Description
This comforting swamp cabbage recipe is a traditional Southern stew featuring hearts of palm, smoked beef sausage, and a rich tomato-based sauce, perfect for a hearty, family-friendly meal. It is an easy, wholesome, and budget-friendly dish ideal for busy weeknights and meal prep.
Ingredients
- 28 oz canned hearts of palm, drained and sliced into 0.75 inch rounds
- 10.5 oz permissible smoked beef sausage, sliced into 0.5 inch thick rounds (For a vegetarian option, you can swap this for plant-based smoked sausage)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced (approx. 7 oz)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced (approx. 5 oz)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
- 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable stock (You can use chicken broth too if that’s what you have in the fridge!)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1 large lime, zested and juiced
- 1 medium fresh jalapeño or serrano chili, deseeded and finely minced (approx. 0.5 oz)
- 1 oz fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds), toasted
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Slice drained hearts of palm into 0.75 inch rounds. Slice permissible smoked beef sausage into 0.5 inch rounds. Dice yellow onion and red bell pepper finely. Mince garlic and fresh chili. Zest and juice lime. Chop cilantro.
- Toast Pepitas and Brown Sausage: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the pepitas to the dry pot and toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant. Remove them. Add vegetable oil, then the sliced permissible smoked beef sausage. Cook for 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat, turning, until browned and crispy. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving fat in the pot.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add diced yellow onion and red bell pepper to the pot. Sauté over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring, until softened and translucent. Stir in minced garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and dried oregano. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Combine and Simmer Base: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir in the sea salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. The liquid should just barely bubble.
- Simmer the Stew: Return the browned permissible smoked beef sausage and sliced hearts of palm to the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until hearts of palm are very tender and flavors meld. The stew should thicken slightly. (If it seems too thick, splash in a tablespoon or two more vegetable stock.)
- Finish and Serve: Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in fresh lime juice and most chopped cilantro. Ladle this delicious swamp cabbage stew into bowls. Garnish each serving with reserved fresh lime zest, minced fresh chili, toasted pepitas, and fresh cilantro sprigs.
Notes
For a leaner option, use plant-based sausage or simply omit smoked meats for a vegetarian version. To enhance flavor, use organic vegetable stock. For more heat, double the fresh chili or add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Canned hearts of palm are excellent and readily available year-round. Simmer slowly for tender hearts of palm (25-30 minutes). This hearty meal is a natural one-pot wonder, making it an easy dinner idea with minimal cleanup.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop Simmering
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups (approx. 300 g)
- Calories: 400 calories
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 750 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
Keywords: swamp cabbage, Southern, stew, comfort food, easy dinner, wholesome, budget-friendly, hearts of palm, smoked sausage, one-pot meal