St. Elisha “Deadly” Stew Recipe

History

Elisha performed many works during his time as a prophet in the Northern Kingdom. The book of 2 Kings packs many of these stories into a few chapters, and many of these stories concern food! One of these wonders inspires our St. Elisha observance and is sure to be a fun story to read around the dinner table: “Elisha purifies the deadly stew” (2 Kings 4).

Elisha and a group of prophets were gathered for a supper during a time of famine in Gilgal. It turned out that one man in their company had accidentally foraged a deadly herb and added it to the stew, not knowing what it was. Another recognized the poisonous herb and exclaimed that there was death in the stew! Elisha, however, was unalarmed and called for a little flour to be added. This purified the stew and all ate their portion unharmed.

Although St. Elisha’s Day is a newer addition to the Lutheran calendar, so there aren’t any historic traditions for this day, we are proposing this biblically inspired recipe as a way you can commemorate this famed Old Testament saint within your households! Making your own stew recipe can be a fun way to remember the stories about Elisha in 2 Kings and to thank God for our daily bread and provision. As far as our recipe is concerned, it isn’t in the least bit harmful, but it does feature a flavor-packed combination of meat, veggies, and of course, herbs and flour!

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St. Elisha Stew Recipe

This stew is a creamy, one-pot meal that is fit to serve about four people. Add or subtract ingredients to your own liking or make it just as we have below! Of course the two things that we had to include were fresh herbs as well as flour in the spirit of the Elisha story. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup rice

2 cups water

1 pound Italian chicken sausage mix (or all sausage)

2 tablespoons butter

2-3 cloves of garlic

2 cans of sliced carrots (or fresh)

1 can of peas (or fresh)

2 cups chicken broth

1-2 cups milk

1/4 cup flour

2 sprigs of rosemary

Instructions

1. Cook rice in 2 cups of boiling water for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.
2. In a skillet, brown 1 pound of ground Italian chicken sausage mix (or your own blend of chicken and sausage) in 2 tablespoons of butter. Once the meat is browned, add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
3. Combine rice and meat in a large pot with remaining ingredients and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the flavors to meld and the stew to thicken.
4. Remove rosemary sprigs before serving. Enjoy!