Green Tomato, Sausage, and Rice Soup

This post was first written in 2012 when we were living in North Dakota. I was always looking for creative green tomato recipes because I inevitably would have tons on my hands after the first frost.

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This is what happened at our house this week. 

 

Seriously. My tomatoes were not prepared. They had weathered the 23 degree night the week before last, but then it went back to being 80 and they were like, “whatevs” (I can use that word because it has been added to the Oxford Dictionary). No really, check it out .

Anyway, it was 80 degrees and then this ferocious wind blew in from Canada (thanks, Canada) and brought pelting rain, which turned to snow. It was at this point that I gave up on the hopes of my remaining tomatoes turning red and I picked them.

Luckily green tomatoes are pretty good. A completely different entity from their ripened versions. You can use them anytime you want something tangy and sharp. They make a good substitute for tomatillos, green bell peppers, green olives, you get the picture.

I started this soup off with the idea that I was going to make some sort of gumbo-esque concoction with the green tomatoes filling in for the bell peppers, but by the time I was finished it was more like a Mexican-style soup all brothy and porky with a slick of fat on the top.

I really can’t think of anything more perfect for a snowy day in October.

Looking for more green tomato recipes?

• Green Tomato Chili
• Fried Green Tomato Burritos

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