Tuscan Soup with Sausage Meatballs

Presenting the fourth installment in the Gluten Free and You tribute to Fall. The Fall tribute was inspired by Gluten Free and You readers voting Fall their favorite season in a poll a few months ago.

I sincerely hope you enjoy Tuscan Soup with Sausage Meatballs as much as my family and I. We have many fond memories of sharing this meal with family and friends. It is always a hit.  This recipe is from one of my favorite grocery stores, Wegmans


Recipe tip: This recipe calls for hot poultry sausage. I have only ever used mild pork sausage.

1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. hot poultry sausage removed from casing and rolled into 1 inch balls (I use mild pork sausage)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup long grain white rice
1 head (about 1lb.) escarole, washed and cut into 1 inch strips
1 carton (32oz.) chicken stock
3 cans (15oz each) cannellini beans, washed and half mashed into a paste

1. Heat oil in soup pot over MEDIUM heat. Add sausage balls; sear all around, about 5 min.
    
2. Add garlic, rice and escarole;stir. Cover; let steam until escarole is tender, about 5 min.
    
3. Raise heat to HIGH. Add stock; bring to boil. Reduce heat to MEDIUM-LOW; simmer, covered about 15 min or until sausage is cooked through and rice is tender.
    
4. Add cannellini beans; stir. Simmer for 5 min until soup is completely heated through.

Option(s):
Sprinkle with Italian Classics Grated Romano Cheese and freshly cracked black pepper.

Soup Glorious Soup

Creamy Potato Leek Soup II

I love soup, all kinds of soup. I found this creamy and delicious gem of a recipe on allrecipes.com. It was submitted by ANABANANA, with the comment of, "Really easy, satisfying soup. Can be prepared in less than an hour. Serve hot and garnish with grated cheese."http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Potato-Leek-Soup-II/Detail.aspx

I couldn't agree more Anabanana! So if are like me and simply love soup make sure you add this to your recipe box.

Personal tips regarding this recipe. I am fond of red skin potatoes, so that is what I used in this recipe. I also substituted 1/2 and 1/2 for the cream.

If you are not familiar with leeks. Be sure to wash them thoroughly as they are grown in very sandy soil. After cutting a few inches off the top, also cut off the very bottom where the roots grow and discard. Slice the leek lengthwise, while holding the two sides together slice into desired pieces. Place the leek(s) in a bowl of cold water and rinse thoroughly. Transfer them to a colander and rinse once more. Pat dry with a clean cloth and proceed with recipe. It sounds complicated but it is worth the extra steps to make this delicious and hardy soup. Enjoy!

8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 leeks, sliced
1 cup heavy cream

In a large saucepan or stockpot, bring potatoes and chicken broth to a boil. Cook until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of grease and set aside. Saute the leeks in the frying pan with the reserved bacon grease 8 to 10 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, stir in the fried leeks, cream, and bacon. Stir to blend and remove from heat. Serve hot.