Creamy Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Wild Rice Soup

Spring in the Northwest can be chilly, prompting this warming soup. Italian sausage and fennel are natural companions—the wild rice, cream, and cheese round out the soup, making it a meal in a bowl. Bulk sausage works in place of the link sausage. However, parmesan cheese is not a good substitute for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¾ to 1 pound Italian link sausage

1 cup onion, small diced

1 large  or 2 small fennel bulb, small diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 pinch red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rind (optional)

1 quart chicken broth

½ cup wild rice

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated + more for serving

Reserved fennel fronds or 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Add the olive oil in a large Dutch oven, then brown the sausage on all sides over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage and place on a cutting board. When cool, cut into one-inch disks and reserve.

  2. Remove all but two tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add the onion and fennel. Sauté until soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste, then move with a wooden spoon and cook until distributed, about thirty seconds to one minute. Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Add the optional Parmigiano rind, broth, and wild rice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer over medium heat, cover the pot, and cook until the wild rice is softened but not losing its shape, forty to fifty minutes. Add the sausage disks and heat thoroughly.

  3. Stir in the cream and one-fourth cup of cheese. Taste, Think, Transform with salt and pepper.

  4.  Garnish with the fennel fronds or chopped parsley and serve hot.

Creamy Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Wild Rice Soup
Yield: 8 servings
Author:
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 15 M
Spring in the Northwest can be chilly, prompting this warming soup. Italian sausage and fennel are natural companions—the wild rice, cream, and cheese round out the soup, making it a meal in a bowl. Bulk sausage works in place of the link sausage. However, parmesan cheese is not a good substitute for Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ¾ to 1 pound Italian link sausage
  • 1 cup onion, small diced
  • 1 large or 2 small fennel bulb, small diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rind (optional)
  • 1 quart chicken broth
  • ½ cup wild rice
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, finely grated + more for serving
  • Reserved fennel fronds or 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add the olive oil in a large Dutch oven, then brown the sausage on all sides over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage and place on a cutting board. When cool, cut into one-inch disks and reserve.
  2. Remove all but two tablespoons of fat from the pan. Add the onion and fennel. Sauté until soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste, then move with a wooden spoon and cook until distributed, about thirty seconds to one minute. Stir in Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Add the optional Parmigiano rind, broth, and wild rice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer over medium heat, cover the pot, and cook until the wild rice is softened but not losing its shape, forty to fifty minutes. Add the sausage disks and heat thoroughly.
  3. Stir in the cream and one-fourth cup of cheese. Taste, Think, Transform with salt and pepper.
  4. Garnish with the fennel fronds or chopped parsley and serve hot.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

367.36

Fat (grams)

28.94 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

12.73 g

Carbs (grams)

16.71 g

Fiber (grams)

3 g

Net carbs

13.71 g

Sugar (grams)

5.07 g

Protein (grams)

11.6 g

Sodium (milligrams)

1003.34 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

70.53 mg

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.

Italian sausage, fennel, wild rice soup
soup, main dish soup
Italian
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Linda Hierholzer