Ready in just 30 minutes, this Italian Turkey Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Stew is an easy and light dinner alternative to traditional comfort food during the wintertime.
After three straight days of snow and sick days, and a few sleepless nights, we are absolutely exhausted in our house. Of course, it’s days like this that make me want to throw a box of mac and cheese on the stove and call it a day. There’s nothing more satisfying than comfort food on a cold, winter day, but I know that’s not the best choice when it comes to our overall health.
We are craving vitamins and protein, the things that will make our bodies stronger and thus, healthier. Strangely enough, my daughter absolutely loves beans, and this is something I don’t take for granted. She literally picks all the beans out of dishes and eats them first so I try to incorporate them into our diet as much as I can. It doesn’t hurt that they are so inexpensive.
Italian Turkey Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Stew
For this recipe, I wanted to make something simple that we could make for a quick weeknight dinner or for a hearty lunch option. I chose Italian Turkey Sausage because it’s flavorful, but still a lighter choice. The kale holds up really well when it’s wilted in soups and stews. The beans are a great, cheap protein and filler, so they were a no-brainer for this stew, especially since my daughter loves them so much. As for the fire-roasted diced tomatoes, I already had them in my pantry, but you could easily substitute regular diced tomatoes, or diced tomatoes with green chiles, if you want to make the stew a little spicier.
This Italian Turkey Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Stew is a really versatile recipe, and you could honestly substitute and make it your own in so many ways. Try spinach instead of kale, or try chickpeas instead of white beans. Kidney beans would be great, too. Don’t have turkey sausage? Try some chicken, just make sure you season it well with salt and pepper before you cook it. No matter how you change it up, this stew won’t fail you.
Ingredients
- 1 package Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
- 1 onion, chopped
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn
- 2 15-ounce cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 15-ounce cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven to medium-high. Brown sausage, stirring occasionally and breaking into pieces as it cooks, until no longer pink. Continue to cook until juices have evaporated, about 5 minutes.
- Add onion, salt, and olive oil. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and kale. Stir as needed to wilt kale leaves.
- When kale is wilted, add remaining ingredients and continue to cook until heated through. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper if desired.
Notes
Home Chef Tip: Feel free to make simple swaps to make this recipe your own. Substitute spinach or another green for the kale, or swap out the white beans for another bean from the pantry.
We hope you love this Italian Turkey Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Stew recipe from SoFabFood Contributor, Melissa from Simply Whisked, as much as we do. If you love this recipe, be sure to check out our other stew recipes for more deliciously comforting meals to keep you warm on chilly days. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
