Cacciatore Stoup with Turkey Sausage Meatballs
Rachael says, "Stoup is a made-up term that I use for a recipe that is thicker than soup and thinner than stew in its consistency. Slow-cooked Cacciatore Stoup, originally a hunter’s stew of rabbit and wild mushrooms, then a spicy on-the-bone chicken dish with vegetable and tomato sauce in mainstream restaurants, today gets a fast, fun update with this winning recipe that the whole family will love! Plus, it’s easy cleanup for whomever gets stuck with the dishes!"
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2 portabello mushroom caps, wiped clean, then chopped into bite-size cubes
- 2 cubanelle peppers (light green, mild Italian peppers), seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 large onion, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like your food
- Coarse salt and black pepper
- 3 slices white bread
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 pound ground turkey breast
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese (a couple of handfuls), plus some to pass at table
- A handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
- 1 can San Marzano tomatoes or whole plum canned tomatoes of choice (28 ounces)
- 1 quart chicken stock
- Crusty whole grain bread, to pass at table
Directions
- Heat the EVOO in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add portabello mushrooms, peppers and onion and cook until tender, 7-8 minutes. Season the vegetables with crushed red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper.
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While vegetables cook, rip up bread and soak with milk in a mixing bowl for 5 minutes. Add turkey to the bowl, followed by the egg, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
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Add tomatoes to the pot and break up with a wooden spoon. Stir in the stock and raise heat to bring to a boil. When the stoup boils, form 2-inch meatballs with the turkey mixture and drop into stoup. Cover the pot, reduce heat and simmer the balls in the stoup for 10-12 minutes.
- Serve in shallow bowls with crusty whole grain bread for mopping and extra cheese for topping.