What to do with all that venison sausage....
I'm pretty sure there are other women out there that have a freezer full of venison sausage. In this part of the country, that Friday in November is anticipated by hunters as greatly as Christmas morning is to a child. This year, we only filled one tag, but still have quite a freezer full of meat. Completely bored out of my gourd with sausage and kraut, or sausage and potatoes, or sausage and more sausage, I found something else to do with it. After putting the ingredients into a recipe calculator, it came out to around 200-225 calories per cup, so a pretty healthy alternative to any cream based recipe, and by using Venison vs. kielbasa, you save some calories. The original recipe came from Epicurious, but here is my tweaked version:
Sausage and Leek Soup
Sausage and Leek Soup
yield
Makes 6 main-course servings
Ingredients
- 4 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, then chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery rib, finely chopped
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 8 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth (64 fluid ounces)
- 2 medium boiling potatoes
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ring Venison sausage
- 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
- White pepper to taste
Preparation
Wash leeks in a large bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well in a colander.
Cook carrot and celery in 1/2 stick butter (Or olive oil) in a 4- to
5-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until
softened, about 3 minutes.
Add leeks and cook, stirring, until softened,
about 3 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and
simmer, partially covered, 15 minutes.
While stock simmers, brown sausage in separate pan in a small amount of water, ensuring not to burn sausage. When browned, slice into thin rings. Also while stock simmers, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
Melt remaining 1/2 stick butter (must use butter here) in a small heavy
saucepan over low heat, then add flour and cook roux, whisking, ~3
minutes. Remove from heat and add 2 cups simmering stock, whisking
vigorously (mixture will be thick), then whisk flour mixture into
remaining stock and return to a simmer, whisking.
Add potatoes, sliced sausage, and marjoram and simmer soup,
partially covered, until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Season
with salt and white pepper.