Gluten-Free Italian White Bean and Sausage Stew

 Celiac.com 05/22/2020 - If you're looking for a hearty, savory dish that will help you weather the Covid lockdown with a smiling face and happy tummy, then look no further. This delicious Italian stew comes to us from Chef John over at the Food Wishes blog.

This tasty stew marries cannellini beans, sausage onions, kale, and parmesan cheese, and brings it all together with a splash of white wine. Hearty, easy-to-make, and great as leftovers, this stew will have you singing the praises of Italy. 

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Ingredients:

• 1½ cups dry cannellini beans
• 4 Italian sausage links with garlic and fennel (6 ounces each)
• 6 cups water, or to taste
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• ⅓ cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 4 cups chopped kale
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste (optional)
• 6 tablespoons grated Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese, or to taste (optional)
• 6 pinches red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:
Soak beans in cold water, 8 hours to overnight.

Drain beans and set aside.

Slice the sausage lengthwise, and remove the casing. Transfer sausage meat into a dry soup pot over medium-high heat. 

Brown sausage, while breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Cook and stir until juices start to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan, creating a fond, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add onion and stir to coat in the rendered sausage fat. Cook until onion starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add white wine to deglaze the pot. Add black pepper, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and water.

Add drained beans, increase to high heat, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Add salt and continue to simmer until beans are tender, about 30 more minutes. Taste beans to make sure they are perfectly cooked.

Smash about ¼ of the beans with a potato masher to give the stew a creamy texture if desired. Stir in chopped kale, increase heat to medium, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.

Ladle hot soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a pinch of red pepper flakes.