Baby Lima Beans or Broad Beans with Italian Sausage

This is a stripped-down, no-fuss stew that lets Italian sausage and lima beans do all the talking. Brown the sausage with sliced onion, add water and beans, drop in cumin seeds and a whole hot chili pepper, and simmer covered for 20 minutes. That’s the whole recipe.

Browning the sausage first renders out its fat, and that fat carries fennel, garlic, and pepper flavor from the sausage into the cooking liquid. The onions soften in that seasoned fat, building a savory base without needing a separate stock or broth.

Cumin seeds in an Italian-leaning dish might raise an eyebrow, but they add a warm, earthy undertone that works surprisingly well with the fennel and red pepper in the sausage. A whole hot chili pepper simmered in the pot infuses steady, even heat without overwhelming the beans. Remove it before serving if you want less spice, or break it up and stir it in if you want more.

Chef Tips

• Use sweet or hot Italian sausage depending on how much heat you want. Hot sausage plus the chili pepper will give you a fiery bowl.
• Break the sausage into chunks or squeeze it from the casing for a more stew-like texture. Leave it in links if you prefer sliceable rounds.
• Season with salt and pepper at the end. The sausage brings its own salt, so taste first.

Variations

• Use frozen baby limas or broad beans (fava beans) interchangeably. Broad beans have a slightly more buttery, earthy flavor.
• Add a can of diced tomatoes with the water for a more saucy, tomato-based version.
• Stir in chopped kale or escarole during the last 5 minutes for added greens.