On Sunday nights, I like to make a hearty soup or braise that lasts through the week. This lima bean stew puts flesh on flimsy rib bones. After Thanksgiving, try substituting light or dark turkey for the sausage. In fact, any meat will do—this recipe relies on the satiating sapor of sweet, thick beans for its substance. Meat merely provides additional interest.
Buy a stocky loaf—I favor Otis Stout Bread, available at the Columbia Greenmarket from Cayuga Organics. The bread starts with Six Point Craft Ales’ spent grain. Exceptionally moist, the crumb is tangy, the crust nutty with nice chew. Hack a chunk of bread from the loaf with an oversized butcher knife. Dunk in lima bean stew. Even the deepest traces of subway damp cannot withstand a single bite.
Chicken Apple Sausage Lima Bean Stew
1 pound chicken apple sausage
20 ounces lima beans, frozen
15.5 ounces cannellini beans, canned
32 ounces chicken stock
2 tbsp olive oil
1 Vidalia onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, chopped
16 ounces carrots, chopped
2 tbsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
3 bay leaves
1 dried guajillo chili, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Brown the sausage, remove from the pot, and cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Brown the onion and the garlic. Add the carrots, the guajillo chili, and the browned sausage pieces. Stir thoroughly to combine. Add all other ingredients except for the salt and pepper. Again, stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour, then season with salt and pepper. Cook until desired thickness is reached—the stew should coat a spoon, but shouldn’t be pasty.
