Description
This hearty Potato and Sausage Chowder is the ultimate comfort food, made with savory chicken or turkey sausage, tender potatoes, wild rice, and vegetables simmered in a rich, creamy broth. Perfect for chilly days, this satisfying stovetop soup is easy to prepare and makes a delicious family dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 400 g chicken or turkey sausages, casings removed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons plain all-purpose flour
- 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 100 g wild rice
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 375 ml single cream or half-and-half
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Brown the sausage. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage meat from its casings, add it to the pot, and break it into crumbles with a spatula. Fry until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the sausage to a plate, leaving about 2 tablespoons of rendered fat in the pot.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the same pot. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and dried thyme and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Create the roux. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and fat. Stir well to form a paste and cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Return the cooked sausage to the pot.
- Simmer the soup. Slowly pour in a small amount of stock, stirring constantly until the roux is smooth. Add the remaining stock, bay leaves, and wild rice. Bring to a simmer and cook over low to medium heat for 30 minutes.
- Add the potatoes. Stir in the cubed potatoes and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and wild rice are tender.
- Finish with cream. Pour in the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Warm gently without boiling, then remove the bay leaves and take the pot off the heat.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
- Taste the soup before serving and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
- Keep the heat low when adding the cream to help prevent it from splitting or curdling.
- For a thicker chowder, mash a few cooked potato chunks directly in the pot.
- Use good-quality chicken stock for the best flavor, or vegetable stock if preferred.
- Pre-cooked wild rice blends can be used to reduce the simmering time.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For a lighter version, replace the cream with evaporated milk.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American