Slow Cooker Sausage and Bean Stew

I love using my slow cooker. It’s such an easy way to make a delicious meal and let me tell you, this sausage and bean stew is one delicious meal.

 It’s hearty and flavorful, with just a little kick from the red pepper flakes. It’s perfect served with hunk of nice crusty bread to sop up all that delicious sauce.

On a side note, I found these heirloom carrots at my grocery store and I thought they were so cool. They were purple, yellow and orange, have you ever seen these before?

I used them in this stew since that’s what I had on hand. You, of course, can use whatever you have on hand, but if you can find these, I thought they were kind of fun!

Slow Cooker Sausage and Bean Stew

• 1 lb dried great northern or cannellini beans
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 bell pepper (any color), chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 (14 oz)  packages turkey kielbasa, sliced
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

Mix first 14 ingredients in a slow cooker.

Cook on high for 5 hours.

After 5 hours, whisk together cornstarch and hot water. Add that mixture, along with the kielbasa to the slow cooker.

Cook an additional 1-2 hours, until beans are soft and sauce is thickened.

Serve stew with crusty bread and a tossed green salad.

ENJOY!

Shared at these great blogs:

The Country Cook

Moore or Less Cooking Blog