Turkey Sausage Soup with White Beans and Wild Rice

After Thanksgiving the food fest continues with new ways to make tasty leftovers! This recipe uses sausage but can be substituted for leftover turkey instead. It’s a perfect comfort food recipe as the days get colder and the nights get longer. It didn’t take long to throw together either! The beans, wild rice and corn made it a very hearty meal. I had never used turkey sausage in soup but it added some really nice flavors. I used a homemade chicken broth instead of store bought which enhanced the flavor of the soup quite a bit. The rice absorbs a lot of the broth so make sure to have extra on hand to add in later.

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 2 cups sweet corn
• 30 oz. Cannellini beans, washed and drained
• 3 cups wild rice
• 14 oz. turkey sausage, casings removed, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 8-12 cups homemade chicken or turkey stock (plus extra if needed)
• 3/4 cup frozen spinach, softened and chopped
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns
• sea salt to taste
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot heat the olive oil and brown the sausage for several minutes. Remove and set aside.
2. Add in the onions and carrots and a little more olive oil if needed, saute until translucent about 8 minutes.
3. Add the corn, beans, peppercorns, bay leaf, sea salt and wild rice to the pot.
4. Pour the stock into the pot, stir and cover. Bring to a low boil, then turn down the heat to simmer for about 60-90 minutes, or until the rice is cooked.
5. During the last 30 minutes stir in the sausage and spinach, adding more stock if needed. I found that the rice absorbed a lot of the stock and I needed extra to compensate. If that happens just add more and cook until it reaches a boil again. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve!