Oktoberfest Stew with German Lager Recipe

Meaty kielbasa meets classic German lager in this hearty stew perfect for whipping up in autumn!

 Feeds 2 adults; 1 toddler with loads leftover

Oktoberfest Stew with German Lager Recipe 

Nestled along the banks of Georgia's Chattahoochee River lies a little-known Bavarian inspired town called Helen. Done up in the style of quintessential Alpine villages, Helen sits in a valley of the Blue Ridge Parkway and attracts thousands of visitors each year, longing for a taste of Bavaria. I first visited Helen as a student at UNCG one summer and fell in love with the town's kitsch souvenir shops. One of the things I loved most about Helen was the chain of German restaurants offering up all manner of tasty treats from Deutschland. The dish that caught my attention, though was a hearty bowl of Eintopf or stew served with hand torn, rustic German bread and a mini pewter Steinkrug of the beer used to make the stew. Before eating, you're meant to pour the beer into the soup or drizzle it over the bread. Unfortunately, because I was under 21 years old at the time of my visit, my stew came with an empty stein! I've not been back to Helen since, but I've thought about that stew (and the schnitzel I had!) often and wanted to try to recreate it. When shopping for the ingredients for this, I couldn't find bratwurst at my grocery store, so I thought I'd bring two nations together and use Polish kielbasa instead. I think the two sausages are so similar in texture and taste that you get the same result and we quite enjoyed it.

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Ingredients:

For the stew
1 cup Loesch-Zwerg Wurzig or other German lager
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
2 cups chicken stock
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 or 4 medium sized potatoes, diced
250g savoy cabbage
6 to 8 kielbasa sausages or bratwurst, sliced
salt and pepper
parsley to garnish

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Instructions:

Oktoberfest Stew with German Lager

1. Heat the oil in a large pot and add the sausage. Allow to caramelize slightly for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized.
3. Add the cabbage and garlic along with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes.
4. Pour in the beer and leave to reduce about 4 minutes.
5. Add the potatoes and chicken stock and bring to the boil.
6. Cover and reduce the heat and allow the stew to simmer 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
7. Turn off the heat and pour in the apple cider vinegar and a good sprinkling of fresh parsley.
8. Serve with fresh bread.

Love hearty soups and stews? Click the photos to check out these recipes: