The Ideal Winter Soup: Thick, Creamy, & Hearty!
Hearty, comforting, and packed with flavor, my Chicken Sausage and Wild Rice Soup is a dish that’s perfect for chilly evenings or anytime you’re craving something nourishing.
Why I love this recipe:
The savory chicken sausage pairs beautifully with the nutty, chewy texture of wild rice (which I strongly prefer in soups instead of white rice, which can become mushy). Plus, it’s packed with lots of kale, mushrooms, onions, and carrots, which not only add a great flavor, but make me feel good about eating a second helping. 😉
Finished with a touch of cream (or more, if you like), this soup is rich, comforting, and sure to please the whole family! If you’re sensitive to spice, consider using sweet sausage instead of spicy! I prefer the spice.
For more cozy soup recipes to make when the temperatures drop, give my chicken and gnocchi soup, this Italian Tuscan bread soup, or marry me chicken soup a try next!
What You’ll Need
You’ll need chicken sausage (spicy, sweet, or a mix—your call), a little olive oil for sautéing, and a handful of veggies (onion, carrots, celery, garlic) seasoned with salt and pepper. Stir in some wild rice along with chicken broth, and if you can swing it, a parmesan rind for extra nuttiness.
Tie a sprig or two of rosemary (or thyme, oregano, or sage) with kitchen twine for easy removal. A quick cornstarch slurry thickens things up, and a couple handfuls of kale (or spinach) bring a fresh, leafy touch. Finally, a splash of half-and-half or heavy cream gives it that comforting, velvety finish.
For serving, I like to finish with a drizzle of a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and some additional black pepper. So good!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Sausage: Swap chicken sausage for pork, turkey, or plant-based sausage. And use any combination of spicy or sweet sausage that you like!
- Rotisserie chicken: For an even easier version, you could simply stir in shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken.
- Vegetables: Add any other veggies you like!
- Kale: Use spinach, Swiss chard, or even arugula or watercress as alternatives.
Directions
Full quantities and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Cook the sausage. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken sausage (casings removed), then cook, breaking it up with a wooden spatula, until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Cook the veggies. Add more oil if needed. Cook mushrooms for a few minutes, then add died onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Sauté until softened, then stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add rice. Stir in wild rice, chicken stock, cooked sausage, Parmesan rind, and rosemary. Cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Prepare a slurry by mixing cornstarch and water, then set aside.
- Add thickener and kale. Remove the Parmesan rind and rosemary. Stir in the slurry and kale, then bring to a boil to thicken the soup.
- Add cream and serve. Turn off the heat and stir in half-and-half. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve with a drizzle of a nice olive oil, grated Parmesan sprinkled on top, and some black pepper. Enjoy!
Pro tip: wild rice is done when it’s tender but still has a slight bite. The grains will also split open, revealing their inner texture. If you prefer white rice in soup, try my Greek lemon chicken soup next!
Ari’s Best Tips!
- Browning matters! Allow the sausage and vegetables to brown slightly to enhance the soup’s depth of flavor.
- Parmesan rind: While not necessary, I really love the rich, cheesy flavor this adds.
- Stir the soup: Stirring occasionally will prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
- If using pre-cooked sausage, simply slice or dice it, then brown it lightly in the pot before proceeding with the recipe.
Make-Ahead and Store
- To make-ahead: Prepare the soup up to the point of adding the kale and cream. Cool, refrigerate, and finish the last steps when reheating.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Just note that the soup will thicken because the rice will continue to absorb a bit of the broth over time. This is one of the reasons I strongly prefer wild rice, which is sturdier than white rice and maintains its texture better!
- To reheat: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of stock or water if it’s too thick.
Good news, this soup freezes well! Cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as directed above. If you’re planning to freeze it from the start (instead of freezing leftovers), omit the half-and-half (or heavy cream) and add it fresh, once reheated.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this hearty soup with crusty bread or a simple green salad for a complete meal. A glass of crisp white wine (such as Sancerre or Chenin Blanc) or sparkling water with lemon complements the dish beautifully.
I honestly can’t think of any other soup recipe I’d rather have on a cold winter day! This one checks all the boxes and tastes great too. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
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Easy Chicken Sausage, Wild Rice, & Kale Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1½ lbs (24oz) spicy or sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed (feel free to use pork sausage)
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 8 oz white button mushrooms, stems removed, caps diced (about 1½ cups)
- 1 medium sweet onion, peeled and diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1¼ cups (200g) wild rice, uncooked
- 7 cups (1.6 liters) low-sodium chicken broth
- Parmesan rind, optional
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, tied together with kitchen twine
- 2-3 cups kale, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped (or baby spinach)
- ½-1 cup (118-237ml) half-and-half or heavy cream
- Grated Parmesan, for serving
To thicken the soup
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp water
Instructions
- Cook the sausage. Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken sausage then cook for 1-2 minutes before breaking up with a spatula. Continue cooking until the sausage is fully cooked, another 6-8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a bowl.
- Cook the vegetables. If the pot is dry, and another tablespoon or two of olive oil. Add the diced mushroom caps to the pot then cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Season with 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Lower the heat to medium, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, another 5-7 minutes. Be sure to scrape all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan! Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic, then cook 1 minute more.
- Add the rice. Stir in 1¼ cups (200g) wild rice, then add 7 cups (1.6 liters) of chicken stock. Return the cooked sausage to the pot along with a Parmesan rind (optional) and 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary. Cover with a tight lid, then cook over medium heat for 30-35 minutes, or until the rice is tender. While the soup is cooking, make the thickening slurry by whisking 2 Tbsp cornstarch and 1 Tbsp water in a small bowl.
- Add cornstarch slurry. Carefully lift the lid, then remove the Parmesan rind and herb bouquet. Increase the heat to medium-high, then pour in the cornstarch slurry. Add 2-3 cups chopped kale (or spinach) and stir well. Bring the mixture to a boil (this is when the soup thickens).
- Add cream. Once the soup is thick and creamy, turn off the heat, then pour in half-and-half. I prefer it less thick and use ½ cup (118ml), but add more if you like. Stir well, then taste and adjust seasoning. To serve, ladle into bowls then top each portion with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of grated Parmesan, and extra black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make-ahead: Prepare the soup up to the point of adding the kale and cream. Cool, refrigerate, and finish the last steps when reheating.
- Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Note that the soup will thicken because the rice will continue to absorb a bit of the broth over time. This is one of the reasons I strongly prefer wild rice, which is sturdier than white rice and maintains its texture better!
- To reheat: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of stock or water if it’s too thick.
- Freezing: Cool completely. Store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in a fridge, reheat as directed above. If you’re planning to freeze it from the start (instead of freezing leftovers), omit the half-and-half (or heavy cream) and add it fresh, once reheated.
- If you use all spicy sausage, the soup will (obviously) be pretty spicy. If you are sensitive to spicy, either use sweet Italian sausage or a mix of both sweet and spicy.
Nutrition
Photography by: Megan McKeehan.
My spouse and I really enjoyed this soup, thank you. I used Italian sausage, which I make myself, and had only 1 lb., and felt this was quite sufficient. I don’t have access to wild rice but used a black rice, which has a hard outer cover. The recipe calls for 1.25 cups rice in the ingredients and 1.5 cups in the instructions, and I used 1.25 cups. I used 1/4 c. of cream, and found this sufficient for us. I had roasted a duck for another dinner and used the bones to make stock for this soup. The soup is a bit thick and that may be due to the rice I used. I made the recipe at night through step 3, set it in the fridge and finished it the next day for dinner, and it worked fine. I’ll definitely make this again.
Hi Mary! First, thanks so much for flagging the discrepancy in the quantity of rice–that was a complete oversight. The correct amount is 1¼ cups (which has been reflected in the instructions). I love that you used homemade sausage, that’s amazing! And yes, the rice will continue to absorb liquid after it sits. I’ve found that this is one of the biggest reasons many people don’t love adding rice or pasta to soup, but I just adore the texture of wild rice in this preparation. I assume the black rice you used was similar.
Thanks again for the review and for uploading your photo. It looks SO good! Cheers, Ari
Made it as is (with the tiny sub using chefs mix mixed mushrooms), couldn’t get a better pic as it was getting eaten too quickly. The quality of broth made a big difference. Thank you!
Oh man, this looks phenomenal!! I am so in love with this hearty soup–I hope you loved it too! Thanks so much for snapping a pic! xo, Ari
A+++!!! So good! I made this recipe with axis venison and 2lbs of shiitake and baby bells mushrooms. I deglazed with white wine and used a combo of chicken and beef broth. It was a hit! Such a great recipe that left me feeling full but clean. Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Well doesn’t this look absolutely delicious?! I could dive into that bowl of goodness. So glad you enjoyed and thank you for sharing your variations! It’s a fantastic soup. Cheers, Ari
This is the perfect, delicious, cozy soup for soup season! I just love that it’s a veggie forward soup too!
Yes!! It’s currently ranked #1 for my favorite soup recipes! Too good. Cheers, Ari