Sausage & Bean Casserole.
Gluten-free | High-protein | High-fibre | Slow Cooker
This recipe is hearty, high in protein and fibre, and packed with nourishing vegetables. Cannellini beans add gut-friendly prebiotic fibre, sausages bring protein and iron, and the soffritto base boosts your intake of antioxidants. A balanced, comforting meal that’s as wholesome as it is satisfying.
Serves 4-6
Tips & Tricks:
Speed vs washing up: I like to use 2 frying pans so I can be browning the sausages whilst cooking the veg, thus minimising the prep time. However, if washing up is a concern for you, you can first cook the veg and create the base, adding the tomato paste and wine etc, then add everything to the slow cooker and brown the sausages as the final step (in the same pan).
Bean Jars: I use Bold Bean Co jars which are 570g, so a bit bigger than a regular 400g tin. For this recipe you can sub in 3x 400g tins instead of 2 jars, if you prefer.
Optional Nduja: It brings a smoky, spicy depth, but 1/2 tsp smoked paprika or chilli flakes will work too.
Food Processor: I use a food processor for this to minimise prep time, but a sharp knife and a bit of patience will do the same job.
Dairy-free: A grating of parmesan finishes this beautifully, but skip it if you want to keep things dairy-free.
Ingredients.
1 large onion
2–3 celery stalks
2 carrots
4–6 cloves garlic
2 fresh tomatoes
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp nduja paste, optional
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp mixed herbs
6 pork and apple sausages, approx. 400g / 14oz
187ml / ¾ cup white wine
2 jars Bold Bean Co cannellini beans, or 3 x 400g / 14oz tins
400ml / 1 ½ cups chicken stock, made with 1 cube
1 tbsp cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar
Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve
Grated parmesan, to serve (optional)
Equipment.
slow-cooker
food processor
2x large frying/sauté pans
measuring jug
Method.
Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic and tomatoes to a food processor and blitz until finely chopped.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the vegetable mixture, along with the fennel seeds and mixed herbs. Cook on medium heat for around 15 minutes until softened.
While the veg cooks, preheat another frying pan on high.
Remove the sausage skins (slice lengthways with a sharp knife and peel off) and break the each sausage into 4-6 chunks straight into the hot pan (with a splash of oil). Brown the chunks until golden then transfer to the slow cooker.
Stir the nduja (optional) and tomato paste into the softened veg, then pour in the white wine and let it simmer for around 5 mins until the alcohol has evaporated.
Tip everything into the slow cooker along with the beans, vinegar and chicken stock. Stir well, then cook on high for 4–6 hours (4-5 hours if using Bold Bean Co jars, closer to 6 for firmer, tinned beans).
Serve with plenty of chopped fresh parsley and a good grating of parmesan (optional).
