Hearty stews are more winter fare, of course (try our Vietnamese beef stew when it gets colder).
But if you’re like me at farmer’s markets these days and can’t help but buy way too many just-picked fresh vegetables, a summer stew provides a deliciously seasonal way to make use of them all at once. Just a little editing is needed, but you can really throw everything in the pot and it will come out great.
For this recipe, I used a bountiful collection of summer squashes of every shape and size, and I paired them with hot sausage and smoky pimentón.
The result is the perfect summer dish—easy and relatively quick to make—and it solves the age-old summer question of what to do with all that summer squash?!
Spicy Summer Squash and Sausage Stew
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ to 1 pound hot or andouille sausage or chorizo
- 2 pounds assorted summer squash
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 cups chicken broth or as needed
- 1 can diced tomatoes or 1 large tomato diced
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste
- 1 tsp pimentón or to taste
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Do your prep: dice the onion, mince the garlic and jalapeno, and slice the squash and sausage.
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Heat a medium to large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add the olive oil and when the oil is shimmering but not smoking, add the sausage slices and cook until they brown, 3-5 minutes. Add the onion and reduce the heat to medium, cooking until the onions become translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeno and cook another minute or two. Add the squash and allow to brown slightly. Add chicken broth and tomatoes, and stir to combine.
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Bring mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce to medium-low. Season with salt, pepper, and pimentón and let simmer, uncovered, until the squash is tender but not soft, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the parsley. After squash is done, add half the parsley and mix well. Adjust seasoning, if needed.
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To serve, ladle into bowls and top with more parsley and plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
