Chicken Sausage, Potato & Wheat Berry Soup
It’s a toss-up—this soup or chicken noodle as the world’s best feel-good soup. It’s hearty without feeling heavy, and each ingredient lends a ton of flavor.
A tasty, feel-good soup full of hearty, healthy, flavorful ingredients.
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1.25-1.5 lbs. mild or hot Italian chicken sausage, casings removed (or purchase in bulk)
- 2 large leeks (white parts only, about 2.5 c.), thinly sliced (see TIP A for washing suggestions)
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 4 large or 6 small garlic cloves, minced
- 2-2.5 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 c. whole grain wheat berries, rinsed and uncooked
- 1/2 c. sherry or dry white wine
- 7 c. low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1 tbsp. (heaping) mild Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 5 inch piece of Parmesan rind (approx. 1 inch in width), cut into 3-4 chunks
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
- 2 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
- grated Parmesan cheese (for serving)
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In a Dutch oven or stock pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage (casings removed) and break it into small chunks using a silicone spatula. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until it develops a light brown crust. Then add the leeks, carrots, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook mixture for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the leeks soften, transfer the entire mixture to a bowl and set the bowl aside. Return the pot to the stovetop.
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Add the wheat berries to the pot and let them toast over medium heat for about 2 minutes while stirring frequently. Then add the sherry or dry white wine and scrape-up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Whisk in the dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and 7 cups broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and add the chunks of Parmesan rind. Cover and let the ingredients gently simmer undisturbed for 30 minutes.
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After 30 minutes, add the potatoes to the pot and re-cover. Let simmer undisturbed for and additional 20 minutes.
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Once the potatoes have softened, remove and discard the chunks of Parmesan rind. Add the sausage-leek mixture back to the pot along with the fresh sage. Bring the soup back up to temperature and taste for seasoning. Add the remaining salt (up to 1 teaspoon) as needed. Serve warm or hot with a sprinkling of fresh grated Parmesan cheese.
TIP A: I rarely mention washing your produce before cooking or baking with it because it's a pretty straightforward process and something I assume you just do. Leeks, however, can be a little tricky. They typically grow in sandy soil which often gets trapped in the layers at the base of the stalk. You want to be sure to rinse away all of this sand, so I recommend cutting the stalk lengthwise and then fanning the layers under running cold water to rinse. Set the layers to dry on a clean dish towel or paper towel before slicing them into pieces. Alternatively, you could rinse the leeks in a bowl of cold water once you've cut them into thin slices.