Pinto Bean & Andouille Sausage Stew

By mikinsue

Per serving: 350 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 1 g mono); 45 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 14 g fiber; 603 mg sodium; 814 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (80% daily value), Folate (63% dv), Potassium (23% dv), Iron & Vitamin A (20% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1 fat

Ingredients

• 1 * 1 pound dry pinto beans or 1 can
• 1 * 1 tablespoon peanut oil, or canola oil
• 12 * 12 ounces andouille sausage, (see Tip), diced
• 3 * 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 * 2 cups diced onions
• 2 * 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 * 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 * 1 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1-3 * 1-3 teaspoons minced chile pepper, such as serrano or jalapeño
• 1 * 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, (see Note)
• 4 * 4 large ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 8 * 8 cups water
• 1 * 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 * 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 * 2 teaspoons freshly grated lime zest
• * Juice of 1/2 lime
• *

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 42mins
Adapted from eatingwell.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Pick over beans to remove any pebbles or broken beans and rinse under cold water. Place in a bowl, cover with 3 inches of cold water and soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. (Alternatively, use our quick-soak method: see Tip.)
2. Heat oil in a large heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is almost crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a small bowl and set aside in the refrigerator.
3. Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring, over medium heat, until soft and lightly brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add bell peppers and chile pepper to taste; continue to cook, stirring, until the mixture is soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in paprika. Add tomatoes and cook until they release their juice, about 2 minutes.
4. Drain the beans. Stir the beans and 8 cups water into the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Stir in the reserved sausage and bacon along with salt and pepper. Continue simmering, adding a little water if the beans are dry, until the beans are very soft and beginning to break down, about 30 minutes more. Stir in lime zest and juice.

Tips & Notes

* Tip: Andouille sausage is a smoky, mildly spicy pork sausage commonly used in Cajun cooking. Look for it near other smoked sausages in large supermarkets or specialty food stores.
* Ingredient Note: Smoked paprika is a spice made from grinding smoke-dried red peppers. It can be used in many types of savory dishes and is available in some large supermarkets with other spices and at tienda.com.
* Tip: To soak beans using a “quick-soak” method: Place beans in a large saucepan with enough cold water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour.