Jambalaya

Spud one has a friend who is a regular visitor at dinner time.  I enjoy having him join us because he enjoys food and always tells me he likes it!  Tonight we made a quick pot of jambalaya.  He wants the recipe so he can make it himself.  The following is an approximate guide to making jambalaya soup.

1 - 2 packages Eckrich all beef smoked sausage.

slice thinly and fry in the bottom of you soup kettle.  Remove to drain on paper towels.  Reserve 1 Tbls of drippings in the bottom of the kettle.

1 - 3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or whatever you have)  cut into bite-sized cubes

Saute in kettle until no longer pink.

1- 3 sm onions chopped
Add to kettle halfway through cooking.

Cook until the chicken is slightly browned and onions are pleasantly soft.

1 cup chopped red pepper

Add to kettle during the last minute of sauteing chicken.

1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 quarts chicken stock
garlic to taste
cayenne pepper to taste

Add to kettle.  Bring to a simmer.  Add sausage and adjust seasoning.  Use bullion to add salt if needed.  Let simmer at least 15 minutes or all day.

Serve over rice in soup bowls.  Store left over rice and soup separately. 

This makes a soup rather than the more traditional jambalaya that is mixed with rice and served on a plate.  The rice is added to bowl at serving time.