Cheesy Leek and Chicken Sausage Soup with Wild Rice

I love when a soup has double warmth. Warmth not only from time spent simmering on the stove, but warmth from spices and savory flavors. This soup draws the heat out of chicken sausage and marries it in with the sweetness of carrots and the soft crunch of wild rice. It’s the perfect meal for a drizzly spring day. 

• Carrots

• Leeks

• Green onions

• Garlic

• Chicken sausages

• Chicken stock

• White wine

• Wild rice

• Cream cheese

1. Dice 1 small bunch of carrots into small rounds, and two leeks into half moons. Finely slice 3-5 green onions. Add to a pan with a swirl of olive oil and saute on medium heat for 10 minutes. While vegetables are sauteing, slice 4 chicken sausages into rounds. After 10 minutes, add to the pot with vegetables and saute for five more minutes. Add two teaspoons of minced garlic and saute for two more minutes. 

2. Deglaze the pot with ¼ cup white wine. Add ¾ cup wild rice, 4 cups chicken stock and several grinds of salt and pepper. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

3. Add 4 oz of cream cheese and swirl to melt. Cover and simmer on low for another ten minutes until rice is tender. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.