with lime juice and cumin. And, I grated some extra sharp cheddar. A quick salad with bibb lettuce, sliced banana, mandarin orange segments and a jam dressing topped with toasted pecans and we were good to go. This is a soup that'll freeze really well. And, since Connie actually liked it, I'll be able to make it a few times a year!
Mexican Sausage Soup
3 sausages (mild or spicy Italian)
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 T olive oil or vegetable oil
1 quart chicken bone broth
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can gold and white corn, drained
1 can stewed tomatoes, chopped (regular diced tomatoes or Rotel will work)
1 16 oz jar salsa
1/2 c Uncle Bens converted white rice
2 t cumin
Slice and brown the sausages, onion and green pepper in the olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 15 minutes - or until the rice is tender. You can top this with sour cream and/or grated cheese.
Here's the salad too:
