sausage, kale and white bean stew

By joanmarie

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1/4 pound mild or hot sausages, casings removed
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound kale, tough stems removed, leaves washed well and shredded (about 1 1/2 quarts)
• 3 1/3 cups canned diced tomatoes with their juice (two 15-ounce cans)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 4 cups drained and rinsed canned cannellini beans (two 19-ounce cans)

Details

Adapted from food and wine.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking the meat up with a fork, until the it loses its pink color, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and then stir in the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and kale to the pan and cook, stirring, until the kale wilts, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, and pepper; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the kale is tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir the beans into the stew and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. If you like, mash some of the beans with a fork to thicken the sauce.
NOTES Shred kale leaves as fine as possible when making quick soups and stews, so that each bite will include tender greens instead of a chewy mouthful.