Portuguese Sausage and Bean Stew

Filed under Beans Sausage Stews

Servings: 8

Recipe courtesy Aida Mollenkamp. Serves 8 to 10.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Kidney beans, dried (or great Northern), rinsed and picked over - or 2 (15-ounce) cans
  • 8 oz Bacon, sliced smoked, optional
  • 8 oz Chorizo, Spanish (cured), or kielbasa or other spicy sausage, 1/4-inch coins
  • 1 Yellow onion, large, roughly chopped
  • 4 clove Garlic, medium, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup Tomato paste
  • 2 Yukon gold potatoes, medium, 1/2-inch pieces
  • 4 cup Water
  • 1 can Diced tomatoes, 28-ounce
  • 2 tbsp Honey
  • 1 tbsp Paprika, sweet
  • 2 tsp Kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 Bay leaf, medium

Directions

  1. Soak dried beans in cold water to cover by 2 inches at least 8 hours or overnight, then drain. (Drain and rinse canned beans.)
  2. Cook the bacon, if using, in a large heavy pot over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Keep 1 tablespoon fat and brown the sausage; set aside.
  3. Keep 1 tablespoon fat and cook the onion and garlic over medium heat until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 30 seconds.
  4. Stir in the potatoes, then the beans, chorizo and everything else except the bacon. Bring to a boil, then simmer over medium-low until the flavors meld and dried beans are cooked, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  5. Crumble in the bacon, season, discard the bay leaf and serve.