Compassion can be as therapeutic, warming, and satisfying to the soul as a steaming, generous bowl of Harvest Stew is for the body, and just as necessary for one’s best health and well being.
There are times when I look around at the state of things, at the way we behave toward one another, at the way we treat each other, at the unkindness, the jealousy, the hurt, the vengeance, the lack of care, and outright harm that we perpetrate upon one another, and I struggle to feel compassion.
Not an easy thing to admit, frankly, but it’s true.
On a daily basis there is so much disharmony to be witnessed, and so very many little jabs that get thrown around that are disguised as jokes or silliness, purportedly innocuous things, that are anything but, and we’re playing a dangerous game with each other that will only lead to disconnect and a loss of a genuinely loving, caring feeling towards one another.
And that’s a tough place to recover from.
Life is full of all kinds of things: full of all kinds of people, full of all kinds of experiences, full of all kinds of opportunities, full of all kinds of choices.
And what I’ve been experiencing lately is the realization that a choice that I have to make, personally, is whether I will choose to find compassion within my own heart, drawn from my Creator when I cannot muster it on my own, or if I will choose to allow resentment, bitterness, lack of sympathy, and a lack of joy to infiltrate my being-ness, and become like a cancer that invades and kills off the healthy and living cells, those beautiful and wonderful cells of “love” that long to live abundantly, eternally, within me.
And I’m opting for compassion, and to be filled to the brim with its benefits.
Compassion is not something that magically appears. It is something that one must consciously ask for, and long to experience, not only in one’s own life, upon one’s own being, but as an outward expression towards another.
Compassion is that softness, that mercy, that genuineness that flows from within a soul that is at peace and truly full of joy, and it nourishes and sustains, first and foremost, the carrier and giver of that compassion, and also the one on the receiving end of it, even though they may never even be aware they are a “receiver”.
Being able to receive and carry in one’s being-ness compassion for an otherwise seemingly compassionless world is to feel satisfied and full on the inside, regardless of what is happening on the outside of one’s self.
Compassion satisfies a hunger, a longing, the way a Harvest Stew deeply and intensely fulfills and quells a physical hunger, the body’s hunger; it speaks to the soul’s hunger to not allow things to stay in the dysfunctional state that they’re in, but to find that spark of care, of love, of desire, of want of beauty, of understanding, even if for all intents and purposes, that spark seems buried beneath a dark surface.
I speak from experience when I say that when compassion fills my soul, it sustains me unlike anything else; it is a starting point, a beginning, from which I can develop a further understanding, peace, and quiet calmness amidst the chaos that seemingly surrounds and often wounds.
Compassion is a divinely delicious bite to partake of, an exquisitely powerful and delectable morsel to place upon the tongue and to swallow down deep into one’s very center.
There, it spreads and multiplies, bolsters and heals, like an amazing homemade, rustic stew that feeds the tired, hungry, and often wounded and lost traveler in all of us; that traveler that simply longs to find their home in the soft place of love, once again.
Taste what’s good and pass it on.
Ingrid
Harvest Stew with Smoked Sausage
by Ingrid Beer
Print RecipeYield: Serves about 6
Ingredients:
• Canola or olive oil
• 1 (12 ounce) package of beef smoked sausage, sliced into circles
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch salt
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 medium-large carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 medium-large parsnips, peeled and diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 6 baby yellow potatoes, cubed (skin on)
• ½ pound (8 ounces) diced butternut squash
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 1 tablepsoons chopped parsley
Preparation:
-Place a large soup pot over medium-high heat, and drizzle in about 2 tablespoons of oil; one hot, add in the sliced sausage in a single layer, and allow it caramelize and brown on that first side (a few minutes), then stir and allow it to further caramelize for about another 2 minutes.
-Add in the onion, and stir to combine; saute together with sausage for about 3-4 minutes, until lightly golden; add in the Italian seasoning, paprika, black pepper, and pinch of salt, plus the garlic, and stir to combine.
-Next, add in the carrots, parsnips, celery, potatoes, and butternut squash, and stir to combine with the sausage and onion mixture; next, add in the chicken stock, and bring to the boil.
-Reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow the stew to simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes (it can bubble, but don’t have it simmering too, too vigorously).
-Turn off the heat, and check to see if any additional salt/pepper is needed; add in the kale and the chopped parsley, and stir to combine, allowing the kale to wilt into the soup for a few minutes before serving; serve with good quality bread.
I love, love, love your recipes! and this soup looks fantastic! It’s on my list to make soon but I have a question … what is beef smoked sausage? Is it kielbasa or does it go by another regional name?
Hi Linda, thanks so much! 🙂 Very glad to read that! You can buy a brand like Hillshire Farm, etc. The package juts says “Beef Smoked Sausage”. Really, any sort of smokey sausage you and your family like to enjoy would be fine in this. Hope you enjoy!
p.s. … don’t be hard on yourself. I too find it hard to be compassionate towards those who are truly ugly, hateful, do horrible things to others, to children, to animals. I don’t know what the answer is but I do try and live compassionately until you try or do me, someone I love, or something innocent harm then look out. I will do all in my power to “correct” it and make you accountable for your actions.
Could this be done in a slow cooker as well? Also could you use stewing beef as a substitute?
Hi Bob, I don’t see why not, on both questions. Since stewing beef takes a couple of hours (typically) to get nice and tender, just allow the stew to simmer in the slow cooker probably on a lower setting for a little longer. Hope you enjoy!
Not a huge fan of butternut squash…how prominent is it? Could I sub something else? I would like slow cooker directions as well. This looks delicious!
Hi Stacy! Well, the squash is “prominent” enough, if you’re not a fan. You can leave it out, or sub rutabaga (a root veg), or more parsnip, carrot, celery, or other ingredient you do prefer. If you’re cooking it for quite a few hours, then cook on low until everything is tender.
Hi, Ingrid ~ beautiful, moving words coming at a perfect time for me. Thank you. And I’m looking forward to making a nice big pot of this delicious-looking soup. xo
Hi sweet friend, so great to hear from you! Hope the family is well! Thank you for your lovely comments, as always. I truly do hope you are able to prepare this stew and find some comfort in it. Blessings to you and yours. xo
This looks lovely. Have you ever tried to freeze it?
Hi Dsayko, thank you! No, I haven’t tried freezing this (we never seem to have any leftovers when it comes to soup in our house, lol!) but I don’t see why that wouldn’t be possible. If you do freeze it, I’d say that when you’re ready to enjoy it, just allow it to thaw in the fridge for a couple of days, then reheat, and it should be great! Hope you enjoy.
Hi! How long do you think this would stay well in the fridge for? Thanks for the recipe! I just bought butternut squash and parsnips at a local farm.
Hi Lauren, glad you’re planning on preparing this cozy recipe! I keep soups/stews in the fridge for a number of days—sometimes even up to 5. I typically make a pretty big pot, and if it’s just my hubby and I eating it, we’ll keep dipping into it for a while. The longer soups or stews sit (within reason, of course), the more depth of flavor they take on. Hope you enjoy!
So excited, just made this. Thanks for posting and love your article.
So exited to read that, and thank you for sharing your lovely comments! Hope you enjoyed. 🙂
made this last week, it was soo good! I think we accidentally doubled the butternut and a few other ingredients, such a comfort soup! Plan on making it again this week
Hi Rebekah, sound like it turned out wonderful, even if a couple of things were doubled! 😉 Glad you enjoyed and that there’ll be a “round two”!
This recipe looks delicious! I’m trying to increase my weekly intake of vegetables and this recipe will definitely help. I’ll be trying your recipe on Sunday. Question. I would like to use a slow cooker. Should I add the vegetables and cook on low or should I wait a couple of hours? My concern is I don’t want them to become mushy.
Hi Brian, thanks for your question! I’ll be totally honest with you and tell you I am not an expert in cooking with the slow cooker…but if you’re looking to cook this for a while, I would say that, yes, perhaps add them a little later because of the “mushiness” factor. These particular veggies become tender fairly quickly, especially if you’re cutting them into more bite-size pieces; so you should be fine. I hope you enjoy!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was AWESOME!!! My family loved it! Including my 6 and 4 year old children who are picky soup eaters! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe:)
Hi Katie, thanks so much! So glad you all enjoyed! (And whenever I read that the kiddos love a dish, that is doubly impressive, and warms my heart that much more. 🙂 ) I appreciate you coming back to share your experience!
I throw all the ingredients in the crockpot and it turns out great! I add spinach (instead of kale) about 15 mins before serving. I have found that the longer it stews, the better – as the sausage becomes more flavourful and melts in your mouth. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Zoe, thanks for sharing your method! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I’d like to make this with a tomato base. What do you think?
Hi Kristie, certainly! This would work wonderfully with a little added tomato richness. Happy cooking!
I know this is an older post, but I wanted to let you know that I found this recipe on Pinterest. My boyfriend and I were getting burned out on the Whole30 and this was the perfect thing to revive our spirits. I had almost every ingredient in the house exceot for the butternut squash and I substitued golden beets. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and it was wonderful!
Hi Cecile, glad you found this recipe, and that it helped in reviving your spirits! So happy you and your boyfriend were comforted. 🙂