Tomato Basil & Rice Italian Sausage Soup
Now, before you start thinking this is some highbrow dish that'll have you hunting down obscure ingredients in the dark corners of a specialty grocery store, let me stop you right there. This is as straightforward as it gets, but with a taste that'll have you questioning all your life choices up until this very moment.
First off, you're going to need some pork sausage. I went with Red Wine & Garlic sausage from @vtsalumi because, let's be honest, it sounds fancy and I like to pretend I'm gourmet. You'll also need an ungodly amount of fresh basil—like, start your own basil farm kind of amount. Then, grab a jar of sun-dried tomatoes (don't you dare ditch that oil), an onion, Basmati rice, chicken broth, garlic powder, garlic salt, and Parmesan cheese. That's it. Seriously, you probably have half of this stuff lying around already.
Now, for the magic. Cook up that rice first. I'm a rebel, so I boil it in a mix of water and chicken broth for kicks. Then, in a pot—or if you're feeling adventurous, a large deep dish pan—saute those onions, sausage, and sun-dried tomatoes with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil. And remember that oil from the sun-dried tomatoes jar? Yeah, throw in a couple tablespoons of that too. It's like the secret handshake of flavor town. Once your onions are soft and your sausage looks like it's getting a nice tan, drown everything in chicken broth, throw in your basil as if you're performing some sort of green leafy exorcism, and season with garlic powder and garlic salt. Let it simmer because good things come to those who wait, right? Finally, introduce the rice to the pot and top it all off with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese. Give it a taste, adjust the seasoning like you're some sort of soup whisperer, and voila! You've just made yourself a pot of what I can only describe as sheer delight.
So there you have it, my not-so-humble take on Tomato Basil & Rice Italian Sausage Soup. It's simple, it's delicious, and it's probably going to become your new addiction. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Tomato Basil & Rice Italian Sausage Soup
Ingredients
Instructions
- - Cook rice and set aside. I boil mine in half water and half chicken broth.
- - In a medium pot or large deep dish pan, sautee onions, sausage and sun dried tomatoes with some extra virgin olive oil. I also add about two tablespoons of the oil from the sun dried tomato jar. This adds more flavor.
- - Once onions are soft and sausage is browning, add the chicken broth, a ton of fresh basil, garlic powder and garlic salt. Continue to stir and set to simmer.
- - Add the rice into the pot, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.
- - Taste test and add additional seasonings to your preference.
