White Bean and Sausage Stew

If using dried white beans, soak them overnight in cold water. Drain and rinse well. Place in a pot with fresh water, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until nearly tender, about 60-90 minutes. Season the cooking water lightly with salt. Drain and set aside. If using canned beans, simply drain and rinse them.

Cut the sausage into bite-sized rounds, about 1 centimeter thick. In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage pieces in a single layer and cook until nicely browned on all sides, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the pot with the sausage fat. Dice the onion and add it to the pot, stirring occasionally. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, dice the carrot and celery, and mince the garlic. Add the carrot and celery to the pot, cooking for another 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add the garlic and paprika, stir well and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Pour in the tomato sauce and stir everything together, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the white beans and the browned sausage back to the pot. Pour in the whole milk, which will mellow the tomato acidity and make the stew silky. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir gently and let everything heat through over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Chop the dill and parsley together roughly. Remove the pot from heat and fold in most of the fresh herbs, reserving a small handful for garnish. Let the stew rest for 5 minutes off the heat — the beans will thicken the broth beautifully. Ladle into deep bowls and finish with a generous shower of the remaining fresh dill.