New Orleans Chicken & Sausage Soup (ATK)

Ingrédients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

2 medium onions, chopped fine

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine

1 celery rib, chopped fine

6 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 quarts low-sodium chicken broth*

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 cup long-grain rice

Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel-lined plate.

2. Add onions, pepper, and celery to fat in now-empty Dutch oven and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and stir constantly with wooden spoon until mixture is golden brown, about 10 minutes.

3. Whisk in chicken broth and 2 cups water; bring to boil. Add chicken and rice and simmer until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add reserved sausage and simmer until soup is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve. (Soup can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 3 days.)

Notes

Heather writes: "I love jambalaya, but I make chicken soup more often. I combined the two, creating a New Orleans- inspired soup."

Cooks country 2007 February/ March