soup with leftover wild rice

Nothing is more comforting than a big bowl of hearty soup and a slice of warm crusty bread. This chunky soup has a long list of ingredients but actually comes together quickly.  Especially if you use the leftover wild and brown rice (from the Rack of Lamb dinner post on October 2 on this site) and meat from a rotisserie chicken.  As usual, I use Costco’s rotisserie chicken, which yields about 1 3/4 pounds of meat, after discarding the skin and bones. Chop up the dark meat for the soup and refrigerate the breast meat for salads or sandwiches for another day.  The chicken Andouille sausage used here was found at Trader Joe’s but any cooked sausage you prefer (such as kielbasa) is fine.  Although the sausage is fully cooked, it is sautéed with the vegetables to lend them more flavor before the liquid is added to the pot.  Today was my first opportunity to use my new “Elite” Cuisinart, and I must say, it was amazing, can’t wait to really put it to the test with a big ol’ day of cooking! With the holidays fast approaching, that will be very soon!  Speaking of the holidays, this would be a perfect soup to make with leftover turkey meat and turkey stock made from the turkey carcass from Thanksgiving, so keep it in mind.

1 3/4 pounds of meat from one Costco rotisserie chicken; breast meat on the left, dark meat on the right

Hearty Wild Rice and Andouille  Soup

8 cups chicken broth or stock, divided
Two 16-ounce packages frozen corn kernels, thawed and divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
12.8-ounce package smoked chicken Andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into “coins”
1 celery rib, diced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups leftover or freshly cooked mixture of wild and brown rice
16-ounce can Cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey meat
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
Fresh minced chives, for garnish
Warm crusty bread, as an accompaniment

Puree 1 cup of the chicken broth with one package of the corn kernels in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add sausage, onions, carrots, celery, and apple pieces.  Season with salt and pepper and sauté until onion is translucent about 8 minutes. Add remaining 7 cups chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer the soup for 15 minutes.

Add the cooked wild/brown rice, Cannellini beans, diced chicken, corn puree, and the remaining package of corn kernels to the pot. Simmer until the flavors meld, about 15 minutes. Stir in half and half. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chives and serve with warm crusty bread.

Serves 12 (freezes well)