It’s been a crazy, stressful time over here at ELS HQ. This past weekend I wrapped up a very busy 2-day craft fair (thanks to all of you who stopped by and said hi!) and mailed out a bunch of etsy orders in time for Christmas. All I wanted after a weekend of take-out was a good bowl of comfort. This stew fit the bill nicely.
This meal came together from random fridge and cupboard bits since I hadn’t done a proper grocery shop in a while. Thankfully, it turned out to be a lovely meal. I was inspired by this chickpea, sweet potato & tahini stew that I made a couple months back. I wanted something that surprising and comforting and what resulted was quite a bit different. While this recipe contains many of the same components, it’s definitely more of a traditional stew. But please, don’t think this is boring in any way at all. Nope, this meal is full of flavour & interest.
I used some fantastic hot fennel Italian sausage that had plenty of heat, though if you skip the sausage for a vegetarian/vegan version, or you are using milder sausage, just add in some dried chilis or a few dashes of sriracha. I think a good amount of spice helps to add to that feeling of comfort and warmth during the winter and I crave that heat this time of year. Yams, sliced carrots, cannelli beans and kale are brought in to fill out the dish, and everything gets cooked in a tomatoey broth.
Loaded with vegetables and spicy sausage, this hearty and healthy stew was the perfect respite from the crazy stress that I’ve been under. My husband and I ate our bowls quickly and went back for seconds. And don’t forget to top with a good grating of Parmesan!
elsewhere: Don’t skip breakfast with this perfect winter smoothie – date, oat & banana. Get the recipe over at Poppytalk.
white bean, yam & kale stew (with sausage)
Make this vegetarian by leaving out the sausage & subbing in your favorite vegetarian sausage when you add in the kale. Make sure to add in some chili peppers or your favorite hot sauce to get a bit of heat!1 T olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, cut into coins
2 fresh hot Italian sausages, sliced
2 small yams or sweet potatoes, diced
1 t herbs de provence
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
1 c chicken or vegetable stock
1 can of cannelli beans, drained & rinsed
5 large leaves of kale, ribs removed & sliced thinly
salt & pepper to taste
grated Parmesan cheese, for toppingHeat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrots, and celery and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Add in sausage and stir until the sausage changes colour and browns slightly. Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, along with the herbs, diced yams, beans and stock. Stir and cover to bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until yams are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in kale and cook for 5 more minutes, seasoning with salt & pepper if needed. Serve in deep bowls topped with Parmesan. Serves 2 with leftovers, or fills 4 bowls.
Print This Recipe
do you know I finally am liking kale now?
you know what started it?
those darn cheese kale chips from trader joe’s
man those were good!
I’ve been craving hearty stews like crazy lately! And I love just about anything with sweet potato and kale. Sitting down to a bowl of this would definitely be such a nice break from the holiday madness!
This is exactly the kind of stew I like to eat this time of year. Can’t wait to try this!
At first I read, “a respite from the crazy: white bean, YARN, and kale…” I thought “oh no, theres the crazy.” Sounds wonderful, as always. Minus the yarn. I’ve really been laying into the soup lately and this will enter the rotaton nicely. 🙂 Have a great weekend everyone!
You get a respite from the crazy before the holidays start? You win! 🙂 White bean and kale sounds like a perfect, warming, hearty soup for winter.
VSB, hooray for starting to love kale – it’s an easy addiction.
Thanks Joanne, this one is a keeper and definitely helps to ward off the crazy!
Thank so much, Marissa. Enjoy!
Ha, love it, erin. Thanks, I hope you love this as much as we did.
Well, Eileen, if you can the time it takes to make and eat a bowl of soup, then yes. I can’t stop the crazy, but it’s nice to take a break once in a while. What, xmas is in 10 days? Eeek.
This sounds like a great recipe. I love using kale in soups and stews. Thanks for providing a healthy recipe amid all of the rich and sweet holiday recipes floating around this time of year – I’m guilty of it myself!
I need to get some sausages stat. And some sweet potatoes. I ate up my kale yesterday but I get it on a bi-monthly basis via CSA so I will be making this soon. Yum!
Yes, Connie, it’s good to take a break and get something wholesome in your belly this time of year 🙂
Bijoux, you’re with a CSA now? Hooray! Do you enjoy it? I haven’t renewed mine for next year and I’m thinking of taking a break or finding a new farm. Haven’t quite decided yet.
@kickpleat Yes, I’ve been receiving only vegetables (by choice) but not all of it is local. Some is from Ontario (beets, kale, potatoes, mushrooms), some is from Mexico (avocado, cherry tomatoes, zucchini) but all veggies are organic. It’s a local company that sources organic agriculture from various organic farms. I’m liking it so far. The quality is great and the service is impressive. It’s not cheap however but that is to be expected. Curious as to why you are not continuing with your CSA?
Bijoux, yeah, there’s a few local companies offering what you’ve joined. Not quite a CSA since a CSA is supporting 1 farm & 1 farmer. As for our CSA, the drop off location is a bit far from us (requires a drive to pick it up) and the quality isn’t always there. I’ve been okay with that but now we’re in a ‘hood with a lot of great local produce available at local markets so for ease, I think we’ll skip our CSA this year and see how it goes!
Yes, you’re right kickpleat, my produce is not quite a CSA but I refer to it as CSA (my bad) for lack of a better word. There is a local company that is more CSA-inspired but as you mention, you need to commute to the drop-off location and pick it up. I just didn’t want to deal with that in the dead of winter. I live in a hood with nothing but houses, schools and few mom-n-pop fruit/veg stands with the basics (no organic/no local) so this delivery service is quite the luxury for me 🙂
Hooray for luxuries, Joanne! Sounds like a great service & glad you’re loving it 🙂
Thank you thank you for this recipe! I have been trying all variations of kale-bean-etc stews trying to find the perfect one, and I think this is it! It was so lovely. There is only one more that is on the same level, and I wanted to share in case you haven’t tried it. This one is pretty yummy too if you like this sorta thing. http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2011/01/chard-and-white-bean-stew/
Christie, so glad you loved this one. I think it’s pretty perfect so glad to have some back-up. I’ll try Smitten’s too! Thanks for the link.