Coming from Minnesota, I’m always interested in trying recipes with wild rice as an ingredient.  Wild Rice is actually a grass, not a rice, and it’s still harvested by thrashing the grass stalks into canoes in Northern Minnesota.  I buy wild rice in large quantities either by mail order (just Google wild rice and Minnesota) or in a grocery store when I visit my family in Minnesota.

 This recipe is great for lunch and hardy enough for dinner. It also freezes well so I don’t mind making it for ten.  Lately, I’ve been using the Chicken Andouille Sausage (Anne’s brand) and we think it’s just as good, if not better, than the pork version.

Andouille Sausage, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup

Serves 10

1 medium butternut squash, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
2 Tbls. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup wild rice
3/4 pound Andouille sausage, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 Tbls. chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the squash with 1 Tbls. of the oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Peel and seed the squash. In a blender, puree the squash with 2 cups of the chicken stock. Puree until smooth and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring 4 cups of the stock and 1/2 cup of the chopped onions to a simmer. Stir in the rice and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a fork. Remove the rice from the pan and cool.

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the remaining Tbls. of oil. When the oil is hot add the remaining 2 cups of onions. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups of stock, squash puree, corn and sausage. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Stir in the rice and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Tags: andouille sausage, corn, soup, wild rice