White Bean Stew with Roasted Tomatoes, Sausage, and Kale

With nights dipping down below freezing, the flavor of kale improves noticeably in the fall. In this stew I put it together with beans and sausage, both classic companions for kale, and some more late-season tomatoes.

Be sure to plan ahead so you have time to soak the beans for at least 6 hours.

2 cups dried white beans
olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
Water or stock (chicken or vegetable)
2-3 cups chopped roasted tomatoes
1 sprig rosemary (3 inches long or so)
1 lb cooked sausage, sliced into rounds
1 medium bunch kale, stemmed and chopped (4-6 cups)
Salt and pepper to taste

Soak the beans in a generous amount of water for at least 6 hours. Drain and rinse.

Heat a little olive oil in a large pot. Add the garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the beans and enough water and/or stock to cover them by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until tender, about 60-90 minutes.

When the beans are tender, add the tomatoes, rosemary, sausage, and kale and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Remove the rosemary and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves about 6.