Garden Tomato White Bean Cassoulet with Sausage

White bean cassoulet with sausage links in a tomato broth.

5 from 1 vote

Garden Tomato White Bean Cassoulet with Sausage

Garden Tomato White Bean Cassoulet with Italian Sausage is inspired by the classic French dish, while using lots of fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, kale and herbs from the end-of-season garden harvest. Italian sausage links are seared with the veggies, then simmered with white beans in a rich tomato broth, for a cozy bowl to mop up with lots of crusty bread!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 664kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
5 links Italian sausage
1 small onion chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 pound fresh tomatoes chopped
3 ounces tomato paste (half a small can)
3 cloves garlic minced
3 leaves kale stem removed, chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 grinds fresh black pepper
2 cans white beans drained and rinsed
2 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme and rosemary chopped
⅓ cup Parmesan cheese shaved with a vegetable peeler and crumbled

Instructions

Preheat a very large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and brown the sausages on the first side, about 4 or 5 minutes. Don't move them around in the pan, let them sear.
Flip the sausages to brown the other side, then add the onion and bell pepper to saute around the sausages, another 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the fresh tomatoes, kale, garlic and tomato paste. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir everything to continue cooking the sausages and all veggies, about 5 minutes.
Add the white beans, chicken stock, and half the fresh herbs. Allow to simmer over medium low heat, about 20 minutes until the sausages are cooked through. Stir occasionally. You can pull one out and slice into it on a cutting board to check.
Taste the finished dish and season to taste with salt and pepper.
You can leave sausages whole or slice them all in half or thirds for serving. Top with Parmesan cheese, more fresh herbs and toasted baguette or crusty bread for dunking.

Notes

Sausage - Use 4 to 6 links, about 1 per person.
To Make Crostini - Toss sliced baguette with olive oil, garlic powder and fresh thyme on a sheet pan and bake at 400°F for about 10 minutes. Or serve with any crusty loaf of bread, toasted or not, including my Overnight Dutch Oven Bread.
Tomatoes - In the winter, fresh tomatoes and tomato paste can be substituted with a 15 ounce can of tomatoes with the juices (whole peeled, stewed, fire-roasted or diced), roughly chopped.
Kale - Can be substituted with spinach.
Salt - The amount of salt you decide to add will depend on how salty the sausage is, and your personal preference. I added a pinch when adding the tomatoes, and another good pinch at the end. Taste and adjust to your liking.
Extra Tomato Paste and Chicken Stock can be frozen in glass jars, filled only ¾ full to allow room for expansion.

Nutrition