Swedish Korv Stroganoff: 25-Minute Sausage and Rice Weeknight Dinner

Start the rice first: rinse it until the water runs clear, then cook according to package directions so it finishes at the same time as the sauce.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound (450g) falukorv or other mild smoked sausage, cut into batons
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (120ml) chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (300g) long-grain white rice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Start the rice first: rinse it until the water runs clear, then cook according to package directions so it finishes at the same time as the sauce.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage batons and fry for 4 to 5 minutes without stirring too often, until the edges blister and brown.
3. Add the sliced onion and cook 4 minutes more, scraping up the browned bits, until the onion softens and takes on color.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and paprika and cook for 1 full minute. Toasting the paste here is what turns the sauce deep brick-red instead of thin and pink.
5. Pour in the stock and scrape the pan clean, then add the cream, Dijon, soy sauce and black pepper.
6. Simmer uncovered for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Taste and add salt only at the end, as smoked sausage is already salty.
7. Stir in most of the parsley and serve immediately over the hot rice, scattering the rest on top.
8. Leftovers reheat beautifully with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce, making this a strong candidate for a second-night lunch box.
9. Korv stroganoff is Sweden's most beloved husmanskost weeknight dinner, an improvised 1950s riff on the Russian classic using falukorv, the mild smoked sausage found in every Swedish refrigerator. It is proof that a genuinely good family dinner can come together in the time it takes rice to cook.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 780 kcal
• Protein: 24g
• Fat: 48g
• Carbohydrates: 62g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 1420mg