Peter McKinley

Peter McKinley

BA (Hons.), MLIS

Niagara Region, Ontario

Holiday Recipe: Sausage and Bean Cassoulet

Hearty meal, warms the kitchen, usually served at our house when the family is gathered at holidays.

Ingredients

  • 1 litre of stock (Vegetable, low sodium chicken etc)
  • 1 800 ml tin of whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
  • 3 540 ml tins of low sodium white kidney (Cannellini) beans, rinsed
  • 2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 1 whole red bell pepper, diced
  • 3-4 (to taste) cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 2 scallions, diced (garnish)
  • 3-5 Medium heat Italian sausages
  • Handful baby spinach, chopped
  • Olive oil
  • Smoked paprika
  • Dried oregano and basil
  • Chili flakes (to taste)
  • Baguette or other favoured bread

Directions

  1. Brown the sausages, whole, either in a large Dutch oven style pot (if so, remove sausages before next steps) OR on a grill.
  2. Heat the Dutch oven pot on medium, add olive oil, sauté celery and pepper with chili flakes.
  3. Add garlic, sauté some more.
  4. Slice browned sausage on the bias into 1 inch slices, add to pot, increase heat, cook sausage until fully browned.
  5. Add basil, oregano and smoked paprika, continue to stir.
  6. Add beans, stir.
  7. Add crushed tomatoes, stir and let it all combine for 5 minutes.
  8. Add stock, stir, bring to a quick boil, reduce heat to medium low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serving

  1. In a shallow serving bowl, cover bottom of bowl with chopped spinach.
  2. Ladle cassoulet over the spinach, start with the beans and sausage in the center of the bowl and then partially cover with broth.
  3. Sprinkle diced scallions over top.
  4. Serve with bread of your choice (save some to mop up at the end).