Sausage and Bean Stew (Bonfire Stew)

No ratings yet

Sausage and Bean Stew (Bonfire Stew)

This Bonfire Stew is one of our favorite cold-weather dinners - smoky, hearty, and full of those cozy, old-fashioned flavors that make the whole house feel warm again.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: servings

Calories: 420kcal

Author: Nora from Savory Nothings

Ingredients

4 slices smoky bacon diced
1 pound smoked sausage or kielbasa sliced into coins
1 large onion diced (about 2 cups)
2 large carrots sliced into half-moons (about 2 cups)
2 cloves garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh
salt & pepper to taste
½ cup red wine optional, but adds depth
2-3 cups beef broth or enough to cover
1 (14.5-oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 medium potatoes peeled and diced into ½" cubes (about 2-3 cups)
2 (15-oz) cans rinsed and drained beans brown beans, kidney beans, or pinto beans all work; brown beans give a nice rustic feel
BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup I use these to season to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch whisked into 1 tablespoon cold water to make a slurry, optional for a thicker stew

Instructions

Prep:
A 5-6 quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot is ideal for this recipe. Get your ingredients ready.
Cook the bacon:
In your pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until it’s crispy and the fat has rendered. The goal is a little sizzle, not smoke - slow and steady gives you the best flavor.
Once it’s golden, scoop out the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside, leaving those lovely drippings in the pot. (That’s where all the flavor hides!)
4 slices smoky bacon
Brown the sausage:
Add the sliced sausage right into the bacon drippings. Let it get golden around the edges - about 4–5 minutes. Don’t rush it; this is where the smoky flavor really deepens.
1 pound smoked sausage or kielbasa
Soften the vegetables:
Add the onion, carrots, and a pinch of salt to the same pot. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until everything starts to soften and smell sweet.
Then stir in the garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, thyme, and a good grind of black pepper. Let that cook for a minute or two to toast the tomato paste - it adds a rich, almost roasted depth to your broth.
1 large onion, 2 large carrots, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, salt & pepper
Deglaze the pot:
Pour in the red wine (if you’re using it) and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom - they’ll melt right into the stew and give it that cozy, slow-cooked flavor. Let the wine reduce slightly for 2–3 minutes. (If you’re skipping the wine, just use a splash of broth instead.)
½ cup red wine
Simmer the stew:
Add 2 cups broth, the diced tomatoes, potatoes, beans, and the browned bacon into the pot. Bring it to a gentle boil, then reduce to low.
Cover partly with a lid and let it simmer 25–30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the stew is thickened to your liking. Add more broth if it looks too thick - just remember, this is meant to be stewy, not soupy.
2-3 cups beef broth, 1 (14.5-oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 2 medium potatoes, 2 (15-oz) cans rinsed and drained beans
Finish and serve:
Taste and season with a little BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, salt and pepper. If you’d like it a little thicker, stir in your cornstarch slurry and simmer over medium-low heat for a few minutes.
Serve hot, with crusty bread, buttered biscuits, or whatever makes your heart happy!
BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup, 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Notes

Don’t skip browning the bacon and sausage first - it builds the smoky flavor that makes this stew feel like it’s been simmering over a fire all day.
Cut your potatoes and carrots into bite-sized chunks (about 2-3 cups each when chopped). Anything too big will take forever to cook; too small and they’ll vanish.
Beans your way: Brown and navy beans make this feel rustic, but kidney beans also work just fine. Use what you have in the pantry - it’s cozy food, not fine dining.
The simmer sweet spot: 20 minutes is enough for the veggies to get tender and the flavors to come together, BUT if you’ve got more time, let it go longer. This stew only gets better as it simmers. I usually simmer it for at least 30 and up to 60 minutes.

Nutrition