Swamp Stew

I've been seeing a lot of versions of Swamp Soup on my social media feed lately.  I've reviewed the recipes and decided I would add more ingredients and change others to make of a version we'd enjoy.  This Swamp STEW is much thicker than a soup and you can definitely play around with the amounts if you like some of the ingredients more than others.

The recipes I saw had a can of turnip greens.  I have a friend who has a beautiful mustard green patch just ready for the  picking.  Since I prefer mustard greens over turnip greens, I used those instead.  You choose which greens you'd like in your stew.  Fresh or frozen or canned will all work nicely.  The original recipe called for Rotels.  I substituted a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes., 

 

But to truly showcase that Swamp theme, I added a pound of frozen (and thawed) Louisiana Crawfish Tails.  The crawfish, along with sliced okra, are my "secret ingredients."

Served with hot cornbread, this was a feast!

1 lb. Conecuh, sliced lengthwise, then sliced into 1/2" pieces

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 T. chopped garlic

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

3 ribs celery, sliced

1 orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 T. Creole or Cajun seasoning 

1 (14.5 oz.) can of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 (8 oz.) can of whole kernel or white shoepeg corn, drained

1 (14.5 oz.) can of cannellini or navy beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 oz.) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juice

2 cups diced potatoes

4 cups water

3 chicken bouillon cubes

2 - 3 cups sliced fresh or frozen okra

3 - 4 cups (packed) fresh mustard greens or 1 can of your favorite greens

1 lb. Louisiana crawfish tails

Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot (I used a 7 quart) over low heat.  Add sliced sausage and let the fat begin to render out and the sausage start to brown, about 8 - 10 minutes.  Stir  frequently.

Next, add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and bell pepper.  Let the vegetables cook with the sausage for another 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.  Add in the Cajun seasoning and let cook for another minute or so.

Now stir in the next seven ingredients and get everything combined.

Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer.  Lower the heat and let everything cook for 20 minutes or so. Stir now and then.

Add the okra and greens.  Continue simmering for 20-25 minutes.  

Add in the crawfish tails and give everything a gentle stir to combine.  

After about 10 minutes, your Swamp Stew will be ready to taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.  If you'd like the stew to be thicker, continue simmering for a bit longer.  If you'd like more broth, add a little more water.  You can add some of your favorite hot sauce at this point or offer it separately for those who might want more or less.

You can add chopped parsley if you'd like just before serving.