The Soup That Eats Like A Meal

As My Beloved and I sat down to eat dinner, what should float to the top of my consciousness but the tag line from a Campbell's soup commercial from my youth. "The soup that eats like a meal." Amazing the Proustian associations a bowl of soup can dig up!

Such as memories of my friend Wendy, who loves wild rice - there was wild rice in this soup. And remembering why I froze turkey stock and soup from last Thanksgiving - we were sick of turkey back then but are grateful for an easy meal now. And a chuckle remembering that the little rounds of spicy summer sausage were provided by My Beloved's friend Tom, who lost the Super Bowl bet this year and sent us cheese and sausages from Wisconsin.

This soup really did "eat like a meal." It was nearly stew. Nothing in there but shallots softened in butter, then covered with turkey stock, carrots, and thyme to simmer together with the wild rice until the rice "blossomed," about 50 minutes, then it was time to add the sausage, leftover turkey pieces, and peas for the final heating.  It needed salt and pepper at the table but was otherwise perfect. Even My Beloved, who is not always a fan of soup for dinner, enjoyed it enough to have a second helping.

The sausage was the magic ingredient that sparked everything else. It was a tiny bit spicy and very flavorful when heated in the soup. It also complemented the wild rice beautifully - those two are a great combo.  The rest was just along for the ride, but that homemade broth played in the background, like the cello in a concert - not often the star of the show, but it makes the stars shine out.

I have had a head cold all this week. Soup is the perfect meal for a cranky, cold-ridden patient.

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

3 cups homemade turkey broth (I don't think you can buy this stuff, but if you can, let me know where. I make mine simply by boiling the turkey carcass in water to cover the bones with onions, carrots and celery until it all falls apart, cooling it, straining out the bones and veggies, and reserving the meat)
3 small summer sausage sticks (you might substitute pepperoni, but those are spicier), sliced into rounds
3 large shallots, chopped
About 3/4 cup raw wild rice
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 tsp dried thyme
1 cup leftover turkey pieces
1 cup frozen peas

Soften the shallot in butter, then toss the rice with the shallot until grains are coated and shiny. Add the thyme and cook until fragrant, just a few minutes. Add the turkey stock and carrots, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 45-50 minutes, until the rice "blooms" (i.e., splits and shows the white interior). Add summer sausage, turkey pieces, and peas. Cover and simmer until peas are dimpled but still bright green, perhaps 3-4 minutes. Serve in wide bowls and pass the salt and pepper.

*If I had had mushrooms in the fridge, I'd have sautéed them along with the shallot, then followed the rest of the recipe.