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
- Brown the sausages, whole, either in a large Dutch oven style pot (if so, remove sausages before next steps) OR on a grill.
- Heat the Dutch oven pot on medium, add olive oil, sauté celery and pepper with chili flakes.
- Add garlic, sauté some more.
- Slice browned sausage on the bias into 1 inch slices, add to pot, increase heat, cook sausage until fully browned.
- Add basil, oregano and smoked paprika, continue to stir.
- Add beans, stir.
- Add crushed tomatoes, stir and let it all combine for 5 minutes.
- Add stock, stir, bring to a quick boil, reduce heat to medium low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serving
- In a shallow serving bowl, cover bottom of bowl with chopped spinach.
- Ladle cassoulet over the spinach, start with the beans and sausage in the center of the bowl and then partially cover with broth.
- Sprinkle diced scallions over top.
- Serve with bread of your choice (save some to mop up at the end).