Vegan White Bean and Chipotle Sausage Stew with Chard
Brighten up the dark days of winter with this rustic vegan white bean and chipotle sausage stew with chard! This stew is insanely comforting and absolutely loaded with plant-based protein from cannellini beans and seitan sausage. Combined with the fragrant flavors of garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano and the hearty depth of roasted tomatoes, it’s certain to leave you feeling satisfied, cozy, and warm.
This recipe was entirely conceived and developed by my husband Nick, so I’ll let Nick introduce his wonderful stew!
February in New York City induces a particular brand of melancholy in me. Maybe it’s the feeling that winter has simply worn out its welcome. Maybe it’s the uninterrupted reign of pre-6:00pm sunsets casting darkness into the very essence of my soul. Maybe it’s just a post-holiday season malaise that surrounds passing from celebratory days back into the mundanity of “regular” life. Most likely it’s a combination of all of these, but, whatever the cause, let it be known that February is unquestionably the worst month of the year.
Don’t get me wrong - this isn’t a dig in particular at New York City. It’s generally an inspiring and enlivening place to live, but when confronted with a constant succession of cloudy 30 degree (and below) days, my mind can’t help but to drift to imagined (and, admittedly, entirely fantasized) alternate realities in Southern California, New Zealand, or, in the case of this stew, apparently some mythical hybrid of France and Mexico.
While food can’t remedy the plague that is the month of February, it can serve as a brief escape (like #taconight, IYKYK). This stew combines the classic template of French cassoulet, essentially just stew of white beans and sausage, with the warmer climate elements of Chipotle-style (obviously vegan, always vegan) sausage and chard (acelgas in Spanish). In a way, then, this dish is a culinary mashup of where I’m stuck - represented by the comfort of a warm stew to help cope with the doldrums of February - and where I wish I were instead - represented by the more lively palate of the spicy sausage and fresh chard.
So, if you also find yourself in a bit of a February rut, I hope that stew will provide a bit of respite, even if only for a few bites.
Why You’ll Love this Stew
Comforting yet nutritious. When it’s cold outside, I love cozying up with a super comforting stew. Not only will this stew warm you up and infuse some cozy vibes into those seemingly never ending cold winter days, but it will also nourish you with fiber-rich, nutritious whole foods like cannellini beans, chard, and tomatoes, along with plant-based sausage to add richness. Think: tasty comfort food meets nutritious whole foods.
Flavorful. Cumin and smoked paprika, along with the chipotle (or another Mexican-style) sausage, are primarily responsible for the stew’s flavors. The spicing from the flavors of chipotle peppers in the sausage works with the rest of the ingredients like white beans, garlic, tomatoes, and chard to create a delicious, rich rustic stew.
Loaded with protein. There’s more than 45 grams of protein in this stew from the beans alone, and the seitan sausage adds another whopping 112 (!!) grams, if you use the same sausage as I did. (The exact number of grams may vary, but using any seitan-based sausages should get you in the same ballpark as seitan is extremely protein-rich.) If you divide this stew into 6 servings, each bowl will contain more than 26 grams of protein 🤯 - and that’s before factoring in additional protein from the rest of the ingredients (because yes, all plant foods contain at least some protein, even carbohydrates like greens!). This makes it a pretty ideal post-workout meal, or a great dish to showcase to non-vegans that finally puts to rest that tired old question: where do you get your protein?
Easy to make. Like with many soups/stews, the cooking process for this stew is quite straightforward - sauté some onions, add in garlic and dried spices, then add in the cooked sausage (sautéed separately and sliced), beans, broth, and crushed tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes before adding in the chard in the last couple of minutes to wilt. That’s it! And because this stew relies on a lot of pantry staples like canned crushed tomatoes, beans, and broth, it cuts down significantly on the amount of prep involved. A little bit of prep and some basic sautéing/simmering are all it takes to pull together this easy and flavorful dish!
Ingredient Overview
Aromatics. Like many others, this stew starts off with some red onions and garlic as its aromatic base.
Spices. Where lots of the flavor comes in! There’s smoked paprika and cumin (and freshly ground black pepper), plus some oregano and a touch of heat from red pepper flakes (which you can omit if you’re sensitive).
Chipotle or another Mexican-style vegan sausage. A key component of the stew! Not only does the spicing in the sausage complement the stew’s flavors, it also adds a ton of richness to a dish that’s otherwise made entirely with whole foods. I used Field Roast’s Spicy Mexican Chipotle sausages, which are made with seitan (i.e. vital wheat gluten), which I highly recommend as the flavors are perfect in this stew (BTW, this is not sponsored in any way - I’m just a big fan of the product!).
If you can’t find this specific brand, I recommend 1) looking for a vegan sausage made with seitan/vital wheat gluten sausage because it’s made from gluten, the main protein source inside the wheat grain (so the actual sausage will be derived from a whole plant food!); and that’s also 2) made with chipotle peppers or, if that’s not available, something else with “Mexican-style” flavors, like chorizo.
Cannellini beans. Beans are some of the most nutritious and fiber-rich foods out there, and lucky for us, they’re super delicious! Stews are just one of the many ways I love eating them, and cannellini beans make the ideal flavor pairing here. Cannellini beans are particularly high in folate, iron, potassium, and magnesium, and they’re actually also one of the most protein-rich types of beans (per cooked cup). And - another fun fact! - beans are a great source of lysine, one of the 9 essential amino acids, which other protein sources (like rice or nuts) sometimes fall a bit short on but is particularly important for muscular growth. For another nutritious and warming way to eat cannellini beans, check out my recipe for Broccoli Soup with White Beans and Spinach.
Crushed tomatoes. For stews like this, the saucy texture of crushed tomatoes is key in achieving a uniform texture. Whenever possible, I strongly recommend using the “fire-roasted” variety to incorporate some extra depth - it really amps up the chipotle and spices!
Veggie broth. Any vegetable broth (or high-quality bouillon/paste + water) works! If you’re looking for a recommendation to keep on hand (so that you never find yourself without broth again), Better than Bouillon’s “No Chicken” vegetable base is a staple in my fridge. The full flavor and convenience is definitely the reason this stuff has a cult following (or at least that's why I imagine it does)!
Chard. I always love finishing off stews with greens because it’s such an easy (and delicious!) way to boost their nutritional profile and help ensure I get those serves of dark leafy greens in! Chard, especially the red or rainbow variety, works wonderfully here. Greens are some of the most nutritious plants, and dark leafy greens are most strongly associated with reduced cardiovascular risk. Chard, in particular, is high in fiber, potassium, iron, magnesium, and vitamins A, C, and K. Plus, it adds a nice light and fresh counterweight to the beans and sausage. To add extra fiber and avoid needless food waste, this stew includes the chard stems (talk about whole foods!), which are diced and sauteed with onion to kick off the cooking process.
Now that you’re familiar with all the nutritious foods going into the stew, let’s make it!
White Bean and Chipotle Sausage Stew with Chard
Vegan
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 ½-2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 links (1 13-ounce package) Field Roast Spicy Mexican Chipotle sausage OR another chipotle or Mexican-style vegan sausage (see blog post above for details)
1 medium red onion, diced
1 bunch red or rainbow chard, divided with stems chopped and leaves cut into bite-sized pieces
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional; omit if sensitive to heat)
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt OR ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups cooked OR 2 15.5-ounce cans (drained and rinsed) cannellini beans
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably the fire roasted variety
2 cups vegetable broth
Directions
Remove the plastic casings from the sausages. Heat a cast iron skillet or other medium skillet over medium heat and add ½-1 tablespoon oil or enough to coat. Once hot, add the sausages and cook, rotating occasionally, until evenly browned on the outside, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool until safe to handle, then cut the cooked sausages into bite-sized slices.
Heat a large Dutch oven or other soup pot over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil, or enough to coat. Once hot, add the onion and chard stems only (reserve the leaves) and a sprinkling of salt and stir to combine. Cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
Add the cooked sausage, beans, crushed tomatoes, and broth and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes.
Stir in the chard leaves and cook until slightly wilted, about 2 minutes.
Taste and adjust the seasonings to taste (extra pepper, salt, etc.) and serve.
If you loved this stew, please consider leaving a review in the comments below or sharing the recipe - I always appreciate your support! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram @teostinykitchen.