Sausage Tomato Stew

We've been on a huge soup kick over here lately. I'm trying to eat less carbs and more veggies and protein, so soup is turning out to be one of my favorite meals. Not to mention, it's warm, hearty, and freezes wonderfully. 

If you have all the ingredients chopped and ready to go, this stew comes together fairly quickly, so it's perfect for a night when you don't have dinner planned. Of course, like most soups, this tastes better the next day (or even weeks later if you freeze it), but it also has a rich flavor fresh out of the pot! 

 Sausage Tomato Stew

adapted by Lia Huber from Cooking Light

Ingredients 

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced 

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 pound ground sausage (turkey, pork, chicken, whatever)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
4 cups chopped kale

1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Directions: 

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add sausage; sauté 4 minutes. When is brown, add red pepper flakes and ground pepper; stir around until meat is completely cooked.  Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute. Add chickpeas, kale, and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Green Chile Stew

When the temperature drops there's nothing nicer than enjoying a nice, warm bowl of soup for lunch or dinner. But when it's downright freezing outside, the only thing nicer than a bowl of soup is a hearty bowl of green chile stew. The warmth from the green chile and combination of tender meat and potatoes will instantly warm you right up.

This is one of those meals that's great to start in the morning and cook all day long; the ingredients will intermingle with each other and get more flavorful by the minute. If you can't find fresh green chile, canned will work fine, or you can try roasting your own (tutorial) Hatch or Anaheim peppers. Keep in mind that heat from chile—even canned—can vary, so start out small and work your way up. If you're making this for a milder crowd, you can always sprinkle in some red pepper flakes to kick up the heat.

Now that the details are out of the way, I really hope you'll enjoy this recipe!

 Green Chile Stew

Ingredients:
2 quarts water
8 beef bouillon cubes
1 capful, kitchen bouquet (for color)
1 capful, Worcestershire
1 pound, beef stew meat, trimmed and cut in chunks/bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon flour
2 russet potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1-2 cups, green chile (to taste)
red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:
Boil water. Once boiling, add boullon cubes, kitchen bouquet and Worcestershire. Brown meat in skillet; lightly season with salt and pepper. When meat is finished cooking, add it to the crockpot; sprinkle flour on top and mix together. Add broth, potatoes and remaining ingredients to crock pot. Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or if you're in a rush, 4-5 hours on high.