Green Tomato, Sausage, and Rice Soup For All You Gardeners Looking for Green Tomato Recipes

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.

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

Green Tomato, Sausage, and Rice Soup

★★★★★

5 from 8 reviews

A Mexican soup made for gardeners looking for green tomato recipes. Put the last of the season’s green tomatoes to good use with this sausage and rice soup.

• Author: Kate Ramos
• Yield: 4–6 1x

Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ounces Italian sausage (2 links)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 1/2 pounds green tomatoes, cored and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 6 cups roasted chicken stock, or low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked white or brown rice

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the sausages and brown on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Add remaining oil, onions, celery, and garlic to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and starting to brown. Add green tomatoes, bay leaf, oregano, allspice, and chicken stock.
3. Slice the cooled sausages in half lengthwise, then in 1/2-inch thick half-moon slices. Add to the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 45 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
4. To serve, divide cooked rice between the bowls and ladle the hot soup on top.