• 10 oz package of Rice River Farms Wild Rice Lumberjack Soup Blend
• 4 cups broth or stock
• 4 cups water
• 1 lb bacon, fried crisp and cut into bite size pieces, reserve pan drippings
• 1 lb Italian sausage, hot or mild, fried until done, reserve pan drippings
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 oz thyme, fresh
• 1 oz tarragon, fresh
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cans cannellini beans, drained
• breadcrumbs
• butter

Place Lumberjack Soup blend in stock pot along with seasoning packet, water, broth/stock, onion, celery, carrots, thyme, tarragon, and the bay leaf. Add half the bacon and half of the Italian sausage with all pan drippings.

Stir and bring to a boil over high heat; stir again and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer until rice, grains and beans are tender, approximately 45 to 55 minutes. When the soup is done, add drained cannellini beans and mix thoroughly. Remove the bay leaf and add in the remaining bacon and sausage. Mixture should be thick with small amount of broth.

Melt butter and add breadcrumbs to make a topping. Ladle soup into cassoulet bowls or individual ramekins and top with breadcrumb mixture. Broil until top is golden brown.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.