Slow Cooker Kielbasa and White Bean Stew with Tomatoes and Spinach

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dried small white beans
• 1 onion, chopped into fairly small pieces
• 1 T finely minced garlic
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crushed
• 6 cups homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth
• 1 can petite dice tomatoes
• 14 oz. Kielbasa sausage, cut into half-moon slices
• 4 packed cups fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving, optional

Directions

1. Sort through the beans and discard any that are damaged, then put the beans in the slow cooker. Chop the onion, mince the garlic, and crush the dried herbs with a mortar and pestle or a meat mallet, then add them as well.
2. Pour in the chicken stock and the diced tomatoes, and set the slow cooker to low. Halve the sausage lengthwise, then cut it crosswise into half-moon pieces.
3. If this will be cooking while you are away, stir in the sausage now and let everything cook on low for 8-10 hours, until the beans are tender. If you will be nearby, cook the beans and other ingredients for about 5-6 hours first, then add the sausage. Either method is fine, though the sausage will have a softer texture when it cooks the whole time.
4. Once the beans are as tender as you like them, chop the spinach, switch the slow cooker to high, and cook for about 30 minutes longer.
5. Serve the stew hot, adding freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top if you’d like.