Using what you have on hand

If you had joined us for dinner on any of the nights that we've eaten at home in January (which is the majority of them,) it's a really good bet that you'd be eating soup from this amazing cookbook.

I love that the cookbook is organized by months, which means many of the recipes focus on what is available seasonally. AND I love that I can look up ingredients in the back and find options for obscure veggies. You want this cookbook.

I love making soup. It's comforting. It's perfect for adding all of these new-to-me fresh veggies we're getting every other week from Local Organic Moms.

And?

Soup is perfect for substituting what you have on hand.

Today's recipe for example? I altered three of the main ingredients. And I liked it so much, I may not ever use the suggested ingredients as they're written.

Also. Isn't the rainbow chard above just the prettiest thing you've ever seen to cook?

Wild Rice and Red Chard Soup with Andouille

1/2 cup wild rice, uncooked
2 cups cherry tomatoes (I roughly chopped the roma tomatoes I had instead)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
4 links andouille sausage (I used a Boars Head salami--pictured on the left edge of the cutting board)
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch red chard, tough stems removed, leaves and ribs chopped (I used rainbow chard)
6 cups chicken broth (I prefer chicken stock)

1. Cook the rice according to package directions and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1 Tbsp olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until tomatoes begin to split or caramelize, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large pot, fry the sausages over medium-high heat until they are cooked through, about 15 minutes. (I just fried the salamis until they were warmed and the outside was browned.) Transfer to a cutting board and cut into quarter-inch slices. Set aside.

4. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to the pot and warm over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chard and cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes.

5. Add the broth and bring to a boil, scraping any bits on the bottom of the pot. REduce heat to low and let simmer.

6. Add the rice, sausage, and tomatoes and stir to combine. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6.

Let me know if you try it!