Chef notes
A deep, flavorful veggie stew is a must for me in the winter, and one of my favorites is ratatouille. This is my wintry take on it, loaded with sweet potato, parsnip and sage sausage. Serve with a side of crusty bread and enjoy.
Technique tips: I don't like to sauté the main veggies too much; it can cause them to soften up; you still want to have some texture to them. If you want to add the fresh basil to the sauce while it's cooking, please do.
Swap options: All these ingredients are definitely interchangeable. If you want to make this fully vegan, just switch out the chicken stock for veggie stock and omit the sausage.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound sage breakfast sausage
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 3 cups quartered button or cremini mushrooms
- 1 large parsnip, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- grated Parmesan, for garnish
- torn basil leaves, for garnish
Preparation
1.In a large pot on medium-low heat, add olive oil, onion and garlic and let sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the sausage and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until cooked through with no pink showing.
2.Add the bell peppers, sweet potato, mushrooms, parsnip, oregano and pepper flakes to the pot, mix together and let sauté for 2 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and let cook down until the veggies are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
3.Serve with grated Parmesan and torn basil leaves.
