Rutabaga and Italian Sausage Stew

Lately I’ve been looking for alternatives to high carb veggies, and, with the rutabaga, I’ve found a good one. I grew up eating rutabaga, mum usually would mash it. But in England I knew it as a swede. So today I made rutabaga and Italian sausage stew, it was really delicious, so, I thought I’d share

The rutabaga has a few names. In America, obviously, rutabaga, is from the Swedish for “root lump”, in Europe it’s known as the swede, or Swedish turnip. The common thread is Sweden, where it was originally cultivated as a hybrid between a cabbage and a turnip. Records of it date back to the 1600’s. During the first and second world wars when the allies were blockading the Germans, a stew of rutabaga cooked in water was sometimes the only food available. So the Rutabaga got a bit of a bad rap.

It’s a good low carb alternative to potatoes and rice. 1 cup has approximately 18 grams carbs, 1 cup of cooked potatoes has approximately 36 grams carbs. Rutabaga also has 30% DV vitamin C per 1/2 cup. And, it’s not just good for us, the tops can be used as animal fodder. Note that rutabagas are shipped with a coating of paraffin wax to stop them from drying out. I place the root on a chopping board and cut the skin and wax off with a knife. Cooking options are endless, roast, mash, cubed in a stew, sautéed like hash browns. Treat them like a potato

Sometimes dinner is whatever is in the fridge, so tonight is chicken Italian sausage and the rutabaga I’d just bought the other day. I use chicken Italian sausage because it’s a healthier alternative to regular Italian sausage, and still has good flavor. A good mix of protein and fresh vegetables. There’s other stuff too, but they’re the stars. I figured the easiest way for them to get together is in a stew. A little prep, then leave alone to cook while I do something else.

All stews and soups start with savory, a mirepoix, in this case, just onion and garlic. Sautéed till brown in some olive oil. Then add the sausage whole links. Brown a little on the sides, Cooking the outside of the sausage makes it easier to cut into slices. Then slice into 1 inch pieces and give it a couple more minutes, moving everything around the pan. The browning is the Maillard Reaction, it creates the flavor base of the soup.

Now add the other vegetables and the spices, stir everything around. And finally the chicken stock, enough to cover, probably close to four cups. When I make soups and stews I always use stock, it adds to the flavor. Gives it that “cooked for hours over a low heat” feel. And has less sodium than the cubes. Boxed stock or broth is usually on sale, in assorted flavors, like chicken, vegetable, and even low sodium, I always have some on hand. Plus, I like to make my own, read my post on stock and broth, there’s some interesting stuff in there.

Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer for about half hour till the vegetables are soft, but not mushy. When cooked allow about 10 minutes or so to cool a bit, nothing worse than a soup that burns the tongue. And That’s it, rutabaga and Italian sausage stew, ready in about 45 mins, hearty and healthy. Top as you please, something green or some grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy dinner and thanks for reading