Yesterday was a rainy and cold day out here. It was Sunday and since i had no place to be or work to do i decided to make my favorite comfort food, Beans stew with sausages. Actually the inspiration came to me on Saturday which was a good thing because i had time to let my beans to soak in water over night.
Beans stew with sausages
I bet you didn't know that beans are one of the oldest veggies cultivated world wide. They are a very good source of protein and a very good cattle fed. Ancient Egyptians grew them on a large scale. Beans were also found deposited with the dead in the pyramids. I guess just in case they were hungry in the after life they had some beans with them.
Ingredients
- Navy beans - 500 grams
- carrots - two pieces
- parsnip - one piece
- red capsicum - one piece
- celery root - one small piece
- bay leaves - a few leaves
- peppercorns - a few
- dried thyme - one teaspoon
- salt - a pinch
- onion - one piece
- tomato puree - 250 ml
- fresh parsley - a few leaves
- cooking oil - two tablespoons
- sausages - 400 grams
- pepper - to taste
Instructions
It is important to plan ahead when you cook beans. Have the time to let the beans soak in water over night. They will boil faster. Beans take a pretty long time to boil so if you soak them you might get lucky and finish cooking early.
- After i soaked my beans over night i put it to boil in a stock pot. At the same time i put another stock pot with water to boil. After ten minutes i strained my beans and added over them boiling water from the other pot. I refilled it and put it to boil. Again after 10 minutes i changed the water from my beans with boiling water. I repeated this process three times to make sure the toxins were gone.
- The beans were boiling in the last water so it was time to add over them capsicum, celery, one carrot and parsnip, all full. I let them to boil and added peppercorns and bay leaves.
- Meanwhile i cut the sausages and finely chopped the onion. I grated the carrot.
- I a pot (use the one in which you boiled the water) i heated some cooking oil and fried the sausages. When they were half done i added minced onion and carrot. I let them to soften together.
- After the beans boiled (taste them to see) i removed the veggies using a slotted spoon. You won't be needing them anymore.
- The onion and carrot have softened so i added tomato puree and stirred.
- Remember to remove the bay leaves and peppercorns from the beans.
- If the beans are ready it is time to add them over the sausages. Stir and let them like this for 10 minutes.
- In the end i added salt, pepper and dried thyme.
- Serve it hot with fresh parsley on top.
Enjoy your meal!
