On Christmas Eve, I’ll be singing at an evening service at our church so I’ll need something already made to serve for dinner when we get home. This recipe for Turkey Rice Soup with Sausage will make a perfect Christmas Eve meal! I’ll make it a day ahead (minus the rice), bring it to a simmer when we get home from church on Christmas Eve, add the rice, let it cook until tender and serve. 

If you like Cajun gumbos and jambalayas, you’re going to love this soup! While not as rich-tasting as a traditional, more labor-intensive gumbo, this hearty soup delivers good gumbo-like flavor without some of the fuss (like making a roux, a cooked flour and fat mixture that thickens soups, sauces and gravies). The recipe calls for andouille sausage (prounounced  ahn-DWEE), a spicy smoked sausage used in Cajun cooking. Enjoy!

Serving Note: this soup is best served as soon as the rice is tender. As the soup sits, the rice soaks up the broth and becomes more like a jambalaya than a soup.

Turkey Rice Soup with Sausage
-Recipe from FoodandWine.com

Make this super-quick gumbo when you crave the hearty flavors of the Cajun classic but don’t have time to make the roux. Makes 6 servings.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 large green bell pepper, coarsely chopped
3 medium celery ribs, coarsely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup long-grain rice (about 4 1/2 ounces)
2 bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt
4 cups Turkey Stock (recipe below) or chicken broth
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes with their juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 -inch slices
2 cups diced cooked turkey (about 1/2 pound)

Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion, pepper, celery and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add the rice, bay leaves, thyme, crushed red pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt and stir to coat the rice with the oil. Add the Turkey Stock, tomatoes and tomato paste, breaking up the tomatoes against the side of the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over moderately low heat until the rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet. Add the andouille and cook over high heat until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add the sausage and turkey and cook until the turkey is heated through and the rice is tender. Discard the bay leaves and season with salt. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Turkey Stock
-recipe from FoodandWine.com

Makes about 3 quarts.

Carcass from a large turkey, cut or broken into 4-inch pieces
4 quarts water
3 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, quartered
4 unpeeled garlic cloves
5 thyme sprigs
1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves, broken

Put the turkey bones in a large stockpot, cover with the water and bring to a boil, skimming occasionally. Add the vegetables and herbs and cook over low heat, partially covered, for 2 hours. Strain the stock, pressing down on the solids. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.Skim off the fat from the surface before using.

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Tags: Cajun, gumbo, sausage, soup, Turkey Rice Soup with Sausage

Super Bowl and Mardi Gras are coming up so I thought I’d post a gumbo recipe. A true gumbo starts with a roux (pronounced “roo”), a slowly cooked mixture of oil and flour. Gumbo takes time to prepare and cook so this is one of those recipes that requires a little bit of planning. Don’t let this scare you off, though. Gumbo is well worth the few extra steps involved in making it.

It’s important to have all ingredients chopped and ready to go before starting the gumbo. And, you must be patient when making the roux. You do not want to be multi-tasking while making the roux, which takes a good 25 minutes or so of constant stirring at medium heat (or lower). Be careful not to burn the roux (dark specks or a burnt smell) or you’ll have to toss it out and start all over to make a new one. Once the roux is a dark brown color (I make mine the color of dark brown sugar) then you add in the chopped onions, celery and red bell pepper. The rest of the recipe is relatively easy. Gumbo is great for entertaining because it can be made a day ahead and reheated. For serving, spoon a little cooked rice in a bowl and ladle the hot gumbo over it. Serve with Tabasco Sauce for an extra kick.

Note: this recipe includes directions for making Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning. Since the gumbo recipe calls for using only 1 tablespoon of it, I just make a smaller amount of ESSENCE.

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo with White Rice
-Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse – foodnetwork.com

EMERIL’S NOTE ON ROUX: If this is your first time making a roux, the slower you cook it, the less likely you will be to burn it.

Serves: 6 to 7 cups, 6 to 8 servings

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut crosswise 1/2-inch thick pieces
4 pounds chicken thighs, skin removed
1 tablespoon Essence or Creole seasoning, recipe follows
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3 bay leaves
9 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 tablespoon file powder
White Rice, recipe follows
Hot sauce

In a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until well browned, about 8 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

Season the chicken with the Essence and add in batches to the fat remaining in the pan. Cook over medium-high heat until well browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan, let cool, and then refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup oil and the flour in the same Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, to make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate.

Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the reserved sausage, salt, cayenne, and bay leaves, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Stirring, slowly add the chicken stock, and cook, stirring, until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Add the reserved chicken to the pot and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, skimming off any fat that rises to the surface.

Remove the pot from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken thighs from the gumbo and place on a cutting board to cool slightly. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Pull the chicken meat from the bones and shred, discarding the bones and skin. Return the meat to the gumbo and stir in the green onions, parsley, and file powder.

Spoon rice into the bottom of deep bowls or large cups and ladle the gumbo on top. Serve, passing hot sauce on the side.

Emeril’s ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly. Yield: 2/3 cup.

Recipe from “New New Orleans Cooking”, by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

White Rice:
2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups water, chicken stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 bay leaf

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the rice, water, butter, salt, and bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit, covered and undisturbed, for 5 minutes.

Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Discard the bay leaf and serve. Yield: 7 cups.

Tags: Chicken, gumbo, roux, smoked sausage