I usually make this bean and sausage recipe when I need to prepare something hearty quickly. It doesn't require complicated preparations and, from what I've noticed, it works well even when you don't have much time. The ingredients are simple, you can easily find everything in any supermarket, and with a few cans of beans at home, I know I can make it anytime.
Quick Info
Total time: about 40 minutes
Preparation time: short, as long as it takes to chop the ingredients
Cooking time: about 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: lunch or dinner, suitable when you want something filling
Ingredients
4 cans of white beans, 425 ml each (drained)
500 g smoked sausages
200 g smoked bacon
2 medium onions
2 carrots
2-3 cloves of garlic
100 ml tomato juice
a sprig of dried thyme
3 bay leaves
oil (enough for sautéing)
salt, pepper, sweet paprika
fresh parsley (for serving)
Preparation method
1. Cut the sausages and bacon into suitable slices. You can slice the carrots into thin rounds, chop the onion into small cubes, and mince the garlic as finely as possible.
2. In a pot, add a little oil and heat it up. Add the sausages and bacon and sauté for a few minutes until they are lightly browned.
3. Add the onion and carrots. Stir and let everything sauté for just a few minutes, enough to soften the vegetables slightly without getting too much color.
4. Add the pepper and sweet paprika on top. Stir a few times, being careful not to burn the paprika.
5. Add a little water (just enough to prevent sticking) and let it simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes.
6. After 15 minutes, add the well-drained beans and tomato juice. Add the minced garlic, bay leaves, and thyme sprig. If the liquid is too little, add more water. Simmer for another 20 minutes on low heat.
7. While the beans are simmering, prepare the so-called "facade." In a small pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the remaining onion (if you used two, use what’s left here). When it has softened, add a little paprika and a pinch of pepper.
8. When the bean dish is ready and you've turned off the heat, pour the sautéed onion from the pan over the beans.
9. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary. Finally, sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley on top, if you like.
Why I make the recipe often
It’s quick to make and I don’t have to stay by it for long. Canned beans significantly shorten the cooking time. It’s a suitable meal for any day, quite filling, and reheats well even the next day. Simple ingredients, nothing special or expensive.
Tips and variations
Tips
- To prevent the dish from sticking, add water as needed if the liquid reduces too much.
- You can chop the onion and carrots as finely as you want; it’s not a problem if they aren’t perfectly even.
- For paprika, use the sweet version if you don’t want the dish to be spicy.
Substitutions
- Smoked bacon can be replaced with bacon or another smoked meat if you don't have exactly bacon.
- If you don’t have smoked sausages, you can use any kind of sausages, but the final taste will be a bit less intense.
- Tomato juice can also be from concentrate; there’s no major difference at this quantity.
Variations
- You can add a little bell pepper chopped into cubes when sautéing with the onion and carrots.
- If you want a vegetarian version, you can remove the sausages and bacon and add more vegetables.
Serving ideas
- It can be eaten plain, with a slice of fresh or toasted bread.
- It also goes well with pickles, especially cucumbers or green tomatoes.
Frequently asked questions
1. Do I need to drain and rinse canned beans before use?
Yes, drain the liquid well and, if you want, you can rinse the beans under cold running water. This way, they won’t have that slightly metallic taste from the cans.
2. Can the recipe be made without meat?
Yes, you can omit the sausages and bacon and just use vegetables. It can be a quick vegetarian stew variant.
3. Can I use home-cooked beans instead of canned?
You can definitely use home-cooked beans if you have time beforehand. It’s important that they are well-cooked so they don’t remain hard after the 20 minutes of simmering with the other ingredients.
4. What can I substitute for tomato juice?
If you don’t have tomato juice, use tomato paste diluted with a little water.
5. What kind of sausages should I choose?
Smoked sausages bring more flavor, but if you can’t find them, you can also use fresh sausages, just make sure to brown them well at the beginning.
Nutritional values
Approximately, one serving has about 600 calories, with variations depending on how much meat and oil you actually use. From this amount, about 35-40 g come from carbohydrates (beans and vegetables), 30-35 g from protein (from meat and beans), and about 25-30 g from fats (sausages, bacon, oil). These are approximate values for guidance, not for exact calculation.
Storage and reheating
This dish keeps well in the fridge, in a closed container, for 2-3 days. It can be reheated on low heat on the stove or in the microwave. If you see it has thickened too much, you can add a little water when reheating. If you don’t want to eat it multiple times in a row, you can easily make half a portion.
Quick Info
Total time: about 40 minutes
Preparation time: short, as long as it takes to chop the ingredients
Cooking time: about 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: lunch or dinner, suitable when you want something filling
Ingredients
4 cans of white beans, 425 ml each (drained)
500 g smoked sausages
200 g smoked bacon
2 medium onions
2 carrots
2-3 cloves of garlic
100 ml tomato juice
a sprig of dried thyme
3 bay leaves
oil (enough for sautéing)
salt, pepper, sweet paprika
fresh parsley (for serving)
Preparation method
1. Cut the sausages and bacon into suitable slices. You can slice the carrots into thin rounds, chop the onion into small cubes, and mince the garlic as finely as possible.
2. In a pot, add a little oil and heat it up. Add the sausages and bacon and sauté for a few minutes until they are lightly browned.
3. Add the onion and carrots. Stir and let everything sauté for just a few minutes, enough to soften the vegetables slightly without getting too much color.
4. Add the pepper and sweet paprika on top. Stir a few times, being careful not to burn the paprika.
5. Add a little water (just enough to prevent sticking) and let it simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes.
6. After 15 minutes, add the well-drained beans and tomato juice. Add the minced garlic, bay leaves, and thyme sprig. If the liquid is too little, add more water. Simmer for another 20 minutes on low heat.
7. While the beans are simmering, prepare the so-called "facade." In a small pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the remaining onion (if you used two, use what’s left here). When it has softened, add a little paprika and a pinch of pepper.
8. When the bean dish is ready and you've turned off the heat, pour the sautéed onion from the pan over the beans.
9. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary. Finally, sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley on top, if you like.
Why I make the recipe often
It’s quick to make and I don’t have to stay by it for long. Canned beans significantly shorten the cooking time. It’s a suitable meal for any day, quite filling, and reheats well even the next day. Simple ingredients, nothing special or expensive.
Tips and variations
Tips
- To prevent the dish from sticking, add water as needed if the liquid reduces too much.
- You can chop the onion and carrots as finely as you want; it’s not a problem if they aren’t perfectly even.
- For paprika, use the sweet version if you don’t want the dish to be spicy.
Substitutions
- Smoked bacon can be replaced with bacon or another smoked meat if you don't have exactly bacon.
- If you don’t have smoked sausages, you can use any kind of sausages, but the final taste will be a bit less intense.
- Tomato juice can also be from concentrate; there’s no major difference at this quantity.
Variations
- You can add a little bell pepper chopped into cubes when sautéing with the onion and carrots.
- If you want a vegetarian version, you can remove the sausages and bacon and add more vegetables.
Serving ideas
- It can be eaten plain, with a slice of fresh or toasted bread.
- It also goes well with pickles, especially cucumbers or green tomatoes.
Frequently asked questions
1. Do I need to drain and rinse canned beans before use?
Yes, drain the liquid well and, if you want, you can rinse the beans under cold running water. This way, they won’t have that slightly metallic taste from the cans.
2. Can the recipe be made without meat?
Yes, you can omit the sausages and bacon and just use vegetables. It can be a quick vegetarian stew variant.
3. Can I use home-cooked beans instead of canned?
You can definitely use home-cooked beans if you have time beforehand. It’s important that they are well-cooked so they don’t remain hard after the 20 minutes of simmering with the other ingredients.
4. What can I substitute for tomato juice?
If you don’t have tomato juice, use tomato paste diluted with a little water.
5. What kind of sausages should I choose?
Smoked sausages bring more flavor, but if you can’t find them, you can also use fresh sausages, just make sure to brown them well at the beginning.
Nutritional values
Approximately, one serving has about 600 calories, with variations depending on how much meat and oil you actually use. From this amount, about 35-40 g come from carbohydrates (beans and vegetables), 30-35 g from protein (from meat and beans), and about 25-30 g from fats (sausages, bacon, oil). These are approximate values for guidance, not for exact calculation.
Storage and reheating
This dish keeps well in the fridge, in a closed container, for 2-3 days. It can be reheated on low heat on the stove or in the microwave. If you see it has thickened too much, you can add a little water when reheating. If you don’t want to eat it multiple times in a row, you can easily make half a portion.