Witches Brew Stew–a spooky soup for your little ghosts and goblins. An easy ground beef and smoked sausage vegetable soup made in your Instant Pot or Crockpot.
Witches Brew Stew
Today’s recipe is perfect for a Halloween dinner. With mushrooms that look like skulls (it’s not hard, don’t worry) and lots of hearty bites of sausage and potatoes this will be a perfect pre trick-or-treating supper. You can choose to make this soup in your Instant Pot or the Crockpot, both methods work great. This makes quite a bit of soup so you can halve the recipe for a smaller group or save the rest in the freezer for a future dinner.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Canola oil–or olive oil
- Beef smoked sausage–or kielbasa or andouille sausage
- Lean ground beef–or ground turkey
- Onion–or shallot
- Celery
- Beef broth–or water and Better than Bouillon
- Carrots
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
- Campbell’s French Onion Soup
- Tomato sauce–or condensed tomato soup
- Russet potatoes–or red potatoes
- Bay leaf
- Mushrooms–white or baby bella
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and swirl around. Add in the smoked sausage and brown for about 2 minutes on each side.
Add in the ground beef, onion and celery and brown for about 5 minutes. If there is excess grease drain it off.
Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Keep the pot on saute so that the broth can start heating up. Add in the remaining ingredients (except the mushrooms).
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 10 minutes on low pressure.
While the soup is cooking make the mushroom “skulls”. Slice the mushrooms in half lengthwise.
Use a skewer to poke out holes for eyes and use a knife to make two slits for a nose. I also made slits on the stem.
Once soup is done cooking release the pressure and add in the mushrooms. Replace the lid and let it sit on warm for about 10 minutes to semi-cook the mushrooms.
Discard the bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and serve with bread or crackers.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with cornbread, garlic bread, french bread or breadsticks.
- This recipe is adapted from The Magical Slow Cooker.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 8 quart pot.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with mushrooms are Garlic Mushroom Chicken or Chicken Georgia.
- Try adding in additional vegetables like green beans or sweet white corn.
- If you like spicy foods use hot sausage.
More Soups To Try…
Hibernation Soup
Instant Pot or Crockpot chicken, vegetable and lentil soup that is cozy and packed with flavor. A perfect meal for a chilly fall evening.
Soccer Mom Soup
Instant Pot or Crockpot broccoli, cheese and bacon soup that only has 5 ingredients! A fast and easy dinner for busy parents.
Shut your yapper soup
Chicken, mini lasagna noodles, addicting broth, mushrooms, spinach and more make this soup slurp slurp good!
Sailor Soup
Instant Pot or Crockpot beef soup with potatoes, mushrooms, carrots and a delicious broth.
Tennessee Soup
An easy dump and go beef and vegetable soup with a barbecue sauce boost! Make it fast in the Instant Pot or low and slow in the Crockpot.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Witches Brew Stew (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker)
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
A spooky soup for your little ghosts and goblins. An easy ground beef and smoked sausage vegetable soup made in your Instant Pot or Crockpot.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tsp canola oil
- 1 (12 oz) package beef smoked sausage, sliced into rounds
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 (10.5 oz) can Campbells French Onion Soup
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 bay leaf
- 10 mushrooms
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and swirl around. Add in the smoked sausage and brown for about 2 minutes on each side.
- Add in the ground beef, onion and celery and brown for about 5 minutes. If there is excess grease drain it off.
- Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Keep the pot on saute so that the broth can start heating up. Add in the remaining ingredients (except the mushrooms).
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 10 minutes on low pressure.
- While the soup is cooking make the mushroom “skulls”. Slice the mushrooms in half lengthwise. Use a skewer to poke out holes for eyes and use a knife to make two slits for a nose. I also made slits on the stem (see photos above).
- Once soup is done cooking release the pressure and add in the mushrooms. Replace the lid and let it sit on warm for about 10 minutes to semi-cook the mushrooms.
- Discard the bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and serve with bread or crackers.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Heat a large pan over medium high heat. Add in the oil and swirl around. Add in the smoked sausage and brown for about 2 minutes on each side.
- Add in the ground beef, onion and celery and brown for about 5 minutes. If there is excess grease drain it off. Add into the slow cooker.
- Add in the remaining ingredients except for the mushrooms.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- While the soup is cooking make the mushroom “skulls”. Slice the mushrooms in half lengthwise. Use a skewer to poke out holes for eyes and use a knife to make two slits for a nose. I also made slits on the stem (see photos above).
- Add in the mushrooms. Replace the lid and let it sit on warm for about 10 minutes to semi-cook the mushrooms.
- Discard the bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and serve with bread or crackers.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Very good. I made it last night after getting home from work. Simple ingredients, easy prep (total time from prepping ingredients to serving the soup took me a bit longer than 25 minutes). My husband loved it, he had seconds and said to make another batch before we run out of the leftovers. Our son liked it as well. Only thing I’ll do different next time is half moon cut the sausage. I’ll definitely be trying more recipes from your site. Very helpful when you have kids and work and are burnt out on making dinner.
★★★★★
Thank you so much for the nice review and the 5 stars Saige!
Made this last night and it was super yummy – there wasn’t much leftover at all, that means it’s a definite keeper! Only things I did differently was use tomato puree (on accident, thought I opened a can of sauce, and didn’t want to waste it) and no mushrooms since my guys (son & hubs) don’t like them. I love it when I read one of your recipes and realize I have everything I need to make it! Thank you once again for a fantastic recipe – you are my go-to IP source!
★★★★★
That is such a good feeling! I love not having to go to the store 😉
Agreed!! And an update: Hubs took the leftovers to work and said it was even better! Thanks again for the great recipes!!
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