A rustic Slow Cooker Sausage Stew recipe for two is the perfect comfort food meal for a chilly night. The sausage stew cooks in under 3 hours and is even better the next day. Made in a 2-quart slow cooker, it's just enough for two or three servings.
Table of Contents
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
All ingredients used have a longer storage life, so a great recipe to add to your emergency pantry list.
- Sausages - Another fully cooked option is the Aidells Cajun-style sausage. Sometimes I make this with pre-cooked Chicken breast and thighs or substitute a Chicken Apple Sausage or Aidells meatballs. Aidells makes a variety of flavors so you can fine-tune the stew to fit your taste. I've also used a Kielbasa that tasted great.
- Tomatoes - Use a low-sodium version of canned diced tomatoes. Drain and rinse lightly. If you use fresh tomatoes, they absolutely MUST be ripe and flavorful.
- Fresh Garlic - Your option is freshly chopped garlic cloves, or a chunky garlic paste similar to the ones from Gourmet Garden is a good alternative.
- Dried Thyme - If you have an herb garden, it's okay to substitute with a couple of fresh sprigs.
- Chicken Broth - Go with a canned low-sodium organic chicken broth unless you have homemade on hand.
- Great Nothern Beans - These creamy beans are easy to find in the grocery store, or you can substitute Cannellini beans which are white kidney beans. This recipe uses only canned beans.
Recipe Directions
(Please see the full directions included in the recipe card at the bottom of this post)
I always start by preheating the slow cooker while preparing the ingredients.
- In a small skillet, saute the sausages, onion, and garlic just until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage mixture to the bottom of a 2-quart slow cooker. You can skip this step and put everything directly in the slow cooker, but I like adding to flavor the saute adds to the stew.
- .Add the beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, and optional red pepper flakes.
- Stir to combine the ingredients—cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
- Add the dried thyme and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
What to serve with the stew
A simple rustic bread or homemade cornbread goes well with the sausage stew. A small green salad also complements the meal perfectly.
Also great, rolled up in a flour tortilla or served over rice with sliced avocado.
Can I make this stew on the stovetop?
Yes, you can. Put all the ingredients into a smaller dutch oven or heavy saucepan and cook on low for about an hour. Make sure to stir to avoid burning. You also should increase the amount of liquid.
What other types of Beans can I use?
Any canned white beans are great with this stew. Cannellini and Great Northern are my two favorite bean varieties in this stew recipe.
📖 Recipe
Slow Cooker Sausage and White Bean Stew
Ingredients
- drizzle of olive oil for sauteeing.
- 2 Aidells Cajun-style sausages sliced thin
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 1 (14.5-ounce) canned diced tomatoes, drained
- 3 garlic cloves chopped coarsely
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 15.5-ounce can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- In a small skillet saute the sausages, onion, and garlic just until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage mixture to the bottom of a 2-quart slow cooker.
- .Add the beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, and optional red pepper flakes. and stir to combine the ingredients.
- stir to combine the ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours.
- Add the dried thyme and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
Notes
- Great served over rice.
Thanks for coming! Let me know what you think or share a tip.