Chef John's Sausage, Zucchini, & Potato Stew

Ingredients

• 1  bay leaf 
• 0.5 cup cherry tomatoes sweet (such as 100)
• 1 tablespoon chives fresh chopped
• 3 sprigs thyme leaves fresh
• 1  onion chopped
• 1 pinch salt 
• 6 servings salt and pepper black freshly ground to taste
• 1 pound spicy sausage smoked sliced
• 1 quart vegetable broth 
• 1.5 pounds yukon gold potatoes cut into 2-inch pieces
• 6  zucchinis cut into 2-inch pieces

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• pot

Directions

1. Cook sausage in a large pot over medium heat until fat begins to render from sausage, about 3 minutes. If pan is too dry, drizzle olive oil over sausage and cook until sausage is browned, about 5 more minutes. Stir onion and a pinch of salt into sausage; cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir zucchinis and potatoes into sausage; pour in vegetable broth and water. Stir bay leaf, thyme sprigs, salt, and black pepper into mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until stew is thickened and vegetables are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Turn off heat and stir chives into stew. Adjust salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in cherry tomatoes; serve in large shallow bowls.