To Know:

Life gets hectic, and when it does, it’s good to have an arsenal of one-pot recipes ready to fire off at a moment’s notice. Like any good strategy, this works best with a little pre-planning, namely, capitalizing on sale prices and stocking up on go-to staples when they’re discounted, so that you’re not paying full price when you’re in a hunger-fueled pinch. I like to stock the fridge and freezer with various sausages for such occasions because they are often pre-cooked and can impart tons of flavor to a dish with little to no extra seasoning. A pantry with a stash of low-sodium canned beans will provide a dish extra protein and filling fiber in moments. And a fridge crisper full of economical carrots, celery, and onions at the ready will deliver essential vitamins and texture to your meal. Enjoy this recipe as is, or substitute the sausage, beans, or veggies you have for a healthy, delicious one-pot meal in no time at all.

To Get:

1  tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

14 – ounces (ish) Kielbasa, patted dry, then cut into half moons

2-3  carrots, diced (about 1 cup)

2-3  celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)

1  medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)

1  cup tomatoes, chopped (I used fresh cherry tomatoes cut in half)

1  garlic clove, roughly chopped

1  cup low-sodium chicken stock OR water

2  15-ounce cans of white beans, drained and rinsed (I used great northern here, but cannellini would be even better if you have them.)

1  teaspoon white white vinegar

1/4  cup fresh parsley, chopped

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

To Do:

1. Warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and add the halved slices of kielbasa (to avoid oil sputtering too much, make sure to dry the sausages off before cutting). Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage pieces have begun to brown. When done, transfer the sausages to a paper-towel lined plate, and save for later.
2. While the sausage cooks, prepare your veggies. Smaller cuts will cook faster, so aim for pieces roughly the size of the white beans.
3. Once the sausage has cooked and been removed, add the chopped carrots, celery, onions, and tomatoes to the pan, along with a pinch of salt, and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until the veggies begin to soften.
4. Next, stir in the garlic, and cook about a minute, until fragrant. Pour in the chicken stock or water and stir to combine, making sure to scrape any brown bits that are on the bottom of the pan (it contains lots of good flavor!!!)
5. Raise the heat to high, placing the sausage back in the pan, along with the beans. Gently combine so as to not break up the beans. Once bubbling, cover the pan, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes. This will result in veggies that still have a little bite to them.
6. For more tender veggies, ignore Step 5 and instead: raise the heat to high and only add the sausages back to the pan. Once bubbling, cover, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes. Then gently add in the beans, cover, and cook another 10 minutes. This will insure your veggies are tender, without cooking the beans to mush.
7. Once everything is cooked to your preference, gently stir in the vinegar and parsley. Taste to see if you want to add black pepper or extra salt, then when it’s just right, serve and nosh!

Serves 4