In Tuscany, creamy, flavorful beans transform rustic soups and stews into something special, perfect for hunkering down on a cool weather afternoon/evening. But you want to avoid tough, exploded beans in this Tuscan bean stew recipe. Therefore, soak the beans overnight in salted water, which softens the skins.
Gently cooking the beans in a 250-degree oven produces perfectly cooked beans that stay intact. To complete the bean stew recipe, add tomatoes toward the end of cooking, since their acid keeps the beans from becoming too soft.
Please note: The creamier texture of beans soaked overnight are preferred for this recipe. If you’re short on time, quick-soak them: Place the rinsed beans in a large heat-resistant bowl. Bring 2 quarts of water and 3 tablespoons of salt to a boil. Pour the water over the beans and let them sit for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans well before proceeding with step 2. For a more substantial dish, serve the stew over toasted bread. This variation has much more meat than the Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew and is made with crinkly Savoy cabbage.
Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew with Sausage and Cabbage
Ingredients
- Table salt
- 1 lb. dried cannellini beans (about 2 cups), rinsed and picked over
- 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 ½ lbs. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 large onion, chopped medium (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 medium celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3/4 cup)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
- 8 medium garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 4 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
- 3 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ medium head savoy cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes drained and rinsed
- 1 sprig fresh oregano leaves
- Ground black pepper
- 8 slices country white bread, each 1 1/4 inches thick, broiled until golden brown on both sides and rubbed with garlic clove, (optional)
Directions
- Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil and sausage in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon until it loses its raw color, about 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to paper towel-lined plate and place in refrigerator. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 10 to 16 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in broth, water, bay leaves, and soaked beans. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender (very center of beans will still be firm), 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Remove pot from oven and stir in greens, sausage, and tomatoes. Cover pot, return pot to oven and continue to cook until beans and greens are fully tender, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
- Remove pot from oven and submerge oregano sprig in stew. Cover and let stand 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves and oregano sprig and season stew with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, use back of spoon to press some beans against side of pot to thicken stew. Serve over toasted bread, if desired, and drizzle with olive oil.
Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen
Accounting for Taste 