Smoky Sausage & Rice Soup

This soup came about because we had half of a smoked sausage link leftover from another meal & Matt suggested a try making a sausage & rice soup.

I wanted to play on the smoky flavor of the sausage so decided my main spice would be smoked paprika. Roasted red peppers added another layer of flavor. And finally a touch of cayenne for a pleasant bit of heat. For sometime I just made up as I went along I was really happy with this finished soup. The flavors just seemed to come together perfectly & it had enough body to be a very satisfying main course with just a bit of crusty bread.

Smoky Sausage & Rice Soup

1 T olive oil

1 med, yellow onion, peeled & diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1/2 lb smoked sausage link, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 t smoked paprika

1/4 t dried marjoram

pinch cayenne

salt & pepper

3 or 4 strips roasted red pepper, roughly chopped

1 14 oz can whole tomatoes, undrained

2 c chicken or vegetable broth

1/3 c white rice (med or long grain, we used jasmine)

In a medium soup pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion & celery & cook until the onion is translucent. Add the sausage & allow to brown slightly. Stir in the paprika, marjoram, cayenne and a little salt & pepper. Next add the peppers & tomatoes including the liquid from the tomatoes. Break up the tomatoes with your spoon or squeeze in your hands are adding. Add the broth & bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover & reduce the heat to simmer. Let simmer until the rice is cooked about 30 minutes. Check seasoning & add salt, pepper & cayenne as needed.

Makes 3 - 4 servings