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More Pork Recipes
Sausage & White Bean Stew
Sausage and white bean stew is one of my go-to recipes for cold nights and quiet weekends. I brown good-quality sausages, then simmer them with garlic, herbs, tomatoes, and creamy white beans until everything is tender and full of flavour. It’s rustic, comforting, and so easy to make in one pot. Served with crusty bread or a spoon straight from the pan, it’s a proper cosy meal that feels like a warm hug from the inside out. Simple, satisfying, and always a hit.
Ingredients
- 6 pork sausages
- 100g bacon lardons
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 185ml dry white wine
- 400g tinned tomatoes
- 400g tin white beans, rinsed
- 3 bay leaves
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with a small amount of oil.
- Once hot, cook the sausages for 2-3 minutes each side or until browned. Remove from skillet and set aside. Leave any remaining fat or oil in the skillet.
- Add the bacon lardons to the skillet, and cook 4-5 minutes or until golden brown and the fat has rendered. Remove bacon from skillet and set aside. Leave any remaining fat or oil in the skillet.
- Reduce heat to low and add onion, carrots and celery (mirepoix). Gently cook for 10-15 minutes or until onion is soft and translucent.
- Increase heat to medium and stir through paprika and tomato paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly mixed through the mirepoix and the tomato paste has darkened in colour.
- Add the white wine to the skillet and stir through. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Next, stir through the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the sausages and bacon to the skillet, add bay leaves, and cover with a lid.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours.
- Remove lid and stir through white beans. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve with crusty white bread or buttery mash potatoes.
What I Cook With
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 449Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 933mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 10gSugar: 7gProtein: 26g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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Sausage & White Bean Stew
Cooking Through the Cold
After a weekend in Fort William driving through snowstorms and past the majestic snow-capped Bens of the Highlands, I’m cold. Cold in that way that creeps into your bones and stays there. Cold in that way that only a blanket, a cuddle with Maia, and a bowl of something hot and savoury can fix. That’s where this Sausage and White Bean Stew comes in. It’s the kind of dish I can’t wait to come home to. And after all that relaxation (yes, I do find a snowstorm relaxing), what I really need is to slow down, potter about the kitchen, and cook something that takes its time too.
I find this dish tremendously comforting – the kind of comfort that isn’t just about the flavour (although that’s a big part), but about the process. It’s the stirring, the soft simmer, the way the kitchen slowly fills with the scent of garlic, herbs, and sizzling sausages. It’s the act of unwinding while something delicious bubbles away on the stove. There’s something so grounding about that, especially after a weekend away when the laundry’s not done, and you’re not quite ready to jump into Monday.
I know this is technically a cassoulet, a slow-cooked French stew, but let’s not get too precious. Mine’s got Cumberland sausages and bacon in it so it’s more British comfort food dressed up in a little French flair. I like to think of it as sausage, bacon, and beans on toast’s sophisticated cousin. Still humble, still hearty, just with a slightly better wardrobe and the confidence of someone who’s done a year abroad in Marseille.
Browning is Believing
I know I’ve said this before, and I’ll probably say it again, but it bears repeating: brown your sausages. Please. I cannot stress this enough. If you plonk raw sausages straight into your stew, they’re going to sulk. Their skins go weird and rubbery, the colour’s all wrong, and they look sad. And we don’t need sad soggy sausages! We need proud, golden-brown, deeply savoury sausages that look like they belong in a bowl of something warming and wonderful.
The same goes for the bacon. Crisp it up. Let it do its thing. This is a stew where every ingredient should bring its best self to the table, and that starts with colour and flavour. If you skip this step, you’ll regret it, and you’ll find yourself halfway through dinner muttering, “Should’ve browned the sausages.”
That little bit of extra effort at the start? Worth it. It means the base of your stew is rich and layered and has depth. And that’s the difference between a decent meal and something you’ll daydream about during meetings the next day.
A Little Bit British
Cassoulet may be French in origin, but this version is unapologetically British. Cumberland sausages, bacon lardons, and cannellini beans make it what it is – there’s no duck confit or fancy Toulouse sausages here. This is a weekday stew. A dinner-in-your-pyjamas stew. Yet it still feels special, and sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
I always try to use British produce where possible, and if I can get Scottish sausages, even better. There’s a comfort in cooking with ingredients that feel close to home – it’s why I love this dish so much. It feels rooted in tradition and place, even if that place is somewhere between southern France and the Scottish Highlands.
And let’s be honest, I love a good British sausage. Proper ones, thick and meaty with a good snap to the skin. Cumberland sausages have a gentle spice and herby warmth that works perfectly with the beans and tomato. They hold up to a long simmer and give the stew that hearty, meaty richness that makes it so satisfying.
Ingredients Breakdown
This stew starts with good-quality pork sausages. Go for ones with a nice balance of herbs and seasoning, the kind that hold up to a simmer without falling apart. Browning them first adds that essential golden crust and brings out their full savoury depth. Alongside the sausages, I throw in bacon lardons – they add saltiness, richness, and a lovely smoky edge that infuses the whole dish with warmth.
To build the base of flavour, I start with finely diced onion, carrot, and celery – that classic mirepoix trio that makes the kitchen smell like someone knows what they’re doing. A good dollop of tomato paste and a hit of paprika give it all a bit of richness and warmth, while a splash of dry white wine deglazes the pan and lifts the flavours. Let that wine bubble away and do its thing before adding the rest.
In go a tin of chopped tomatoes and a tin of white beans, already rinsed and ready to soak up the goodness. Bay leaves add their quiet magic as everything simmers gently. Season well with salt and pepper, but remember to taste as you go. Every pot is a little different, and it’s worth getting the balance just right before you ladle it into bowls.
I know my family would love this for dinner. Pinning for later!
The variety of spices in this dish really make in flavorful! Such a comforting recipe!
Now this is my kind of comfort food. Protein packed too.
The sausage looks too inviting. The perfect recipe to keep handy for those weeks when you have some really busy days and need some energy boost over the weekend.
That’s it! It’s such a good meal to curl up with for some r&r!
I love this cassoulet with veggie sausages and it’s so good. We had it with mashed potatoes. Love your photos!
This is one of my faves and now I got a really good reciepe! Cannot wait to try it 😀
x, Andrea
http://www.andreaferencz.wixsite.com/home
I hope you enjoy it!! Let me know how it turns out! xx