I chose this recipe because of the veggie combination and it did NOT disappoint on that front! Who knew butternut squash & beets could co-exist in such deliciousness? I altered the recipe to make it crock pot compatible by only using 1 qt. of chicken stock and I subbed Trader Joe's Jalapeno Chicken Sausage for the elk. I also used apple cider vinegar and ginger paste. I got a little too liberal with the hot sauce and my preschooler refused to eat it. Cooked on high for 4 hours and then turned it on low for 3 and it was fantastic. I used a few more veggies (whole head of cabbage 3 beets 3-4c. squash) because I was trying to unload a bunch of veggies. I also skipped the cream of mushroom soup because I didn't have any on hand (but i did add some leftover cream of tomato soup towards the end). I thought it was very tasty stick-to-the-ribs fair but with the hot sauce and the jalapeno chicken sausage too spicy for little ones (although I loved it!)
We don't get elk very often but this was a special and wonderful winter soup.
I chose this recipe because of the veggie combination and it did NOT disappoint on that front! Who knew butternut squash & beets could co-exist in such deliciousness? I altered the recipe to make it crock pot compatible by only using 1 qt. of chicken stock and I subbed Trader Joe's Jalapeno Chicken Sausage for the elk. I also used apple cider vinegar and ginger paste. I got a little too liberal with the hot sauce and my preschooler refused to eat it. Cooked on high for 4 hours and then turned it on low for 3 and it was fantastic. I used a few more veggies (whole head of cabbage 3 beets 3-4c. squash) because I was trying to unload a bunch of veggies. I also skipped the cream of mushroom soup because I didn't have any on hand (but i did add some leftover cream of tomato soup towards the end). I thought it was very tasty stick-to-the-ribs fair but with the hot sauce and the jalapeno chicken sausage too spicy for little ones (although I loved it!)
I couldn't get elk so subbed chicken breakfast sausage. Didn't add potatoes or squash to cut down on carbs a bit. To my taste the sage was overpowering even with the other spices and vinegar and hot sauce. I ended up adding onion powder and extra dill to balance the flavors a bit. I also found that my cream of mushroom soup curdled (maybe from the vinegar? ) though it didn't keep us from eating it. Maybe I did something wrong when adding it.
So this is a good recipe! I tried it vegetarian style and it was yummy. The squash actually made the mix a bit sweet which was a great addition to this. (I have tried similar recipes in the past). Next time we will buy the meat in advance and I'm sure then it would be a perfect hearty meal!
The flavor WAS really good. I needed to use up alll the veggies that I had in the fridge so I made some substitutions; didn t have potatos so I used cauliflower and added mushrooms and substituted red for white wine vinaiger. Everything else was the same and everyone loved even my toddler and baby... I d make this again
