Recently, Connor has been out hunting snowshoe hares with beagles and on Friday, he brought home rabbit meat for me to try. I threw the legs into the crock pot and slow cooked for about 6 hours. The meat on the rabbit legs falls right off the bone and is the perfect addition to a soup.
Today is windy and brisk and I have been craving a good creamy soup. This soup comes together very quickly once you have the rabbit meat prepared. Believe me, if you have any rabbit legs tucked away in your freezer, thaw them, and give this recipe a try!
Serves: 4 Generous Servings – Prepare Time: 30 minutes +/-
INGREDIENTS:
CREAMY ITALIAN RABBIT SOUP:
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 8 Ounces Shredded Rabbit Meat
- 1 Leek, Only White Portion, Sliced Thin
- 1/2 Shallot, Sliced Thin
- 6 Ounces Carrots, Sliced Thin
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1/8 Cup White Wine (Dry Wine, i.e. Sauvignon Blanc)
- 4 Cups Chicken Chicken Broth
- 1 Package Mini Gnocci (17.5 ounces +/-)
- 1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Milk
- 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
- 10-12 Basil Leaves, Cut into Chiffonade
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1.) To start the base of the soup, add olive oil and butter to a large dutch-oven pot. Add leeks, carrots, and shallots to a pot and cook until leeks become softened, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally and season with salt and pepper.
2.) Add tomato paste, white wine, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, onion power, and crushed red pepper flakes to sautéed veggies. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent garlic from burning. Add rabbit and toss to coat meat with soup base.
3.) Add chicken broth, cook covered until boiling. Add gnocci and cook for 10 minutes, covered. Once gnocci is tender, add heavy cream, milk, fresh basil, and parmesan cheese to pot. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
4.) Serve with extra parmesan, basil, and crushed red pepper flakes. Enjoy!