Mushroom, Sausage and Whole Grain Soup

By carol gorman

Ingredients

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/4 cups Bob's Red Mill whole grain medley
• 2 cups diced sweet onion
• 1 pound sliced wild mushrooms
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
• 6 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, breaking apart with a spoon. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Add vinegar, scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan.

Transfer sausage to slow cooker. Stir in grains, onion, mushrooms, celery, garlic and thyme. Pour chicken stock on top, making sure all grains are submerged. Cook on HIGH for 5 hours. Stir in salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley.

PER SERVING: 370 cal., 12 g total fat (4 g sat. fat), 22 mg chol., 904 mg sodium, 43 g carb. (7 g fiber), 21 g pro.