Mel On...Um...YUM! (Spicy Sausage Mushroom Soup)

My husband surprised me with The Runner's World Cookbook last month (he loves me!) so I've been trying new recipes out the past few weeks!  One of my FAVS is this Spicy Sausage Mushroom Soup recipe:

Spicy Sausage Mushroom Soup

Photo: Andre Baranowski

BROWSE RELATED RECIPES BY TOPIC: 
AVERAGE, SIMMERED, AMERICAN, SOUPS AND STEWS, CHICKEN, RICE AND GRAINS, SOY FREE,DAIRY FREE, NUT FREE, SHELLFISH FREE, EGG FREE

Wild rice, whole-grain bread, and sausage provide the carb-and-protein combo runners need after a long run, says Ryan. Using less meat and lots of mushrooms reduces fat and calories while lending a hearty texture. (A study by Johns Hopkins University researchers found that people who substituted mushrooms for beef consumed 400 fewer calories and felt just as satisfied as when they ate meals with meat.) Kale is packed with vitamin K, which strengthens bones and reduces fracture risk, and antioxidants that neutralize exercise-induced free radicals.

Ingredients

Serves:  Prep:  10min |Cook: 30min |Total: 40min
              

• 4 ounces cooked, sliced spicy chicken sausage
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 4 cups chopped kale
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice

Directions

1.

In a pot, saute 4 ounces cooked, sliced spicy chicken sausage in 1 tablespoon oil until brown. Remove and set aside. In the same pot, cook 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms till soft; pour in 1/4 cup water, scraping up sausage bits. Add 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, teaspoon red-pepper flakes, 4 cups chopped kale, and 1/4 cup white wine. Cook till kale is wilted, about 4 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt; simmer 15 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cooked wild rice; simmer 5 more minutes. Serve with whole-grain bread.