You know when you have a mishmash of things in your kitchen and you experiment a little and throw things together and hope it comes out?
That was me, last night. It was our first real chilly, grey, and rainy day of the autumn and I figured I’d make some soup. With flavored broth, some meat, some veggies and pantry staples, I made a kind of gumbo-wannabe that was flavorful and satisfying. We liked it so much I had to write it down and share it with you!
Now, to be clear, I don’t claim this is in any way “authentic,” it just reminds me of a gumbo or jambalaya and tastes good. I reckon this would work with any kind of meat, chicken, maybe even seafood if you adjust some cook times.
Let me know what you think! What would you add to your easy Cajun stew? Let’s eat!
- 2 pounds ground beef I like 80/20
- 1 package smoked sausage or Polish sausage, or andoullie
- 1 box Swanson flavored broth, Cajun flavor
- 2 Tbsp Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning or your favorite seasoned salt or Cajun blend
- 1 ea Onion, white (medium) Chopped
- 2 ea zucchini diced
- 2 cups baby spinach or any fresh quick-cook greens you like
- 1 cup celery, chopped celery leaves are also great here.
- 1 ea green bell pepper chopped
- 1 can red beans drain at least 1/2 the liquid
- 2 ears corn cut from the cob, or 1 can of corn, drained
- Season ground beef with Cajun seasoning and brown in heavy-bottomed large soup pot. Drain and remove the beef from the pot.
- In the same pot, brown sliced sausage just until it gives up a little fat. Add chopped onion and continue cooking until the onion is translucent.
- Add the ground beef back to the pot and add Cajun-flavored broth. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer.
- Add corn, chopped celery, zucchini, bell pepper, beans, and spinach to the pot and stir to start to wilt the greens. Simmer covered until zucchini is tender, 30-60 minutes.
- Optional: thicken the soup just a little with corn starch, arrowroot or a flour/butter roux. it shouldn't be thick like gravy, leave it on the thinner side.
- Serve over rice!
For more pictures of the process, visit the blog at www.saltysassy.com.
I didn't add any salt in the cooking process. The flavored broth, Cajun seasoning and sausage added enough salt and flavor to the soup that there was no need to enhance the seasoning.