Southern Greens and Sausage Soup

Dig into this Hearty Southern Greens, and Sausage Soup recipe for a portion of deliciously flavorful comfort food at it’s finest. Assorted greens, Andouille sausage, smoked sausage, Chaurice sausage served over rice provide a fantastic bowlful of substance and flavor.

One of the things I love about this Southern Greens and Sausage Soup, you can pretty much mix or match your greens and sausage. I always make it a habit to use at least three or more different types of greens and a few different types of sausage along with diced smoked ham and a ham hock to give it layers of excellent flavor.

 

 

I started making this Southern Greens and Sausage Soup years ago when I would have an abundance of greens on hand and need to use them. The recipe is somewhat similar to a green gumbo with meat give or take a few things not included in the method. It’s very versatile and forgiving all year around. Being I live in the South, fresh greens are usually very easily obtained all year round, but if you are in a Northan state, you may find it a little harder to find them year-round.

 

What can you do if you can’t find fresh greens year-round?

There have been times I have had to use frozen organic greens, and the soup comes out great. In this case, you will substitute the fresh greens with frozen organic greens. Do not thaw the greens. You will simmer the fresh parsley and ham hock without the frozen greens 35 minutes to flavor the stock and then continue with the recipe. The most common frozen greens in the Northern states are Kale, spinach, and turnip greens.

 

 

 

 

 

Be sure to cook up some fluffy white rice to serve with your Southern Greens and Sausage Soup because trust me, it just takes it to another level in taste. I usually make enough for 1/2 cup servings of white steamed rice to go with the soup. The rice makes it a super hearty meal. I do not recommend cooking the rice in the soup or adding the cooked rice to the pot of soup as it changes the flavor of the recipe drastically. Serve the soup over the rice for best results.

 

How to make the perfect rice (example only)

• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups water

Method

1. Bring 1 and 1/2 cups water to a full boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice and salt and return to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid until close to the end of cooking time to check the rice.
3. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 8-10 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and serve.

 

 

 

Let’s talk a little about the meat selection in this Southern Greens and Sausage Soup. You will want to pick out two or more mentioned sausages if possible. I usually use Andouille sausage and smoked sausage in this recipe along with diced ham and the ham hock. However, if you prefer a more spicy version, you could go with the Chaurice sausage and andouille sausage for more of a kick. 

 

Andouille sausage: This sausage is most often associated with Cajun cuisine, it is a smoked sausage made using pork, garlic, pepper, onions, wine, and various seasonings

Chaurice Sausage: Chaurice is a pork sausage that is of Creole and Cajun origin. It has a hot and spicy flavor. Chaurice sausage is popular in Creole and Cajun cooking as an ingredient in dishes such as gumbo and jambalaya.

Smoked sausage: This is a sausage that has been cured with the use of aromatic wood, which is then burned to produce smoke. The smoke gives the smoked sausage flavor.

 

 

The final result of all these beautiful ingredients is a wonderful combination of delicious comfort food over a bed of fluffy white rice that is hearty and flavorful. Trust me, you’re going to want seconds of this Southern Greens and Sausage soup!

 

 

 

Ingredients needed for Southern Greens and Sausage Soup: 

• Three pounds of assorted fresh greens, sliced in ribbons

• One cup of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• One large yellow onion, finely chopped

• One large green bell pepper, finely chopped

• One cup diced celery

• Six garlic cloves, minced

• Five tablespoons butter, reserve three tablespoons for Roux

• One tablespoon oil

• Three tablespoons all-purpose flour

• Vegetable stock to cover greens

• Two pounds of assorted sausages, sliced

• 1/2 pound diced smoked ham, optional

• One Ham hock 

• One teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

• One tablespoon kosher + more if desired

• One teaspoon cayenne pepper +more if desired

• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper + more if desired

• White steamed rice to serve

 

Greens to use:

Mustard greens, spinach, kale, collard greens, turnip greens, watercress, beet tops, carrot tops, swiss chard, arugula lettuce, and peppergrass.

 

Meats to use:

Andouille sausage, smoked sausage, Chaurice sausage, smoked diced ham, and ham hock

 

 

 

How to make Southern Greens and Sausage Soup

1. Clean all the assorted greens under cold tap water to remove the grit. Pick out all discolored and spoiled leaves and discard them. With a sharp kitchen knife, shred all the fresh greens into roughly 1/2-inch ribbons. You will want to pick three or more different greens to use in your Southern Greens and Sausage Soup. 

2. Once done cleaning the fresh greens and flat-leaf parsley add them to an 8-10 quart stockpot, cover the greens entirely with the vegetable stock, add the ham hock and place on medium-high heat to bring to a full simmer- you will want to simmer for 40-50 minutes to cook the fresh greens down.

3. Meanwhile, place a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat allow the cast-iron to heat up before adding the two tablespoons of butter and one tablespoon of oil. Once heated, add the butter and oil. After melting the butter, reduce the heat slightly under the cast-iron skillet and add the onions, peppers, and diced celery- cook the vegetables until softened but do not brown them. Once softened, add them to the simmering stockpot of greens. 

4. At this time, cook the sliced sausages to render off the fat. This will take approximately 10 minutes or so. Once the sliced sausage is done, add them to the stockpot only after you have cooked the fresh greens at least 40 minutes- do not combine the sausage before the greens have cooked down.

5. In the same sizeable cast-iron skillet used to soften the vegetables, melt the reserved three tablespoons of butter on medium heat, then add the flour and stir to combine. Continue to stir frequently until the flour taste has cooked off-about 4-5 minutes. Once done, add the roux, thyme leaves, kosher salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and cooked sliced sausage. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 35-40 minutes.

6. Taste the finished product and season accordingly to taste before serving over white rice.

 

 

 

 

Frequently asked questions:

1.  I can not find fresh greens in my area this time of year, what can I do? You can substitute the fresh greens with frozen organic greens. Do not thaw the greens. You will simmer the fresh parsley and ham hock without the frozen greens 35 minutes to flavor the stock and then continue with the recipe. The most common frozen greens in the Northern states are Kale, spinach, and turnip greens.

2. I am not able to locate chaurice sausage/ andouille sausage in my area, what can I do? There are two ways to handle this. You can order it online, and it may take 3-7 days to ship, or you can take the easy route and use a smoked sausage in place of them. It’s still going to be delicious tasting.

3. What can I use to substitute for the ham hock? You can use smoked pork shanks, which are a little meatier then ham hocks, or you can use smoked turkey to flavor the stock.

4. How many different types of greens do you suggest using in this recipe? I try to use three or more if possible. My favorites to use are collard greens, mustard greens, Swiss chard, and arugula lettuce.

5. Can I use black pepper in place of the white pepper? Absolutely! I just like white pepper better in some things, but there is no reason you cannot just use black pepper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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