Spicy Cajun Stew

Hi there! Trying to decide what to make for dinner tonight? You're just in time for a tasty recipe to warm you up on this cloudy day. I love comfort food, but I also try to eat as healthy as possible (most of the time). This Cajun Stew really satisfied both of those needs for me.

A few weeks ago Andrew and I went to my parents' house for the weekend and my mom made us this great stew for dinner one night. She had seen the original recipe in the newspaper as a featured Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday recipe. I'm so glad she made it for us because it was delicious, and it's pretty simple so I knew it was something we'd want to make again.

Andrew and I have always loved cooking together. But we're complete opposites in the kitchen. I am the typical Type A, follow the recipe exactly kind of gal; while he is more of the, who needs a recipe?! Just work with the ingredients you have on hand, type of guy. So when he mentioned that we should make this recipe again for dinner on Sunday, I knew there would be some modifications.

Here's our take on this tasty Southern stew...

Ingredients
Not Pictured: Beans, Chicken Broth, Bay Leaf, Celery, and Olive Oil

We buy the majority of our groceries from Trader Joes, and luckily they have a Smoked Andouille Sausage flavor that worked perfectly for this. Otherwise, we already had all of these ingredients on hand. My mom sent us home with the Cajun seasoning after she made this for us a few weeks ago.

 

I like to first prep all of my ingredients, I feel it makes the cooking process move more smoothly. And we have very limited counter space, so it helps to have everything ready to go.

I drained and rinsed both the can of black beans and the white kidney beans. I put 1 cup aside in a separate bowl, and mashed them with a fork.

Once everything was chopped and ready, we started browning the sausage in olive oil over medium heat. After about 5 minutes it was a nice, crisp, golden brown, so we set the sausage aside and added the onion to the saucepan.

Let the onion sauté for a couple minutes, until it starts to brown. Then add the garlic and Cajun seasoning. Let this cook together for 1-2 minutes. By this time, you'll think you're in New Orleans because the kitchen will smell so good!

Then, stir in the cup of mashed beans. Next, add the remaining beans, celery, jalapeno, bell pepper, chicken broth and bay leaf. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the head and let it cook for 15-20 minutes.

We wanted this to be the consistency of stew, so we let it simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Then we added the cooked rice and sausage, and let it cook for an additional 10 minutes.

The final product was great! We garnished ours with sriracha and served it with a green salad. It was a flavorful, comforting meal and tasted just as delicious as leftovers the next day.

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Spicy Cajun Stew

You'll Need:

2   Tablespoons Olive Oil

3   Links Andouille Sausage (we used Trader Joes brand)

1   Medium Yellow Onion

2   Large Cloves of Garlic

1   Tablespoon Cajun Seasoning (We may add more next time)

1   15 1/2 oz can Black Beans

1   15 1/2 oz can White Kidney Beans

2   Jalapenos

2   Stocks of Celery, chopped

1    Large Red Bell Pepper, chopped

5   Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth

1   Bay leaf

2   Cups Cooked Brown Jasmine Rice

Instructions:

In a large saucepan over medium, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Add the diced onion to the saucepan and cook, stir occasionally, until golden brown. Once your onions are golden brown, add the Cajun seasoning and garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

While the onion and garlic is cooking, mash up 1 cup of the beans with a fork, then add them to the sauce pan. Next, add the jalapeno, celery, bell pepper, remaining beans, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat and let cook for 15-20 minutes.

Stir in the sausage and rice, and let cook until heated through. We wanted ours to be thick, like a stew rather than a soup, so we let it simmer with the rice and sausage for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf before serving.

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 Thanks, Mom for finding this recipe to inspire our own take on this Southern dish!

Have you made any new recipes lately? If so, please share!

xoxo,

T