Recipe: White Bean & Sausage Stew

A simple, hearty recipe to try at home.

INGREDIENTS

• good quality olive oil
• 300 grams botifarra blanca (white sausage) or any sausage of your preference
• 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 large tomato, diced small
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 500 grams pre-cooked white beans (eg. cannellini)
• 1 handful baby spinach leaves
• lemon juice
• salt
• pepper
• chopped red chills (optional)
• finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

METHOD

1. In a large non-stick pan, heat the olive oil on a medium-high heat. Add the sausage and sautée till nicely golden brown all over. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the spring onion and pepper and sautée till slightly softened.
3. Put in the garlic and season with a little salt. Sautée for another 3-4 minutes, before adding the tomatoes and sugar. Allow to cook down a little and add about 3-4 tablespoons of recently boiled water to create a liquid in the pan; if you want more liquid, simply add more water. Cook for about 5-7 minutes on a low-medium heat.
4. Add the beans and combine well with the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sausages back in and mix in well.
5. Bring up the heat slightly and add the baby spinach leaves, seasoning again with a little salt and a dash of lemon juice. Allow the spinach to wilt down very slightly.
6. Take the pan off the heat, and stir the stew. Pour into deep bowls, season with cracked black pepper, and top with parsley and red chilies (optional). Serve with warm crusty bread.

Anjalina Chugani was born in London but moved to Bangalore in India when she was 15; since 2000, she has been living in Barcelona.