October 16, 2009

Grandma Swain's Sausage Soup

This is Grandma's famous soup, talked about in hushed and reverent tones at family gatherings. We all adore this soup. It is fantastic. I usually have the ingredients on hand so I can whip this up anytime. Okay, I keep the ingredients on hand specifically so I can make it often. There have been fights over the last bowl.

1 lb. uncooked breakfast sausage links
1 small to medium sized onion, chopped
1/3 c. chopped green pepper (I often leave this out since the kids don't like them)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. water
18-oz. can tomato juice (2 1/4 c.)
16-oz. can kidney beans, drained
1/2 c. long-grained rice (both white and brown work; brown just takes a little longer)
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 to 1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
dash pepper

Cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces and brown in a large saucepan. I usually throw the onion (and green pepper if I'm using it) in at the same time and let it cook with the sausage then add the garlic right at the end. Add water, tomato juice, beans, rice and seasonings. Simmer, covered, for 25-30 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring occasionally. We wipe out the entire pot in one sitting. This does not hold up well as leftovers since the rice turns super mushy. If you will have leftovers cook some rice separately from the soup and add a little to each bowl as you serve it.

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