Wild Rice And Corn Chowder Food

WILD RICE AND SAUSAGE CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• 1. Cook rice according to package directions but omit any oil or fat additions. Simply add whatever water is directed. Set aside. I usually do the microwave instructions and leave it in there until I'm ready to add to soup.
• 2. In a heavy bottomed soup pot (same one you plan on cooking soup in), add 1 tbsp olive oil and cook sausage until no longer pink. You can leave it in links and slice into thin slices after you cook it or you can open the links and saute sausage like ground beef. I prefer the links, it helps the sausage stand out!
• 3. While sausage is cooking. Small dice onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper and chop garlic. Set aside.
• 4. Once sausage is finished cooking, remove from pot and set aside. Add remaining olive oil and diced vegetables, chopped garlic and cumin to pot. Saute/sweat veggies until slightly softened and starting to carmelize.
• 5. While vegetables are cooking you can slice sausage into thin bite size disks about 1/4 inch thick. Add sausage back to pot with all chicken broth and frozen corn.
• 6. Simmer soup for 30 minutes.
• 7. Reduce to low and add half and half and chopped cilantro. Add as much or as little as you like just before serving is best.
• 8. This makes a thinner chowder. If you prefer a thick creamy chowder simply add a tablespoon or so of flour to vegetable mixture when it's done, right before you add broth. Stir flour to incorporate and coat mixture cooking slightly. And then continue with chicken broth and frozen corn addition from step 5. Once you add the half and half simmer for 10 minutes to thicken and go to step 6. :)

CORN AND WILD RICE SOUP WITH SMOKED SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Bring 5 cups broth to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add wild rice and simmer until all liquid evaporates and rice is almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blend 3 3/4 cups corn and 1 1/2 cups chicken broth in processor until thick, almost smooth puree forms. Heat vegetable oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and onions and stir 3 minutes. Add remaining 6 cups chicken broth and bring soup to simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer soup 15 minutes.
• Add cooked wild rice, corn puree and remaining 2 1/2 cups corn kernels to soup. Cook until wild rice is very tender and flavors blend, about 15 minutes longer. Mix in half and half. Thin soup with more chicken broth, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Soup can be prepared 2 days ahead. Refrigerate until cold; cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm soup over medium-low heat before continuing.)
• Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with chives and parsley and serve.