Jambalaya and Collard Green Soup
My husband came across a canned soup in the store that looked interesting to him. He wanted to try it, but upon further review of the ingredients, I decided I could make a more wholesome version myself without the fillers and preservatives. Thus this jambalaya and collard green soup was born and we’ve never regretted it. There is nothing wrong with taking inspiration from the grocery store shelves and turning that into healthier dishes at home.
This soup gives you all the delicious comfort of traditional jambalaya rice casserole, in the lighter form of a soup, that my husband can easily pack in a thermos for a brown bag lunch. My husband brings soup to work with him everyday. When you eat that much soup, it is especially important that you control the ingredients. Making homemade versions of canned soups allows me to control the quality of ingredients and reduce the amount of saturated fat and sodium. This also allows me to pack in more healthy vegetables and leafy greens for fiber, vitamins and satiety. This homemade jambalaya soup turned out way more delicious than anything out of a can and is now a family favorite. You can substitute a lean turkey kielbasa for the andouille sausage—just add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the pot before you brown the sausage and use that olive oil to sauté the vegetables. This is a mild version of jambalaya to decrease the heartburn quotient, but if GERD isn’t a problem for you, a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes will bring a nice heat. This soup is excellent on it’s own or enjoyed with slice of my Sweet Whole Grain Cornbread!
Directions:
Heat a 6 quart dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat and add andouille sausage so that they cover the bottom in a single layer. Brown sausage on both sides and remove from pot. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and pour off any rendered fat remaining in the pot. Do not scrape clean!
Add diced onions, red and green bell peppers and celery to the pot and stir to coat in residual fat. Let sauté for 5 minutes to soften.
Add dried thyme and parsley, chopped collards and canned tomatoes and stir to combine.
Add chicken broth and browned sausage and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue simmering covered with lid slightly ajar for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in rice and simmer for an additional 20 minutes stirring occasionally until rice is completely soft.
Add 2 tsp salt or salt to taste and serve!
(Makes 4 Quarts.)
Ingredients:
12 oz Andouille Sausage, sliced into ¼” rounds.
½ Large White Onion (about 180 grams) diced.
1 Large Green Bell Pepper (about 200 grams), diced.
1 Large Red Bell Pepper (about 200 grams), diced.
3 Stalks Celery (about 150 grams), diced.
14 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
3 cups Fresh Collard Greens (about 100 grams) cleaned, dried and roughly chopped.
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
12 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
¾ cups (135 grams) Long Grain Rice
2 tsp of Table Salt (optional)
My husband came across a canned soup in the store that looked interesting to him. He wanted to try it, but upon further review of the ingredients, I decided I could make a more wholesome version myself without the fillers and preservatives. Thus this jambalaya and collard green soup was born and we’ve never regretted it. There is nothing wrong with taking inspiration from the grocery store shelves and turning that into healthier dishes at home.
This soup gives you all the delicious comfort of traditional jambalaya rice casserole, in the lighter form of a soup, that my husband can easily pack in a thermos for a brown bag lunch. My husband brings soup to work with him everyday. When you eat that much soup, it is especially important that you control the ingredients. Making homemade versions of canned soups allows me to control the quality of ingredients and reduce the amount of saturated fat and sodium. This also allows me to pack in more healthy vegetables and leafy greens for fiber, vitamins and satiety. This homemade jambalaya soup turned out way more delicious than anything out of a can and is now a family favorite. You can substitute a lean turkey kielbasa for the andouille sausage—just add 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the pot before you brown the sausage and use that olive oil to sauté the vegetables. This is a mild version of jambalaya to decrease the heartburn quotient, but if GERD isn’t a problem for you, a pinch of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes will bring a nice heat. This soup is excellent on it’s own or enjoyed with slice of my Sweet Whole Grain Cornbread!
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