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This tasty Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew has tomatoes and basil and your house will smell great while this simmers on the stove! And this is surprisingly low in net carbs for a stew with beans.

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Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew shown in bowl with spoon and Parmesan

I can get fixated on soup in the winter, but let me make it clear that this recipe for Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew is definitely a stew and not a soup. This simple rustic dish was amazingly addictive. It’s also a recipe that’s very flexible, so if you don’t have exactly the ingredients I used, experiment with what you have.

And this is one of those stew recipes that tastes even better after it’s been in the fridge for a few days, so if you want to double the recipe, you can enjoy the leftovers all week, or freeze some to eat later! I hope you will try it.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What are Cannellini Beans?

Cannellini Beans are sometimes called White Kidney Beans. They are a large creamy white bean that’s used a lot in Italian food, and the’re delicious in this stew with sausage and beans but you can also use other white beans. See more about different types of white beans.

What sausage did we use for the Bean and Sausage Stew?

I used Aidell’s Roasted Garlic and Gruyere Cheese Chicken Sausage which I discovered when it was being featured at Costco, but any flavorful sausage will work for this recipe.

What if you don’t have fresh basil for the Bean and Sausage Stew?

If you don’t have any fresh basil or frozen basil you can use a few tablespoons of Basil Pesto to flavor this stew.

Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew with Tomatoes and Basil found on KalynsKitchen.com

How to Make Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. I cooked my beans in a pressure cooker, but you can certainly cook them in a regular pot, or even use canned beans. (See options and information in the complete recipe below.)
  2. Cut the sausage into half slices; heat olive oil, and brown the sausage in a large dutch oven. (If you use the Aidell’s sausage with cheese, don’t be alarmed that the cheese will ooze out and brown on the bottom of the pan when you’re browning the sausage. This will dissolve when you cook the stew, similar to the Italian practice of dissolving a parmesan rind in soup.)
  3. This is the base of the stew simmering with sausage, onion, garlic, tomatoes, chicken stock, and some dried herbs.
  4. After that simmers for 30 minutes, add the cooked beans and simmer a bit longer. 
  5. Serve hot, with Parmesan cheese to add at the table.

Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew finished stew in serving bowl.

More Recipes for Cannellini Beans:

Weekend Food Prep:

This bean and sausage stew recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew  finished stew in serving bowl.
Yield: 6 servings

Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew

Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

This tasty Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew is a tasty combination of ingredients that you'll love!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked cannellini beans (see options below for cooking beans or use canned beans)
  • 4 links Aidell’s Roasted Garlic and Gruyere Cheese Chicken Sausage (see notes)
  • 2-3 tsp. olive oil (use more or less, depending on your pan)
  • 1/2 large onion, finely chopped (for stew)
  • 1 T minced garlic
  • one 14.5 oz. can petite dice tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. dried Greek oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
  • 2 cups chicken broth (see notes)
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I didn’t use any salt)
  • 1/4 cup chopped basil (see notes)
  • 1 T balsamic vinegar
  • fresh grated parmesan for serving (optional, but good)

Instructions

  1. For cooking dried beans: Whether you use the pressure cooker or cook beans in a regular pot, start by soaking 1 cup dried Cannellini beans over night. Discard that soaking water and start with fresh water, whichever cooking method you’re using.
  2. To cook beans in pressure cooker: Add beans to pressure cooker with water to cover, 1/2 onion and 3-4 bay leaves.
  3. Bring to high pressure and cook 2-3 minutes (depending on how soft you like your beans.)
  4. Then turn off heat and let beans reduce pressure slowly while you prep other ingredients and simmer the base of the stew.
  5. When pressure is completely reduced, drain beans in colander in the sink.
  6. To cook beans in regular pot: Add beans to pot with water to cover by several inches, 1/2 onion, and 3-4 bay leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook beans until soft, probably about 45 minutes, but cooking time will depend on the freshness of the beans. When beans are soft, drain in colander in the sink.
  7. To use canned beans: Put 2 cans cannellini beans into colander placed in the sink. Rinse well with cold water, until no more foam appears. Let beans drain and use in recipe. (This is slightly more beans than the 1 cup of dried beans; you can freeze a few for another recipe if you like.)
  8. While beans are cooking (or draining) cut Aidell’s Roasted Garlic and Gruyere Cheese Chicken Sausage  into half lengthwise, then cut into half-moon shaped slices.
  9. Heat about 1 tsp. olive oil in heavy dutch oven or soup pot, then saute sausage until well browned, about 5 minutes. (See note above if you’re using sausage with cheese.)
  10. When sausage is well-browned, remove to bowl, then add chopped onion and saute about 2 minutes, adding more oil if needed.
  11. After 2 minutes, add chopped garlic and saute about 2 minutes more.
  12. Add tomatoes and juice, dried oregano (affiliate link), dried marjoram, and homemade chicken stock, to pot with onions and garlic.
  13. Add sausage back to pot, then cook at very low simmer about 30 minutes, until flavors are well blended and liquid is slightly reduced.
  14. After 30 minutes. add drained beans and simmer about 15 minutes more. (If the mixture seems too dry at this point, add a bit more chicken stock or a little water.)
  15. When beans have simmered 15 minutes, add chopped basil (I used my frozen basil, 1/4 cup purchased basil pesto would work here too) and balsamic vinegar and simmer 5 minutes more.
  16. Taste beans for seasoning and add salt and fresh ground black pepper as desired.
  17. Serve hot, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

If you don't have the Aidell's sausage I used, just use any pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage. A little more sausage won't hurt.

I used my homemade chicken stock, but you can use 1 can chicken broth and add a bit of water.

If you don't have any fresh basil you can use a few tablespoons of Basil Pesto.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 243Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 34mgSodium 637mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 4gSugar 2gProtein 15g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

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© Kalyn Denny

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Beans are what the original South Beach Diet considers a good carb, one that digests slowly, and this recipe is great for all phases of South Beach. It’s also surprisingly low in net carbs for a stew with beans with only about 14 net carbs per serving, so so it’s not too serious of a splurge if you’re following a low-carb diet.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Stews to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for stew with beans, sausage, tomatoes, and basil was posted in 2009. It was last updated with more information in 2023.

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