Simple & Hearty Sausage, Apple and Kale Stew

Sausage Apple and Kale Stew

This is indeed one of my favorite dishes to make since it's so delicious, hearty and easy to make. Plus, it's great to use as a base and then change around depending on what you have on hand and what looks good in the grocery store. The combination sausage, apple and greens is truly a nice one, and it's refreshing to use apples for savory dishes for a change. I think of fall when I make this dish, however it's really suitable for anytime of the year. Please don't take this recipe too literal, use it as a guide.

The base: apples, sausage and greens is spot on. And for the broth, it really is nice to add some apple juice, or if you don't have that around, use some apple cider vinegar. The flavor of apple is great and the whole dish feels fresh and different, yet comforting at the same time.

4-6 Servings

• A pack of flavorful sausage (cooked or uncooked). A great choice here would be chorizo, smoked sausage or any other rich and intense sausage.
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 carrots, peeled
• 2-3 apples. Crisp are ideal, however a combination of different kinds would also be great. Leave the peel on and cut in slices
• 2 teaspoons of dried herbs such as thyme, basil or oregano
• 1 bunch of kale, or any other leafy greens such as collard greens or Swiss chard. Use what looks good. Wash, remove the stems and chop.
• 1 can of chickpeas or other beans (can be skipped, but chickpeas in particular add such a nice touch)
• 1 cup of applejuice (or 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar if you have no juice around)
• About 4 cups of broth (or more depending on how soupy you want this dish)

Method:

Slice the sausage thinly and sautee in a big pot (If the sausage is rich, you don't need any butter or oil, otherwise add some). Once the sausage is browned, add sliced onion and carrots. Add the dried herbs. Cook for about 10 minutes or until the onion is browned.

Add the apples and cook for a couple of more minutes, then add the drained chickpeas, the apple juice and the broth. Let come to a boil, cook for about 10 – 15 minutes. At this point add the chopped greens, taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Let cook for another 5 minutes or until the greens are cooked through, but not overcooked.