Sausage and Vegetable Stew

I know what you are going to say.  Stew in June?  That is just crazy talk.  Everyone is grilling, why are you cooking stew over a hot stove?  I should be outside, featuring the flavors of the season.  Why am I cooking parsnips, potatoes and carrots?  Why because they are delicious and cheap that’s why! 

I found this recipe, Sausage and Vegetable Stew in the “Food Network Magazine”, February/March 2009 issue.  I know not technically a “cookbook” but I consider it one.  It has great recipes from the start of the magazine to the end.  It offers easy weeknight meals and great weekend cooking.  I have had a subscription since the magazine started in 2009 and I can’t wait for the magazine to come in the mail every month. 

I picked this recipe because, like I said it was cheap and I had just purchased a few pounds of the cutest baby red skin potatoes at the farmers’ market this past Saturday.  I thought this would be the perfect vessel to serve it in.  The two youngest children and I went to the store and to buy the rest of the ingredients, with a vow to spend no more than 10 dollars.  It was fun trying to keep everything in check.  We made a game of it.  The middle child was in charge of finding the parsnips in the store.  The youngest one helped pick out the kielbasa.  Conveniently the cheapest sausage was turkey!  Score!  This was going to turn into a healthy stew!  Okay to be honest when we got to the check out the bill came to $10.27.  Not bad to feed 4 people and my mom for lunch the next day.  

The stew was rich and meaty and very filling.  It was a snap to put together and only took 40 minutes to make.  The little red potatoes were sweet and all of the vegetables really picked up the flavor of the paprika.  Everybody thought the dish was delicious.  Everybody also agreed that the dish would have been better in the fall or winter.  I really recommend giving this a try.

 

Sausage and Vegetable Stew

3 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1 large red onion

4 gloves garlic, smashed

1 tbs. paprika, plus more for garnish

Kosher salt

3 tbs. all-purpose flour

1 lb kielbasa, cut into small chunks (we used turkey kielbasa)

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into large chunks

14 oz small red-skinned or new potatoes (6 to 8) quartered

1 tbs. cider vinegar

Freshly ground pepper

½ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

¾ cup sour cream

Crusty bread, for serving

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven of heavy pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and glistening, about 6 minutes.  Add the paprika and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the oil turns deep red, about 1 minute.  Add the flour and cook until just toasted, 30 seconds more.  Immediately whisk in 4 cups water.  Add the kielbasa, carrots, parsnips, potatoes and 1 ½ teaspoons salt.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and the broth has thickened, about 20 minutes.  Add the vinegar and season with pepper.

Combine about half of the parsley with the sour cream in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.  Ladle the stew into bowls; top with remaining parsley, a dollop of herbed sour cream and a sprinkle of paprika.  Serve with bread.

Serves 4 generously.