{"id":503,"date":"2015-03-23T02:02:41","date_gmt":"2015-03-22T18:02:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dal04.webhostcluster.com\/~bonita\/?p=503"},"modified":"2016-04-10T10:25:12","modified_gmt":"2016-04-10T02:25:12","slug":"5-of-100-ways-to-rock-a-store-bought-rotisserie-chicken-hearty-chicken-and-italian-sausage-soup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moonstruckbaydesigns.com\/?p=503","title":{"rendered":"#5 of 10 Ways to Rock A Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken; Hearty Chicken and Italian Sausage Soup"},"content":{"rendered":"

#5 of 100 Ways to Rock A Store Bought Rotisserie Chicken<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"#5<\/a>

Hearty Chicken and Italian Sausage Soup<\/p><\/div>\n

Hearty Chicken and Italian Sausage Soup<\/strong><\/p>\n

This rustic chicken and sausage soup is a recipe of mine that has all the flavors of the Italian countryside and has, as it\u2019s inspiration, a far different but equally delicious Provencal vegetable soup recipe by Ina Garten. While a hearty soup, it only takes about an hour or slightly more to put together and is a dish that will prove to be a tremendous timesaver if prepared on a Sunday afternoon and then reheated as a quickly prepared weeknight supper.<\/p>\n

There are a couple of ingredients in this soup that some people tend to avoid\u2014mushrooms and tomatoes. But I genuinely believe they both bring transformational components to the soup\u2019s broth that elevate it from a simple and hearty country stew to an epiphany on the palate that defines truly delicious.<\/p>\n

Oven roasting the mushrooms takes only a few minutes and I have found that even those people that resolutely voice a diehard aversion to the taste and texture of mushrooms (including my husband, Russ) find the oven-roasted variety brings an intensified, earthy flavor and a far more agreeable mouth feel or chew that can (and in most cases\u2014will) totally override any previous objections to these most glorious fungi.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

After thirty minutes in a hot oven, drizzled with a good olive oil and a kiss of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, fresh mushrooms emerge transformed into roasted, flavor-laden wonder. Sporting just the tiniest caramelized and crispy bits about the edges and now literally dripping with that intense earthy flavor\u2014you will find that oven roasted mushrooms will add a depth of flavor to this dish (and innumerable others) that will take this soup from great to glorious! Cross my heart!<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019ve ever noticed when making stew or soup that the combined flavors are missing an indefinable \u201csomething,\u201d I can almost guarantee that it was a lack of acid or brightness. Without acid\u2014citrus (any, of course, but most frequently lemon juice or zest), vinegar\u2014red wine, white wine, balsamic, or apple cider, mustard, wine (always, always, always a good one that you actually drink) or\u2014yes, you knew it was coming\u2014tomatoes.<\/p>\n

In this soup I use tomatoes that I have oven roasted but also offer a great substitute for them with sun-dried tomatoes. My oven roasted version takes three or more hours in a low-heat oven that relegates it\u2019s preparation to \u201cmake ahead\u201d and something that should be reserved for a block of time where you can keep an eye on it while doing other things around the house. Whether you find that you have the time to prepare oven roasted or need the timesaving advantages of using sun-dried tomatoes, tomatoes will convey that bright, savory underpinning of acid so very necessary for balance in any recipe. Since these are minced\u2014they will deliver on the need for acid as an incognito element that will be indiscernible in all but flavor to any tomato \u201chaters\u201d seated at your table!<\/p>\n

I have included my recipe for Oven Roasted Tomatoes following the instructions for the soup as a great way to use up any ripening tomatoes that you may have on hand. I have found that they are a great standby condiment and make a great stir in for mayonnaise or even spaghetti sauces and add a real burst of flavor as a sandwich topping including my \u201cPanini-Style Chicken, Sun-Dried Tomato, Basil and Provolone Sandwich.\u201d<\/p>\n

As with all soups\u2014the flavor of my \u201cHearty Chicken and Italian Sausage Soup\u201d only gets richer, deeper and more complex as the broth rests and the flavors meld between reheating. Hearty and robust\u2014but not heavy\u2014this is a soup that literally warms the soul from early fall until late spring. Ladled into bowls sized for hand cupping warmth and then finished with a generous nutty, salty layer of shredded Parmigiana-Reggiano and a spoonful of garlicky and herbaceous basil pesto\u2014it\u2019s perfect after a long day\u2019s fishing, horseback riding at the shore, under a ton of blankets beside a bonfire, inside curled up by your fireplace or even as that first outside supper of spring on your back porch.<\/p>\n

There is no better way to embrace the courageous promise of impending spring warmth on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay\u2014or anywhere else friends and family gather\u2014than ladling out bowlfuls of hot, hearty, and lovingly homemade \u201cHearty Chicken and Italian Sausage Soup!\u201d<\/p>\n

Come on in and stay awhile, my friends\u2014soup\u2019s on!<\/p>\n

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Ingredients:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n