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White Bean and Kale Cassoulet Recipe

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A one-pot white bean and kale cassoulet with a buttery breadcrumb crust you break and press back into the beans twice for real texture.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 ounces smoked sausage (such as kielbasa), sliced into half-moons
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 (15-ounce) cans white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 4 cups chopped kale, stems removed
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 garlic clove, minced (for topping)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy oven-safe pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  2. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the fat left in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6-8 minutes.
  3. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  4. Add the thyme, bay leaf, white beans, chicken broth, and sausage back into the pot. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, mashing some of the beans against the side of the pot with a spoon to thicken the broth.
  5. Stir in the kale in two batches, letting each batch wilt before adding the next. Simmer for 5-7 minutes, until the kale is tender but still bright green. Season with salt and pepper and discard the bay leaf.
  6. Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, melted butter, minced garlic, parsley, and a pinch of salt.
  7. Scatter the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the beans in the pot (or transfer everything to a baking dish first if your pot isn’t oven-safe).
  8. Bake for 10 minutes, then break the crust gently with a spoon and press half of it down into the beans. Bake another 8-10 minutes, break and press the crust again, then bake a final 5-7 minutes, until deep golden on top; total bake time is about 25 minutes.
  9. Let the cassoulet rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Rinse canned beans well before adding them; the canning liquid is starchy and will cloud the broth before you’ve had a chance to thicken it on purpose. If your Dutch oven lid handle isn’t oven-safe, transfer everything to a baking dish before the crust goes on. Fresh breadcrumbs (torn day-old bread works too) toast better than the dry packaged kind.

Find it online: https://www.receipster.com/white-bean-kale-cassoulet/