Family tested, family approved. This simple stew recipe is loaded with beans, chickpeas, sausage, and tomatoes. Use your favorite sausage for this stew, spicy or mild, either will work. Since I have young ones, I went with a mild pork sausage.
HERE'S ALL THERE'S TO IT
Serves 4 to 6 folks
- 1 pound sausage, cut in 1/2-inch slices
- 2 teaspoons oil or bacon drippings
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (14 oz) or 2 cups kidney or pinto beans, drained & rinsed
- 1 can (14 oz) or 2 cups garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained & rinsed
- 1/2 cup salsa, medium or mild, you decide
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
In large pot or dutch-oven, brown sausage in oil over medium heat. You may have to cook half the amount at one time. The less crowded the pan, the faster the meat will brown. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside on a plate. Drain off fat, leaving a tablespoon in the pan. Cook to soften the onion and garlic over medium low heat for 7 to 10 minutes.
Return sausage to pan. Add rest of ingredients, cover and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes, stir occasionally. Cornbread makes a great side to this stew.
I am eating the leftovers of my stew as I speak, well, as I type. I liked it and used mostly ingredients that I normally have in my pantry, which is a plus plus.
I do find it a little bit bland and the garbanzos are a bit tough. Does this happen for overcooking or is it just the way they are? Do you add any other spices if you are feeling adventurous that day? What are those?
Thanks, I sure did enjoy this recipe, and my picky husband did too.
Hi Angi,
Thank you for sharing your honest and positive opinion of this recipe.
As for the recipe being on the bland side, I could only think that the choice of sausage, or canned tomatoes, or the use of home cooked beans or canned beans, could play a part in the mild or spiciness of the dish.
I like to use a spicy sausage, not too hot, but peppy. The exact brand is Opa’s Country Blend Smoked Sausage. They’re out of Fredericksburg, Texas.
I always prefer fresh yellow or orange bell peppers to green. They’re not as sweet as the red pepper and don’t talk back like the green pepper.
And for the beans, I’ve always used home cooked beans. Once or twice a month, I will pressure cook a pot of garbanzo beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans, separately of course. Separate them out into two cup portions in good freezer bags and store them in the freezer.
This way, I can flavor my beans as we like them. I, also, freeze the extra bean broth to use for adding into soups as a way to stretch or substitute for chicken broth. Bean broth is excellent in chili or stews instead of water.
And finally the tomatoes, try canned tomatoes that are infused with spices or garlic. They can pick up a dish without adding any extra calories. Or try a can of plum tomatoes rather than regular dice tomatoes. Plum tomatoes are, dare I say, sweeter, and break down beautifully into a sauce. The brand of plum tomatoes I dig most is San Marzano; they’re a little pricey but TOTALLY worth the extra change. Loaded, loaded with so much flavor, I like to eat them right out of the can.
When I wrote this recipe, I tried to list the general ingredients. Folks like what they like and most of the time make due with what already exists in their pantry. That’s the art of cooking, right?
As I read back on the list today, I could see where it could produce a bland dish. I’m sorry about that. I was trying to walk the line and allow for others to go either way, mild to spicy, extra meaty or extra beany. Please try it again, using a spicier sausage, tomatoes or beans, and let me know how it turns out.
Have fun today, Angi!
Great, it definitely deserves a second chance and I like the idea of cooking beans once a month. Any suggestion for cooking them in a slow cooker?
I like your site and hope to try several of your recipes soon!
I’ve never tried cooking beans in a slow cooker. I’ve only known cooking them in a pressure cooker, which only takes 45 to 55 minutes, depending on the beans. With a pressure cooker, there’s no presoaking either. I save serious amounts of time using it.
I made this last week for my family and they really loved it. I did use Rotel and I used Ranch style beans in place of the Garbonzo beans. Thank you for the great recipe.
You are welcome, Maria! Thank you for letting me how you made it your own. I’ll have try your version next time. ;D
Hello Jill,
I’m hoping to try this recipe, it looks delicious. However, I’m wondering if the ingredients like salsa, cumin and dried oregano are necessary. As I do not have those in my pantry and are not usually on my supermarket list.
I can’t wait to try this recipe soon! (:
Hi Aurea,
You could use canned spicy tomatoes instead of salsa. As for the cumin and oregano, those are my personal preferences. You can add your favorite spices to this recipe and make it your own. But you have to tell me how it turns out and what you did different.