Sausage, spinach and white bean casserole

Dive into this hearty slow-cooker sausage, spinach and white bean casserole recipe, packed full of vegetables for a healthy high-fibre dinner.

Serves: 4

Time to make: 8 hrs 15 mins

Hands-on time: 15 mins

Ingredients

More weights & measures

1 tablespoon olive oil
200g Freedom Farms pork and fennel sausage, cut in 2-3cm slices
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
½ cup roughly chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup tomato paste
1 ½ cups sliced carrots
1 cup chopped celery stalks
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs or Moroccan seasoning (see tip)
1 ¼ cups dried white beans, rinsed
2 large tomatoes, cored and roughly chopped
6 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
black pepper, to taste
3 cups finely chopped baby spinach or silver beet
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To serve
3 cups cooked couscous
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves (if using Italian herbs) or chopped fresh coriandercilantroX (if using Moroccan seasoning)

Instructions

Stay Awake

1 Preheat slow cooker on high.

2 Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and fennel seeds and cook, stirring frequently until lightly browned. Add onion, garlic, tomato paste, carrots, celery, bay leaves and herbs. Cook, stirring, for another 2-3 minutes.

3 Place in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients except spinach.

4 Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 6-8 hours.

5 Just before serving, stir through spinach. Serve casserole garnished with parsley or coriander, on top of couscous.

Variations

Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free couscous and check tomato paste and seasoning are gluten free.

HFG tip

The flavour of this dish transforms depending on which seasoning and herbs you choose.

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 534 cal

Kilojoules 2240 kJ

Protein 28 g

Total fat 12 g

Saturated fat 3 g

Carbohydrates 70 g

Sugar 12 g

Dietary fibre 20 g

Sodium 710 mg

Calcium 220 mg

Iron 7 mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.

First published: Jul 2017

2 comments on Sausage, spinach and white bean casserole

Dianne Turnbull March 10, 2022 at 3:41 pm #

As I havnt got a slow cooker How will I cook it I do have a big casserole dish?

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- Jen deMontalk April 19, 2022 at 12:06 pm #
  
  If you cook the beans first (boil then simmer in water for around 30 minutes till soft), you should be able to cook this in a casserole dish in the oven for 1-3 hours at about 120C. Just keep an eye on it to avoid it drying out.
  
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