Bursting with beans, greens, and sausage, Chef John's Italian white bean and sausage stew recipe is comforting and nutritious and warms you throughout.
Preparation Time
15 mins
Cooking Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 45 mins
Calories
669 Calories
Recipe Instructions
Step 1
Soak beans in cold water, 8 hours to overnight.
Step 2
Drain beans and set aside.
Step 3
Make a shallow cut, lengthwise, down center of each sausage link; peel off casings. Transfer bulk sausage to a dry soup pot over medium-high heat. Brown sausage, while breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Cook and stir until juices start to caramelize and stick to bottom of the pot, creating a fond, 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add onion; stir to coat in rendered drippings. Cook until onion starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add white wine to the pot while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Season with black pepper, bay leaves, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes. Stir in water.
Step 5
Add beans to the pot, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 30 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt; simmer until beans are tender, about 30 minutes more. Taste beans to be certain they are perfectly cooked.
Step 6
Smash about 1/4 beans with a potato masher for a creamy texture if desired. Stir in kale, increase heat to medium, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Step 7
Drizzle servings with olive oil; sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pepper flakes.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
4 cups chopped kale
4 (6 ounce) Italian sausage links with garlic and fennel
6 cups water, or to taste
6 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste
