Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew with Kale and Rosemary

Name: Italian Sausage and White Bean Stew with Kale and Rosemary
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 53 min
Total time: 1 h 13 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tuscan
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1¼ pounds (570 g) Italian sausage, mild or hot, casings removed; 1 large (about 10 oz) (285 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 2 medium (160 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 2 medium (120 g) celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 5 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1½ tablespoons (5 g) fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped (from about 2 sprigs); ¼ teaspoon (½ g) red pepper flakes (optional); 2 tablespoons (32 g) tomato paste; 1 can (14.5 oz) (411 g) canned diced tomatoes, with their juices; 4 cups (950 ml) low-sodium chicken broth; 2 cans (15 oz each) (850 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 1 piece (about 2 inches / 5 cm) (30 g) Parmesan rind (optional); 6 cups, packed (170 g) lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed; kosher salt, to taste, start with ¼ teaspoon; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A hearty one-pot stew of browned Italian sausage, creamy cannellini beans, tomatoes and tender kale, scented with garlic and rosemary. Made entirely on the stovetop in about 75 minutes, it's ideal with crusty bread.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 53 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr 18 min
Makes: About 9 cups (2.1 liters), 6 servings

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1¼ pounds (570 g) Italian sausage, mild or hot, casings removed
1 large (about 10 oz) (285 g) yellow onion, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
2 medium (160 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
2 medium (120 g) celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
5 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced
1½ tablespoons (5 g) fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped (from about 2 sprigs)
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons (32 g) tomato paste
1 can (14.5 oz) (411 g) canned diced tomatoes, with their juices
4 cups (950 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
2 cans (15 oz each) (850 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 piece (about 2 inches / 5 cm) (30 g) Parmesan rind (optional)
6 cups, packed (170 g) lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice, freshly squeezed
kosher salt, to taste, start with ¼ teaspoon
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Equipment (5)

5½- to 6-quart (5–6 liter) heavy-bottomed soup pot with a lid
Wooden spoon
Chef's knife and cutting board
Colander
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Wash the kale, strip the leaves from the tough stems, and chop before you start cooking.
Drain and rinse the canned beans in a colander until the liquid runs clear, which removes the canned taste and excess salt.
Use bulk or links of fresh Italian sausage (mild or hot). If using links, slit the casings and remove the meat.
Salt carefully: sausage and broth both contain salt, so taste before the final seasoning.

1
Brown the sausage
- Heat the olive oil in a 5½- to 6-quart heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add the sausage and break it into 1-inch chunks with a wooden spoon.
- Cook, stirring only occasionally, for 6–8 minutes, until deeply browned in spots and no pink remains.
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Ready when: Sausage is browned with crisp edges, no pink remains, and a brown film coats the pot bottom.
Tip: Leave the sausage undisturbed for a minute or two at a time so it browns rather than steams.
2
Soften the vegetables
- If there is more than 3 tablespoons of fat in the pot, spoon off the excess.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt.
- Cook over medium heat for 6–7 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until the onion is soft and translucent.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and the vegetables have softened without browning too much.
Tip: The moisture from the vegetables loosens the browned bits, which add a lot of flavor.
3
Bloom aromatics
- Stir in the garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes (if using).
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes until the paste darkens to brick red and smells sweet.
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Ready when: Tomato paste turns a deeper brick red and the garlic smells fragrant but is not browned.
Tip: If the garlic starts to brown, lower the heat at once. Burnt garlic turns bitter.
4
Add liquids and beans
- Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any stuck bits.
- Add the drained beans and the Parmesan rind (if using).
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, about 3 minutes.
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Ready when: The liquid is bubbling across the whole surface.
5
Simmer to meld flavors
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the stew bubbles gently.
- Partially cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice.
- Partway through, use the back of a spoon to mash about ½ cup of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the broth.
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Ready when: Broth has thickened slightly and tastes rich and savory, and the carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.
Tip: If the stew becomes too thick, add ½ cup (120 ml) water or broth.
6
Wilt the kale
- Remove and discard the Parmesan rind.
- Stir in the kale in two handfuls, letting the first wilt before adding the second.
- Simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, until the kale is tender and dark green.
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Ready when: Kale is silky and tender with no toughness when bitten.
Tip: Lacinato kale softens faster than curly kale. If using curly, add 3–5 minutes.
7
Season and finish
- Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the lemon juice.
- Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed.
- Let the stew rest for 5 minutes before serving so the flavors settle.
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Ready when: The flavor tastes bright and balanced, not flat.
Tip: The lemon juice lifts the flavors, so add it before the final salt adjustment.
8
Serve
- Ladle the stew into warm bowls.
- Serve with crusty bread and, if you like, a drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmesan.

Good to know

Tips

Mashing a little of the beans into the broth gives a creamy body without any cream or flour.
A Parmesan rind adds savory depth. Save rinds in the freezer for recipes like this.
Chop the rosemary very finely so it blends into the stew rather than leaving woody bits.
For a thicker stew, simmer uncovered for the last 10 minutes of the bean simmer.

Make ahead

The stew tastes even better made 1 day ahead. Cool, refrigerate, and reheat gently, adding a splash of broth or water to loosen it. Stir in the lemon juice after reheating for the brightest flavor.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C), adding broth or water if it has thickened.

Substitutions

lacinato (Tuscan) kale → Swiss chard or baby spinach. Chard needs about the same time. Spinach needs only 2–3 minutes, so stir it in at the very end.
cannellini beans → Great Northern or navy beans. Use the same amount. Both are slightly smaller and hold their shape well.
Italian sausage, mild or hot → Chicken or turkey Italian sausage. Add an extra tablespoon of olive oil for browning since leaner sausage releases less fat.
fresh rosemary → Dried rosemary. Use 1 teaspoon, crumbled, and add it with the garlic.