If you’ve been looking for a way to cook mustard greens, here’s a fabulous low oxalate soup just for you–Chicken Sausage Soup with Mustard Greens and Mushrooms! A few years ago I made it my mission to find at least one way to enjoy every low oxalate fruit and vegetable. I was in a food rut, eating the same things over and over again, and I was beginning to worry that I might not be getting enough important vitamins and minerals. I especially thought I should add more leafy greens to the menu, so I began hunting for ways to enjoy mustard greens– an especially nutrient-dense low oxalate veggie.
Chicken Sausage Soup with Mustard Greens and Mushrooms
The problem with mustard greens (3.2 mg. oxalate per half cup boiled) is that they can have a really bitter bite, especially raw. If you’ve tried them boiled with a little vinegar (the way I used to eat spinach), you’ve found out just how pungent mustard greens can be. This in not your nice, mild cabbage. Mustard greens have attitude! Unless you grow them in your own garden and pick the leaves when they are very small (think “baby greens”), mustard greens are best eaten cooked and mixed with other foods.
Now that I’ve thoroughly trashed my primary ingredient, I’ll tell you I absolutely love this fabulous low oxalate soup! And I love mustard greens in this soup. Chicken Sausage Soup with Mustard Greens and Mushrooms features the strong tastes of sausage and garlic–two flavors bold enough to keep the mustard greens in line. And something about the rich, buttery taste of mushrooms and the dark meat chicken mellows the mustard greens out. Did I tell you I absolutely love this soup? I make a pot almost every week — especially now that the mustard greens growing season is coming to a close in Missouri. Not to worry though. I’ve also found this soup works very well with brussel sprouts (and kale and collards). In fact, my sons won’t eat it with mustard greens (they don’t like the texture), but they will let me pick the chicken, sausage and brussel sprouts out and will eat huge mounds of them. About a month ago, my son Cameron was even overheard saying “I love brussel sprouts” as he popped at least three into his mouth at once. Not a pretty picture, but still music to this mamma’s ears!
CHICKEN SAUSAGE SOUP WITH MUSTARD GREENS AND MUSHROOMS
4 – 8 ounces ground sausage (I use natural pork sausage – see SCD/GAPs modification below)
1 -1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 3 cups left-over chicken) (I use free-range, antibiotic-free chicken)
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 large)
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken or bone broth (I use homemade or Swanson’s 100% Natural Chicken Broth)
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 large bunch mustard greens (6 cups fresh greens should cook down to about one cup boiled greens)
Brown the sausage over medium heat in a large soup pot or dutch oven, stirring occasionally and breaking up the sausage pieces. Meanwhile, trim the course stems and veins from the mustard greens. Roll the mustard leaves into thin, tight rolls and cut in very thin slices (will unroll into long, thin filaments). Set aside the greens when finished. When the sausage is about half cooked, drain the excess fat. Add the chicken thighs to the sausage and continue browning, stirring occasionally. When the chicken is about half cooked, add the onions and garlic. Continue to cook about 4-6 minutes, until the onions are translucent. At this point, I get out my sharp, clean kitchen scissors and quickly cut the the chicken into bite-sized pieces (Alternately, you can cut the raw chicken up before cooking, but I find the scissors method MUCH faster and easier. Plus, it minimizes how much I have to handle raw meat.) Add the chicken broth and mushrooms and simmer about 30 – 45 minutes (you may also want to add a pinch of salt if you are using homemade bone broth). Boil the mustard greens for about 3-5 minutes. Drain the greens (don’t reserve liquid), add the greens to the soup, and simmer another 5 minutes (This is an optional step: see oxalate note). The mustard greens should still be bright green when served.
Makes 6-8 servings.
Low Oxalate Info: Ground sausage (6.0 mg. oxalate/2 ounces) is a medium oxalate food. All other ingredients are low oxalate or very low oxalate. Each serving of soup has about 6 mg. oxalate (based on 8 servings made with 8 ounces sausage and 24 ounces chicken).
Most of the values in the oxalate tables are based on boiled greens without the cooking water. When you boil many vegetables, most of the soluble oxalate leaches out into the cooking water, so boiling first reduces the oxalate content of the food. Of course this also reduces the vitamin and mineral content, so the trade-offs should be considered on an individual basis depending on your health goals. I rarely pre-boil my greens, but others may find this necessary, especially if you use medium-oxalate varieties of kale. You may want to experiment with the difference. You may also want to skip this step with the low oxalate veggies that have a very low soluble oxalate content-since very little oxalate is removed from these veggies.
SCD/GAPs Modification: Use ground pork mixed with a little sage, black pepper and more garlic instead of the sausage. Some all natural sausage products are also acceptable. US Wellness Meats sells a compassionate certified natural pork sausage that is just like you would make it at home, expect with the convenience of a commercial product. Check it out!
Substitutions: You may substitute ham or bacon for the sausage (add some cooking fat if you substitute ham), which will reduce the oxalate content of this already low oxalate soup substantially (but also changes the taste a lot!).
You may substitute dino kale (3.5 mg. oxalate/half cup boiled) or turnip greens (4.8 mg./half cup boiled) for the mustard greens with little change in oxalate content.
You may also substitute 6-8 ounces brussel sprouts (8.5 mg. /half cup boiled) for the mustard greens, which will increase the oxalate content by about 1 mg. oxalate per serving. If you use brussel sprouts, prepare the sprouts by trimming off the ends and cutting each sprout in half. Increase the cooking time after adding the sprouts to the soup to about 15 minutes for “firm” sprouts or 30 minutes for melt-in-your-mouth sprouts (our preferred way).
Picky Eater Pleaser: Try using a slotted spoon to remove a few pieces of chicken, larger chunks of sausage, mushrooms and greens (or brussel sprouts). Put each food in a separate pile on a plate and serve with a small mug of broth. My boys won’t touch this soup, but they will eat most of the components separately.
Other Diets: Chicken Sausage Soup with Mustard Greens and Mushrooms may also be appropriate for low-carb, Primal, Paleo, gluten-free and dairy-free diets. It may also be appropriate for GAPS and SCD with modifications.
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