Sausage and White Bean Stew

On Superbowl Sunday we went over to a friend’s house to watch the game and we were served this delicious stew. The next day I texted our hostess to ask about the recipe and when I saw how easy it was, I knew exactly what I was making for dinner that night. This stew can be served with many different things (I ate it with bread, rice, and pasta) and any way you eat it it’s muy delicioso!

Recipe from Epicurious; adapted

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
• 1 pound Italian sausage (sweet or spicy, whatever you prefer)*
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 5 ounces baby spinach (about 10 cups)**
• Smoked paprika (optional)

* I used sweet sausage, but I did add a dash of red pepper flakes for a tiny bit of kick.
** I used regular spinach, chopped (only because my local grocery store was out of baby spinach).

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Chop sausage into bite-size pieces, then add to skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, approximately 5-10 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprig. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-8 minutes. Add beans and broth and cook, crushing a few beans with the back of a spoon to thicken sauce, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes (if it’s not as thick as you want, cook it a little longer). Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach by handfuls and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes.

Fold the sausage into the stew; add water to thin, if desired. Divide stew among bowls; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

One more note: I made this recipe again this week and this time I used bacon instead of sausage because my local grocery store was out of sausage. I have to say, it’s also really tasty with bacon!