Fall Favorites, soups, stews and chili

Smoked Sausage and Pinto Bean Stew

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Yesterday morning, I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to a gusty, rainy, cold morning outside my front door. What the heck happened, Mother Nature? Seriously, we were at the park and wearing shorts just the day before. On Monday afternoon, while my kids were playing, I was sitting on a park bench with rolled up sleeves trying to catch some rays on my face and arms. Monday afternoon was sun-drenched, cloudless, 66° and perfect.

Not too long after we were surprised by the drastic weather change on Tuesday morning, I ushered my oldest off to school. When I got home, I finally checked the forecast. It read: “overcast, breezy and cooler with occasional rain”. That would have been nice to know before we had to scramble away from the front door, desperately looking for the one, elusive umbrella we own. 

Texas weather has a steady history of being fickle and everyone who’s grown up here is familiar with this phrase: “If you don’t like the weather in Texas, just wait a minute!”. It seems that that old saying is more relevant than ever so far in 2016. I’m slowly accepting that I need to check the news before I even attempt to put on shoes each morning this winter. 

Anyhoo, such a blustery, wet, chilly morning turned into the same sort of afternoon, but with an even stronger downpour of steady rain. This dismal turn of events outdoors required some hot soup or chowder for lunch instead of the cold, green salad I had planned on. So, with an open mind and my fingers crossed I went on the search for ingredients in my own kitchen. There was no way was I heading out to the store in all that nastiness. Not for anything.


Lately, I’ve had a pretty good run with throwing together some decent dishes with what’s stocked in my kitchen. I’m happy to report that yesterday was no different. I put together this hearty soup, on the fly, with some items I had on-hand. My search started in the freezer where I found a package of smoked sausage. I defrosted the sausage and then grabbed cans of pinto beans, broth, fire-roasted tomatoes and a potato from the pantry. Next, I brought out some fresh vegetables and herbs from the fridge crisper bin. And, lastly, I decided on one of my favorite dried spices, thyme.

These were some pretty random foods that, after some thought, seemed like they could work together and they absolutely did. The amazing, smoky flavor from the sausage infused into the whole dish and it was well-complimented by the flavorful, fire-roasted tomatoes and mild leeks. The other vegetables added balance and a little texture. 

I enjoyed this with some toasted, whole-grain bread slices and I couldn’t think of another thing this soup needed (except for maybe the flavor of a red or green bell pepper, but I didn’t have any available so we’re not going to talk about that, okay?). Believe me, for as often as I try, not every cooking or baking experiment is hit. I make plenty of mistakes too, but this recipe is definitely a keeper.

I sure love it when things work out. 


Smoked Sausage and Pinto Bean Stew                   printable recipe

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 cup onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 small leek, rinsed and thinly sliced (use a little bit of the green)
  • 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 large potato, peeled and diced
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 pepper
  • 1/2 -3/4 lb smoked sausage, links halved and sliced (I used Eckrich brand as I had it on hand)
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1 can (15 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes, with juice
  • 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil and add all the vegetables. Saute all the vegetable in the oil for about 5 minutes and then add the spices.  Stir well and add in the sliced sausage. Saute for another 5 minutes.

2. Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes and the broth. Stir well. Bring to a boil and the reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Add in the pinto beans and continue to simmer, if necessary, until all the other vegetables are tender. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.

4. Serve with some buttery bread and enjoy!

20 Comments

  1. The weather has been all over the place here in Tucson, too! A little stability, please?

    The soup looks so comforting…

  2. Hahaha! I think super bowl is a good fit! Thank you, Grace 🙂

  3. Hi Laura, thank you! Stay warm up there 🙂

  4. Hello Andrea! We weren't disappointed with this soup! Thank you so much 🙂

  5. Wonderful recipe! Makes me want some soup right now ♥

    summerdaisy.net

  6. talk about a hearty soup! it sounds super flavorful, too. i daresay it's a super bowl. 🙂

  7. Your soup sounds wonderful – just perfect for a cold day!

  8. I would happily take this soup and probably your Texas weather. If you think it's bad, try living in Michigan.

  9. Dear Marcelle, what a wonderful recipe for a comfort-style winter soup that will warm you from the inside out!
    Thank you for another wonderful & inspirational recipe!
    Andrea

  10. Hi Claudia, I always look forward to the chilly weather food days. Thank you!

  11. Hi Cheri! Thank you, I couldn't stop eating it 🙂

  12. Hi there, John 🙂 Thank you! I know you'll enjoy it if you get the chance to try it

  13. I love these type of soups! I always try to keep those ingredients at hand – especially in the winter. They are so comforting.Yours is perfect. I forget that even in Texas, a rainy, blustery day can call for the same type of foods we crave in Minnesota!

  14. Such a perfectly warming and hearty winter soup!

  15. Sounds like a satisfying and hearty soup Marcelle, looks delicious!

  16. We've been feasting on soup lately! Cold weather always brings out the soup hunger, doesn't it? This is my kind of dish — definitely something I'd make. Thanks!

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