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Sausage Bean Stew

Sausage Bean Stew

Sausage Bean Stew is a delicious and versatile Polish – inspired stew made with smoked pork belly, kabanos (also known as cabanossi – a Polish smoked sausage) and canned kidney beans and simmered in a tomato sauce. Tastes great with a slice of bread, over rice or just like that.

Last week, it was incredibly hot in Germany, with temperatures exceeding 30°C (86 °F). Consequently, my family and I spontaneously embarked on a four-hour drive to Unken, a small town located in Austria just a few kilometers from the German border in the Salzburg region of Austria.

Many people often say, “But Ester, you’re from Namibia. You must be accustomed to hot weather by now.” My response is always that there’s a significant difference between Namibian and German summers, or weather in general, due to the air moisture.

The high humidity in Germany causes the air to feel oppressive (schwules wetter), akin to being in a greenhouse. On the other hand, Namibia experiences dry heat. Namibia is a arid country whereas Germany is humid.

Unken is situated in a valley, boasting a picturesque landscape and offering a variety of delicious foods from restaurants that primarily utilize seasonal products in their cuisine. The temperature in Unken was 10 degrees (50 °F) lower than in Germany.

On the day we departed, there was heavy rainfall. I even recall asking my husband to turn on the car heater because it was only 13 degrees Celsius (55,4 °F). Unfortunately, we encountered three hours of traffic on our journey back home, which was far from enjoyable.

Upon our return home, we were all exhausted and hungry, despite having plenty of snacks with us. Therefore, I decided to prepare a cabanossi-pork belly-kidney bean stew, as I had all the necessary ingredients at home, and my family loves it.

This one pot sausage and bean stew is one of my go-to comfort food for busy-day dinners. It’s easy and quick to make, uses a handful of simple ingredients, and you can adjust it to your liking ! You can also make this recipe a day ahead, because the flavor gets better the longer it sits.

Ingredient used to make this cabanossi, pork belly and bean stew recipe

  • 2 medium onions
  • 500 g (1.1 lbs), canned kidney beans, drained
  • 800 g (28.2 oz/ 4 cups) canned tomatoes, with their juices
  • 300 g (10.6 oz) smoked pork belly
  • 300 g (10.6 oz) cabanossi sausage
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
  • approximately 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) water

How to make pork belly and bean stew with cabanossi

Begin by cutting pork belly and cabanossi into small pieces. Next peel and finely chop the onions.

Heat 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil in the pot at medium-high heat and brown the cabanossi.

Remove the sausage from the pot and set it aside.

Brown the pork belly in the same pot without adding extra oil.

Add the onions and saute for about 2 minutes. Then add tomato paste and stir well.

Next add tomatoes, kidney beans and water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium low.

Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Keep stirring in between.

Add back the browned sausages

Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if necessary. 

Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately.

More comfort food recipes

Sausage Bean Stew

Sausage Bean Stew is a delicious and versatile Polish – inspired stew made with smoked pork belly, kabanos (also known as cabanossi – a Polish smoked sausage) and kidney beans and simmered in a tomato sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Europa, Polish
Keyword: bean stew, Comfort food, gluten free, hearty sausage stew, how to, keto recipes, Polish sausage bean stew, stew, tomato sausage stew
Servings: 4 Servings
Author: Ester | esterkocht.com

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • spoon

Ingredients

  • 2 medium onions
  • 500 g (1.1 lbs) canned kidney beans drained
  • 800 g (28.2 oz/ 4 cups) canned tomatoes with their juices
  • 300 g (10.2 oz) store-bought smoked pork belly
  • 300 g (10.2 oz) Cabanossi sausage or similar
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
  • 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) water

Instructions

  • Cut pork belly and cabanossi into small pieces. Then peel and finely chop the onions.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil in the pot at medium-high heat and brown the cabanossi. Remove the sausage and set it aside. Brown the pork belly in the same pot without adding extra oil.
  • Add the onions and saute for about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir well. Next add canned tomatoes, kidney beans and water. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for 20 minutes, half covered. Keep stirring in between.
  • Add back the browned sausages, stir well and simmer for another 10 minutes, half covered. Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper if necessary. (SEE NOTE 1)
  • Garnish with fresh parsley if desired and serve immediately.

Notes

  1. Taste the stew before adding salt, because pork belly and cabanossi can be very salty.

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