Black Beans and Sausage from Everyday Food

I found this recipe online while browsing through the Everyday Food website. Since we've been getting this magazine, I'm really liking the recipes. There are a lot of healthy, flavorful, quick and easy recipes - which, to be able to check all of those boxes is a feat in and of itself.

I was planning the menu for this week, looking for something with a super-food - in this case, black beans.

I subbed out most of the chicken stock for light coconut milk (the black beans at Pescado's has coconut in theirs, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I also used cilantro instead of parsley and chicken sausage rather than polish. I loved the changes. The coconut gave it a hint of sweetness that I added red pepper flakes to for a balance of spice - and the cilantro was the perfect complement.

This recipe turns out to be more of a soup - almost a black bean and sausage chowder - you could definitely serve this over rice.

For us, it was the perfect light and healthy supper, and different than anything I'd cooked in a while. The Wife loved it, and I have to add that a little Sriracha puts it over the top!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 lb Sausage in casing (I used Trader Joe's garden vegetable, mushroom and Asiago chicken sausage)

3 medium Carrots (or 9 baby carrots)

2 Shallots, diced

Salt and Pepper

2 cloves of Garlic, diced

2 cans (15 oz) of Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can of Light Coconut Milk

1/4 cup Chicken Broth

1 Tbsp Red Pepper Flakes

3 Tbsp Cilantro

Directions:

Over medium to medium high heat, add sausage and cook through. When cooked, remove from pan, and slice into bite size pieces.

Add carrots and shallots to the pan, and cook until carrots start to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minutes, until fragrant.

Drain and rinse the black beans and add them to the mix, stirring to deglaze the pan. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock and stir to deglaze.

Add sliced sausage back to the pan, stir in red pepper flakes and bring mixture to a simmer and let cook until carrots are cooked through.

When the carrots are cooked through, remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.

Enjoy!