This ham sausage and rice soup is hearty and full of flavor, yet it takes under an hour to make. I love making soups because they are good for you comfort food.
Hearty Soup Inspiration
There is so much to love about soups. This soup was born out of convenience. In the freezer, I had 3 cups of diced ham that was leftover from our Holiday meal. I also had a package of Italian sausage links, which are just delicious in soups. Pair this with the standard soup ingredients like celery, onion, and garlic. Add some frozen vegetables, a bit of fresh parsley, chicken stock (which I also had frozen in 2 cup containers), and some heavy cream.
I am all about recipes that feed my family more than once and soups are simply perfect in the colder weather. They are filling, easy to make and almost always yield leftovers that you can freeze for later.
However, if you want leftovers, you might want to make a double batch. This soup, like many others this time of year goes fast in my house.
Ingredients Used in This Soup
Onion, Celery, and Garlic. This is often the base of ingredients that I start my soups with. Together, they pack a real flavor punch as a base to build your flavors in this recipe.
Italian Sausage. I really enjoy using Italian sausage in soups because it really adds full flavor to the recipe. While I generally use the sweet Italian sausage, so everyone can enjoy the soup, if you like the heat go for the hotter Sausages. (I remove the skin and break apart the sausage like you would hamburger when I cook it in the kettle).
Ham. While I used diced, frozen ham leftover from the Holidays, you can use any type of diced ham for this recipe and it will be delicious. This packs additional protein in the soup.
Chicken broth. When I have time, I make my own and freeze it in 2 cup containers. It is so easy to take out of the freezer, thaw a bit to get the contents to release from the container, and add to your recipes. However, when I do not have any on hand, I use the store-bought broth. You can use vegetable broth if you wish too.
Soy Sauce. I added this to help amp up the savory flavors even more.
Corn. Corn justadds those bits of sweet crunch occasionally, as you are enjoying your meal. I just use a frozen bag. If that were not available, a can of corn would do the trick.
Other Vegetables. Remember, this recipe was born out of convenience. I had a frozen bag of stir fry vegetables. That was added for just the right amount of healthy freshness. You can use green beans, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, or any other vegetable that you enjoy. Experiment, or if you are like me, see what is in your freezer.
Rice. I had 2 cups of cooked rice left in the refrigerator from another meal we enjoyed a few days ago. Therefore, it was the perfect starch to add to this recipe. I do what I can not to waste food and reuse it in new meals.
Fresh Parsley. The freshness of this parsley added at the end is not only pretty, but it adds a fresh taste. If you do not have any fresh parsley, use a few tablespoons of dried parsley at the end of the cooking time.
Heavy Cream. Whenever I add this to soups in the last few minutes of cooking and I have tried the soup before and after. Well, for me, it just brings the whole thing together with a rich and creamy texture and it helps combine the flavors.
Add a bit of salt and pepper and your family can be enjoying a hot bowl of healthy goodness in under an hour.
Can I make this Ham Sausage and Rice Soup in the Slow Cooker?
The simple answer, yes. Any soup that is made on the stove-top can be made in the slow cooker. Just start with the onion, celery, garlic, and Italian sausage. Breaking up the sausage a bit every half hour until it if half cooked through. This will probably take 30 minutes – 1 hour on high, longer on a lower setting.
Add the ham, vegetables, chicken stock, soy sauce, and cook on high until hot. Generally, another hour on high.
Then 15 minutes before serving, add the cooked rice. Since the rice is already cooked, it just needs to heat through.
Turn off the heat and add the fresh parsley and heavy cream.
Total slow cooker time on high is 2 hours 15 minutes.
Ham Sausage and Rice Soup
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Kitchen Essentials
Ingredients
- 2 Ribs Celery Diced
- 1 Small Onion Diced
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic Minced
- 18 Ounces Sweet Italian Sausage Links package of 5
- 3 Cups Ham Diced
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 14.4 Ounces Corn 1 frozen bag
- 12 Ounces Stir Fry Vegetables 1 frozen bag
- 2 Cups Rice Cooked
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- ½ cup Fresh Parsley Chopped
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- In a large kettle, add the onions, celery, and garlic. Cook on medium-high heat until translucent and starting to caramelize.2 Ribs Celery, 1 Small Onion, 2 Tablespoons Garlic
- While the onion and celery mixture is cooking, remove the casings from the Sweet Italian Sausages. Add the sausages to the kettle and break apart while cooking like you would hamburger.18 Ounces Sweet Italian Sausage Links
- When the sausage is about half cooked through, add the diced ham, chicken stock, soy sauce, corn and stir fry vegetables. Continue cooking until mixture comes to a boil.3 Cups Ham, 4 Cups Chicken Broth, 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce, 14.4 Ounces Corn, 12 Ounces Stir Fry Vegetables
- Add the cooked rice, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the soup comes back to a boil.2 Cups Rice Cooked, 1 Teaspoon Salt, 1 Teaspoon Pepper
- When the soup comes back to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add the fresh parsley and heavy cream. It is ready to be served.½ cup Fresh Parsley, 1 Cup Heavy Cream
