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.
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.