Recipe Redux: Oktoberfest Stew

Recipe Redux.

Recipe Re-do.

Whatever you want to call it, it's time for this month's Recipe Redux! This one is definitely a keeper. I've been making it ever since the hubby and I moved into our new house. Literally, I think this was THE first new recipe I ever made in my brand new kitchen. Let's take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

When the hubby and I moved out of our rental in Ashland, it was the most organized move I'd ever, well, organized. I was on top of my game. I started packing 4 weeks before our move-out date, and I went slowly, room by room. Each box I packed had a room marked on it that it should go to. Underneath the name of the room, I listed every. single. thing. in the box. It was the most helpful thing I'd ever done.

When we were finally able to move into our newly constructed home, all boxes went to the appropriate rooms. The kitchen was the very first thing I unpacked. Mainly because I hadn't cooked much for 6 months and we'd been living on fast-food and the crappy frozen restaurant food they serve around here. We wanted REAL food, we'd waited so long for it. Needless to say, the kitchen was the first priority.

Not my closet.

Not my makeup.

Not even my never-ending pile of hairstyling crap.

The kitchen.

Thanks to my OCD packing skills, the kitchen was a breeze and only took about 3 hours. This was all on our 3rd day in the house, by the way. After unpacking the kitchen, I said "Screw the rest of the house!" and got ready to make dinner. I'd had this stew at the top of my list of Pinterest recipes I wanted to try, and by golly, it was happening ASAP.

There was one good aspect about that rental house in Ashland. The kitchen was naturally lit by a large window and it faced east. I could take the best pictures in that kitchen almost all day with the lighting it had. Back then I didn't know my shutter speed from my aperture. I just thought you took photos in any light and then turned out great. LOL. Such a goober, I was. Anyhow, so here I am, cooking in my brand new kitchen for the very first time. I was taking photos so I could post the recipe, lots and lots of photos. Oh-so very happy.

Until I synced my phone to the computer and looked at my pictures. Ugh. They were all dark, and they had turned out a funny color. What the heck, I thought. Photos were effortless in Ashland, now I had this-

It took me quite a while, and many months of yellow-toned blog photos to figure out the lighting sucks in my new kitchen. It really, really sucks. This led to a period of yellow-toned pictures for all my recipes. If you look at my Pinterest folder of Oregon Transplant Recipes, I think you can tell when I left Ashland (the last Ashland recipe was Pioneer Woman's Pasta Carbonara) and started blogging in the new kitchen (the first being Oktoberfest Stew). You can tell when I stopped using my iPhone to take pictures (the first big camera post was Raspberry-Banana Oat Muffins) and moved to a real camera. From there, I started shooting in natural light (my first natural light post was Easy Raspberry Jam) and from there I was led to photography lights (with my first lighted post being Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie for 1).

Which is where I am today-

Happy as a clam. I still have lots to learn and I'm sure I'll improve some more, but for now, I feel I am on the right track.

So, let's talk about this stew, shall we? It's chilly-weather worthy. It's make-this-cough-and-cold-go-away worthy. It's hearty and delicious. I mean, why wouldn't you want to make it? It's full of homemade chicken broth, creamy potatoes, savory sausage, and more than a handful of cabbage. I said it in 2012, and I'll say it again- this dish reminds me of one my mom used to make when I was little and I love it. Cabbage, potatoes, and sausage were made for each other.

There's also garlic, onion, and fresh parsley in there too.

Smoked sausage... oh yes.

How could you name this dish after Oktoberfest if there was no beer in it? Right??

And last (but definitely not least!) apple cider vinegar. After the stew has finished, and you've removed it from heat, you stir in a tablespoon and a half of apple cider vinegar. It adds SO much flavor to the final product, and the best tang. I can't even describe it, but it is a vital step you must not skip.

So, I've convinced you to make this soup, yes? Haha. Ok, moving along...

Remember that Pecan Pie I was talking about yesterday? It turned out Grrrrrrrrreat! The hubby raved over it, especially the crust which turned out perfectly flaky. I'm off to take some pictures of it right now. Starting my weekend off right, with pie success! Yippee!

Have a great weekend everyone! :-)

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked beef sausage, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 small cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch of salt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup lager (I used Hudenpohl, a German-style American lager)
2 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
3-4 cups Chicken Broth
1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large stockpot. When hot, add sausage. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until sausage is browned.
2. Add onions to the pan. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until onions soften. Add cabbage to the pan, sauté until softened (another 4-5 minutes). Add the salt, pepper, and garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds.
3. Add lager to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until beer is reduced by half.
4. And potatoes and 3 cups broth to the pot (if your stew is too thick, add up to 1 more cup of broth to get the consistency you desire). Again, bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
5. Turn the heat off. Stir in the vinegar and the parsley. Ladle into bowls, and serve immediately.

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from The Cozy Apron. 

If you liked this recipe, you may enjoy these-

Creamy Chicken, Tortellini, and Spinach Soup

Smoked Salmon Chowder

Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup

Linked to: Create It Thursday, Thank Goodness It's Thursday, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Snickerdoodle Sunday, Treasure Box Tuesday