So… what are the odds of you and your husband seeing the same recipe in the newspaper at the same time and mentioning that it looked like something we should have for dinner some night?
If you’re us – it’s actually pretty good!
We were both perusing the Oregonian the other morning when the recipe caught our attention. Odds are, I probably would have made it that evening if we had had any apples in the house. Sausage and apples and beans… Oh My!
Naturally, we had to do some switch-outs – and the recipe specifically gives a list of things to switch out, so it’s not desecrating a cherished family treat.
Neither of us are huge Kielbasa fans, so it became andouille. Victor’s not crazy about arugula, so it became spinach. And in a matter of minutes, it became dinner!
Apple, Sausage and White Bean Skillet
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- One (13.5-ounce) kielbasa, sliced ¼-inch thick
- 2 large Honeycrisp apples (1 to 1¼ pounds total), cored and diced
- 1 small yellow onion (5 ounces), diced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- Two (15-ounce) cans white beans with their liquid
- 2 cups (2 ounces) packed baby arugula
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
Set a medium bowl or plate near the stove. In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, without moving, until browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip the pieces and cook until browned on the other side, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the sausage to the bowl or plate, leaving the fat behind in the skillet.
Add the apples, onion, thyme, salt and pepper to the skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to turn translucent and the produce starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Return the sausage to the skillet, followed by the beans, with their liquid, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Fold in the arugula and lemon juice until the arugula wilts. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper, as desired. Serve warm.
Substitutions: For kielbasa, use another type of smoked sausage. Vegetarian? Use a plant-based sausage. For Honeycrisp apples, use any firm apples. For yellow onion, use any type of onion. For dried thyme, use 1 teaspoon fresh thyme. For canned white beans, use any type of canned beans, or 3 cups home-cooked beans. For baby arugula, use baby kale or spinach. For lemon juice, use apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.
And it was winner-winner excellent dinner!
Sweet and savory, great textures, lots and lots of flavor! Cheers to The Local paper!