Hearty bean stew with sausage is perfect for winters, weeknights and weekend brunches. It has a rich and complex flavor but is so easy to make. Customize it to suit your taste and diet preferences.
Bean and Sausage Stew
This recipe tastes like you have slaved all day to make it, but comes together with some easy tricks. Just about anyone can make this.
And that too with readily available pantry staples. It’s a sure winner at a weekend brunch like these potato waffles.
Delicious bean and sausage stew on a nicely toasted crisp bread slice or whole wheat naan is so nutritious and tasty.
Recipe Ingredients
Here are some notes about ingredients for this recipe.
- Olive Oil: I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil when I make it for a weekend brunch, but you can also use regular olive oil.
- Onion: red, yellow or white onions are fine.
- Sausage: Sweet or mild sausage works great in this recipe. But if you want to make it spicy, try sujuk, a Turkish spicy sausage.
- Garlic: Minced fresh garlic or very thinly sliced garlic works too.
- Tomato paste: This is what gives a nice consistency and richness to the stew.
- Beans: Here I have used a combination of pinto beans, kidney beans and black beans. The flavors of this combination works great with sausage. To make it easy I use low-sodium canned beans, but you can also substitute that with ½ cup of dried beans for each kind. Soak the beans overnight and then cook until well done before using in the recipe.
- Herbs: I used dried bay leaves and oregano. But you may also use fresh thyme or basil instead of oregano.
- Tabasco: This is my secret. Just a few drops of this smoky and spicy sauce adds a nice kick to the stew.
How to Make It
*Full recipe at the end of blog post.
- Brown the chopped onions and sausage until softened.
- Add garlic, beans, herbs, salt, tabasco, pepper, and water.
- Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer. Add tomato paste and cook to thick consistency.
- Garnish with herbs and drizzle olive oil. Serve hot with toasted bread.
Variations
- Add Other Vegetables: Use diced carrots, celery, tomatoes, greens or bell peppers. Add to sautéed onions and cook a few minutes.
- Other Spices: You can try adding ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 to 2 tablespoons sweet paprika or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Cheese: Top the stew with grated parmesan or cheddar cheese.
- Other toppings: Try sour cream or yogurt and chopped green onions.
- Vegan: Instead of sausage, use sautéed tofu, tempeh, mushrooms, vegan sausage or serve with avocado slices.
Tips and Notes
Consistency: For a thicker stew, puree a cup of the cooked stew and stir it back.
Make Ahead: This stew tastes better a day or two later. So you can make it up to two days before.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated for 4 to 5 days. The stew can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. Thaw, add water if needed and reheat.
Slow cooker: Make this recipe using all ingredients except sausage. Roast the whole sausages in oven at 425 degrees F for about 10 to 15 minutes, slice and add to stew and simmer. You could also brown sliced sausage with oil in a pan on the stove.
How to quick soak dried beans: Bring water to a rolling boil. Add rinsed dried beans, bring it a boil again. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and soak for 2 hours.
Nutrition Facts
Beans are an excellent source of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. They are a source of antioxidant phytochemicals such as quercetin, anthocyanin and saponins. Other health benefits attributed to regular consumption of beans are — lowering of cholesterol and blood pressure, prevention of constipation, improved gut health, better management of diabetes and weight.
Try using turkey sausage or chicken sausage to make it lighter.
More Stew Recipes
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Easy Bean Stew with Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more serving
- 1 onion large, chopped
- ½ pound beef sausage mild, sliced thick
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 15 ounces pinto beans rinsed and drained, see note
- 15 ounces kidney beans rinsed and drained, see note
- 15 ounces black beans rinsed and drained, see note
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon oregano dried or 2 thyme springs
- 1 bay leaf large
- Salt to taste
- ⅓ teaspoon Tabasco adjust per taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- Chopped green onions optional
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large cooking pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add chopped onions and saute until softened. Then add sausage and cook until brown on edges, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add garlic and stir a few minutes. Then add pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans and 1 cup water. Bring it all to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Next add oregano, bay leaf, salt, Tabasco, black pepper and stir. Continue to simmer the stew for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook until the sauce is of a thick consistency. Add water ¼ cup at a time to adjust stew to desired thickness. Adjust the seasonings as per taste.
- Garnish with chopped fresh herbs and drizzle of olive oil. Serve hot with toasted bread.
Notes
- Beans: Here I have used a combination of pinto beans, kidney beans and black beans. The flavors of this combination works great with sausage. To make it easy I use low-sodium canned beans, but you can also substitute that with ½ cup of dried beans for each kind. Soak the beans overnight and then cook until well done before using in the recipe.
- For more information about other ingredients and variations, check the blog post above.
- Consistency: For a thicker stew, puree a cup of the cooked stew and stir it back.
- Make Ahead: This stew tastes better a day or two later. So you can make it up to two days before.
- Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated for 4 to 5 days and can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. Thaw, add water if needed and reheat.
- Slow cooker: Make this recipe using all ingredients except sausage. Roast the whole sausages in oven at 425 degrees F for about 10 to 15 minutes, slice and add to stew and simmer. You could also brown sliced sausage with oil in a pan on the stove.
- How to quick soak dried beans: Bring water to a rolling boil. Add rinsed dried beans, bring it a boil again. Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and soak for 2 hours.
- Nutrition facts are approximate and do not include added salt.
Jess
Dipping a thick piece of crusty french bread in this stew is my definition of Heaven!
Toni
This is totally comforting! Everyone at my house loved it!
Ana
Found this bean stew recipe so easy to make plus delicious! I made it this weekend and the family loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
Roxana Begum
So glad you liked it!
Elle
Comforting, tasty and easy to make... I wish all recipes would fit this criteria. Thank you for sharing... can't wait to try it out!
Alisa
This recipe is so great to have on a rainy day! Delicious!