Thursday Recipe - Southern Whatchagot Stew

I ended up with a fridge full of vegetables the other day, so I did what I usually do. I made whatchagot stew. It turned out tasty so I thought I'd save the recipe to share.

If you don't know about whatchagot stew and stone soup, check out this post for the full story. Here's the bean-n-ham version and the curry version.

Marjoram is my herb of choice lately. It has almost a licorice flavor to it that pairs really well with vegetables. It's a mellower flavor than oregano or thyme or rosemary, but similar in a lot of ways. A little goes a long way.

Southern Watchagot Stew

1 T. butter
1 onion, minced
4 ribs celery with leaves, chopped
4 small carrots, chopped small
2 large cloves of garlic, mashed and minced
4 green onions, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
4 ears corn, boiled
1 16-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 T. chicken bouillon
1 t. dried marjoram
1 t. dried sage
2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
1 bunch collard greens, washed, stems removed, and sliced into bite-size pieces

Melt butter over med-low heat in a large stockpot, at least 1 gallon size. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add sweet potato, corn, black beans, and seasonings. Add enough water to cover. Put the lid on the pot and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add collard greens. Cover and simmer until everything is done, about 30 minutes. Soup will hold for 3-4 hours on low heat.

Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sourdough bread. Cheese also goes good on top of this soup - sharp cheddar or a good parmesan are both great.

I also added broccoli and a little bit of mashed potatoes to mine, because I had them and they needed used. That's what makes this whatchagot—use whatchagot in the fridge. I just happened to have a lot of southern staples so I used them.