I have to admit — sitting down (or rather, standing/walking on the walking pad!) to write this feels oddly intimidating. I’ve been writing recipes and blog posts in some form and with some regularity for the better part of 12 years, but getting back in the saddle feels different this time. Quickly glancing back, my last post on here was January 13, 2022, right as I was emerging from the nausea-induced haze of my second pregnancy. Turns out, being pregnant and chasing a toddler around as a stay-at-home mom while also trying to develop recipes, photograph, write and edit blog posts, keep up with a weekly newsletter, starting seeds in the basement, transplanting outside, and getting chickens…all without childcare?? It’s a lot. And something had to give.
So I put my website on the backburner for a while. 2 years, a while! But it turns out that while I was taking my little sabbatical, folks were still finding the site and cooking recipes. Color me shocked! So it ignited a little spark within me to try carving out some time each week to put pen to paper, create, shoot, write, edit, the works. I’m still figuring out my new workflow so I do hope you’ll bear with me. But without further ado, a stew!
I used this recipe from Damn Delicious as inspiration for the recipe and tweaked it — more veggies, different greens, some of my favorite seasonings. The result is this Andouille sausage stew with Swiss chard — a stick-to-your-ribs kinda stew that is great for easy winter dinners. Throw it in the slow cooker and voila! I don’t have a slow cooker anymore actually, as I purged ours during a cross-country move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, but I used the slow cooker function on my Instant Pot. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Andouille Sausage Stew with Swiss Chard, White Beans, and Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 12.8-ounce package thinly sliced smoked andouille sausage
- 1 head of garlic minced (~5 cloves)
- 1 diced onion
- 4 peeled and diced carrots
- 4 diced celery ribs
- 2 15-ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- White pepper to taste
- Slap Ya Mama seasoning to taste
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 6 pieces of swiss chard chopped
- ½ cup shaved Parmesan
- Parmesan cheese rind if you have one lying around!
- Juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced smoked andouille sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Halfway through, add minced garlic and diced onion and sautee to bring out flavors.
- Place the browned sausage, minced garlic, diced onion, diced carrots, diced celery, Great Northern beans, oregano, bay leaves, white pepper, Slap Ya Mama seasoning, salt and black pepper into a 6-qt slow cooker.
- Stir in chicken broth, 2 cups water, and add the Parmesan cheese rind.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours.
- Just before serving, stir in the Swiss chard until wilted.
- Squeeze the juice of ½ lemon into the slow cooker for a burst of freshness.
- Serve the delicious stew immediately, topped with shaved Parmesan.
Notes
- Don’t have or don’t like Swiss chard? Kale, baby spinach, or even thinly sliced red or green cabbage would work well.
- The Slap Ya Mama seasoning is optional but, IMHO, really makes the stew pop. I have had a bear of a time finding it in grocery stores in Central Massachusetts so I order it.
- You could certainly make things a bit easier and brown the sausage in the Instant Pot if you’re using one, using the saut
Nutrition
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