becoming a travel agent: Kalyn's Kitchen: Recipe for Slow Cooker Cannellini Bean Stew with ...

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Kalyn's Kitchen: Recipe for Slow Cooker Cannellini Bean Stew with ...

My friend Lydia and I have both become quite infatuated with experiments in our slow cookers, and the experimental part in this Slow Cooker Cannellini Bean Stew with Tomatoes, Italian Sausage, and Kale was adding the kale to the slow cooker after the other ingredients had cooked for a few hours.? I was really thrilled with how the raw kale softened perfectly in the slow cooker with just a little more cooking time, and the slightly chewy kale was one of my favorite parts of this dish!

I'm a huge fan of these lower-fat hot turkey Italian sausages, which have just the right amount of spice for me.

Brown the sausages well in a little olive oil.? (Don't skip this step!)

While the sausage browns, dump the Cannellini beans into a colander placed in the sink, rinse, and let them drain.

When the sausage is well-browned slice it into pieces about an inch thick.

Add the beans, sausage slices, tomatoes, spices, and chicken stock to the slow cooker and let it cook for about 2 1/2 hours on high (or 5 hours on low.)

Wash and chop the kale to make 4 cups of chopped kale.

Add the kale to the slow cooker and let it cook 45 minutes longer on high (or twice as long on low.)? Sorry I forgot to take another photo when the kale was done, but it was tender but still slightly chewy after 45 minutes.? If you'd like softer kale, let it go a bit longer.? Serve hot with a little Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Slow Cooker Cannellini Bean Stew with Tomatoes, Italian Sausage, and Kale
(Makes 6-8 servings; recipe created by Kalyn.)

Equipment:
I used my Crock-Pot 5-Quart Smart-Pot Slow Cooker for this recipe, but a slightly smaller slow cooker will work.

Ingredients:
5 links (19.5 oz.) hot turkey Italian sausage
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cans (14.5 oz.) petite dice tomatoes with juice
2 cans (15 oz.) cannellini beans, drained
2 T minced garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. ground fennel (or more, I love fennel in recipes like this)
1 1/4 cup chicken stock
4 cups chopped kale leaves
freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan, add sausages, and cook turning often, for 10 minutes or until sausage is nicely browned on all sides.? Remove sausage to a cutting board to let it cool.

While sausage cooks, dump the two cans of cannellini beans into a colander placed in the sink and rinse well with cold water (until no more foam appears.)? Let beans drain well.? As soon as the sausage is cool enough to handle, slice it into round pieces about 1 inch thick.?

Put sliced sausage, drained beans, tomatoes with juice, garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, ground fennel, and chicken stock into the slow cooker and stir gently.? Let cook for about 2 1/2 hours on high or 5 hours on low.

While the stew is cooking, chop the kale, cutting away and discarding any thick inner ribs.? (Wash kale in a salad spinner if you're using garden kale.)? After 2 1/2 hours on high (or 5 hours on low), add the kale and stir gently into the stew.? Continue cooking stew about 45 minutes more on high (or 1 1/2 hours on low).? Serve hot, with some Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

This freezes well and can be reheated in the microwave or in a pan on the stove. ?

Printer Friendly Recipe
South Beach Suggestions:
With lower-fat turkey Italian sausage and a moderate amount of Parmesan cheese, this recipe would be approved for all phases of the South Beach Diet.? Even though dried beans are a low-glycemic ingredient, remember they are limited to 1/3 to 1/2 cup for phase one, so adjust portion sizes accordingly.?
Nutritional Information?
I chose the South Beach Diet to manage my weight partly so I wouldn't have to count calories, carbs, points, or fat grams, but if you want nutritional information for a recipe, I recommend entering the recipe into Calorie Count, which will calculate it for you.
More Slow Cooker Ideas with Dried Beans:
(Recipes from other blogs not always South Beach Diet friendly; check ingredients.)
Slow Cooker Puerto Rican Black Beans with Sofrito from The Perfect Pantry
Slow Cooker Recipe for Louisiana-Style Red Beans and Rice from Kalyn's Kitchen
Slow Cooker Bean and Cheese Burrito Casserole from A Year of Slow Cooking
Slow Cooker Sausage, Beans, and Greens from Kalyn's Kitchen
Slow Cooker Barbecue Beans and Sausage from Taste and Tell
(Want even more recipes? I find these recipes from other blogs using Food Blog Search.)

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