It was a sad, sad day when we got down to the bottom of the pot of this AMAZING Chicken & Sausage Spanish Rice Soup! A sad day indeed. My hubby thought that this was one of the BEST pots of soup that I have ever made! And I have to agree, that it’s definitely right up there in the top 5 for sure!!

And guess what? It’s super easy to throw together, and it’s all made in ONE pot!!

Don’t you love recipes like this? I know I do!!

So let’s whip up a pot, shall we?!

We start with a good amount pf butter to sauté a basic mixture of veggies, diced chicken breast, and your favorite andouille sausage! (*I used Al Fresco’s® Spicy Chicken Andouille, and it worked perfectly for this!)

We’re going to add just a few extra spices and garlic….

…and sauté the whole mixture together until the chicken is opaque on all sides. (It won’t be fully done yet, so no snitching any pieces to try!) It will finish cooking in just a minute.

Then we add our fire-roasted diced tomatoes, chicken broth, a few more seasonings and a bay leaf…

…bring it to a boil, stir in the spanish rice mix, slap a lid on it, and lower the heat to a simmer.

Then you just simmer your soup for 25 minutes* (*according to the directions for Zatarain’s®) to fully cook the rice, chicken, and the veggies until tender!

*If using a different brand, be sure to cook the rice and seasoning mix according to the manufacturers directions.

You can stop right here if you’re perfectly happy with it.

But I prefer my soups to have just a little bit of thickness, so I stir in a simple cornstarch slurry to give it a little extra body.

And that’s all there is to it! It couldn’t be easier to make, and OH..MY…GAWD is it ever DELICIOUS.

WOWzas!!!

I knew it would be tasty, I mean, how can you go wrong with lots of veggies, meats and Spanish rice, right?

But this one really caught me off-guard.

The flavors were outstanding, it has a nice little kick of heat, and it’s a VERY hearty soup, so it goes a long ways!

It truly has everything you want in a rainy day “stoup”, that’s perfect for spring when the temps are still chilly and you need something to really fill you up after a day of winter cleanup in the yard!

I know you’re going to fall in LOVE with this Chicken & Andouille Spanish Rice Soup at first bite! I do hope that you make a pot soon, and that you enjoy this as much as we do! Have a wonderful weekend!

Chicken & Andouille Spanish Rice Soup

Ingredients

4 Tbl. real butter (*I use Minerva Dairy Amish Butter)
1/2 of a 12 oz. bag sweet baby carrots, sliced into fourths (6 oz. or about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large rib celery, sliced
1 medium-large onion, chopped
1 sweet red cubanelle pepper, medium diced
2 -3 (as much as you like) medium or large boneless skinless chicken breasts, large dice
4 smoked andouille or italian-style chicken sausages, 1 (12 oz.) pkg., such as Al Fresco® or Aidells®, sliced
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
3- 4 large cloves garlic, finely minced
6 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz.) can fire-roasted diced garlic tomatoes
1/2 tsp. Slap Ya Mama® cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. chipotle powder
1 Tbl. Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken base
1 large bay leaf
1 (6.9 oz.) box Zatarain's® Spanish Rice mix
3 Tbl. cornstarch mixed with 3 Tbl. cold water

Instructions

In stock pot, add butter and melt over medium/medium-low heat. Stir in celery, onions, peppers, chicken, sausage, chili powder and pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 15 minutes. *Add minced garlic during last 5 minutes.

Add rest of ingredients except rice and seasoning packet (and cornstarch/cold water), bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add rice and seasoning packet, stir well, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 25 minutes until rice is tender. Remove lid and stir, keep at a simmer over low heat.

In mug, add cornstarch. Add cold water and stir until well mixed. While soup is still simmering, add slurry mixture. Stir in well and let thicken for one minute. Remove pot of soup from heat, and let rest for at least 15 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Stir, ladle into bowls, and serve piping hot with garlic bread for dunking!