This is the time of year when Dutch ovens come into their own. Even if you use your big, heavy Dutch oven year-round, as I do, it still seems to come down off its shelf a little more often in the fall. Today I want to show you my favorite Dutch oven — and a soup to cook in it. This soup is one of those magical recipes with just a few ingredients, and all the usual suspects — carrot, onion, beans, chicken broth — that nevertheless turns out to have such a deep, wonderful flavor you don't mind that it makes enough to feed you for a week. And a Dutch oven is really the best vessel for it, because this soup is cooked just a little differently.
My favorite Dutch oven at the moment is this beauty from Staub. It was a Christmas present from my husband, and he knows what I like, because this classic oval oven, with its handsome brass knob and smooth black interior, has become perhaps my favorite tool in the kitchen.
Here are a few reasons I especially like this Dutch oven, besides its obvious beauty, which lets me bring it straight to the table from the kitchen. I like that the interior is black enamel, instead of the more common white, because it doesn't show stains. I also like the size — 5 quarts — which is big enough for a haunch of lamb or a roast, as well as most soup recipes, without being so big and heavy that I can't manage it. I like the shape, which offers enough surface area to brown meat while still fitting neatly on a burner and in my oven.
Which brings me to the point of this recipe: the oven. I love cooking beans in the oven, and when it came time to simmer this simple, slow-cooking bean soup, I decided to throw it in the oven instead of leaving it on the stove. I found that the result gave me creamier, more tender beans and a deeply flavorful soup. I think that all-around heat of the oven does this. The gentle heat of the oven also means that soups and stews cooked in it are more hands-off. I just put the heavy, well-fitting lid on this pot and let it simmer away, without worrying my soup will burn or cook down too far.

In the end, this soup can be cooked in any heavy pot or Dutch oven — and on the stovetop, instead of in the oven, for that matter. But I loved it in this pot, which honestly inspires me every day. This time of year, I look for any excuse to pull that pot down, and a pound of beans and some leftover chicken sausage were ample reason to stand over the stove on a chilly morning and enjoy a few minutes with my Dutch oven.
→ Find it: Staub 5-Quart Oval Cocotte, $199.95 at Amazon
One last note on this soup: As written, it's a hearty, chunky bean stew that makes enough to feed a couple people for a week. But it's also very generous: If you want to stretch it out even further, add another 4 to 8 cups of broth or even water. A little simmering and the rich flavor will quickly spread through the extra liquid.

White Bean & Chicken Sausage Stew
Serves 6 to 8. Freezes well.1 pound dried small white beans, such as Vallarta Beans from Rancho Gordo
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces cooked chicken sausage, such as Applegate Farms Organic Fire Roasted Red Pepper Sausage, diced
2 large stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
The night before you want to cook this soup, soak the beans by placing them in a bowl and covering them completely with cold water.
The next day, heat the oven to 300°F. Heat the olive oil in a large (4-quart or larger) Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sausage has browned — about 10 minutes. Stir in the diced celery, carrots, onion, and garlic and cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes until they are soft. Drain the beans and stir them into the vegetables.
Pour in the chicken stock and an additional 4 cups water. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous quantity of black pepper. Drop in the bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and put in the oven.
Cook for 2 to 3 hours in the oven, or until the beans are very soft and creamy. (Time can vary widely depending on the size of beans you use.)
The soup can also be cooked on the stovetop over low flame. It will need a similar amount of timing for cooking, and should also be cooked with the lid on. Check a little more frequently to make sure the bottom isn't scorching.
Stir in the cider vinegar and salt to taste (I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons). Continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the beans have absorbed some of the salt.
Serve with fresh crusty bread. Leftovers freeze well.
More Bean Soups
• Mrs. Garcia's Black Bean Soup
• Ham Bone, Greens, and Bean Soup
• Bean, Bacon and Butternut Squash Soup with Swiss Chard
• White Bean and Roasted Squash Soup with Pistou
• Kale and Chicken Stew
(Images: Faith Durand)
Kart Serving Tray b...

Comments (25)
Is the recipe missing something? The photo makes it look like the soup has some kind of smoked tomato product or other? Something just doesn't add up
@nehalem, I know, right?! I was surprised at how dark the final soup was too. The color comes from the vegetables (carrots, onion) and the beans themselves, which, although greenish-white when dry, do add some starch and color to the soup. The long cooking deepens the color. It's sort of like Indian curries (gravies) that look like they're full of tomato when they actually are built on nothing but onion and some spices.
I absolutely love my Staub Dutch oven.
A heavy duty Dutch oven is one of my essential kithen items I can't live without.... Have you ever tried to braise meats with coffee in the Dutch oven? It is stellar!! a http://7th-taste.com/2011/02/01/colombian-coffee-lamb-casserole-german-ice-wine/
I am a Staub fan too. Do you think you could use regular chicken (cut up breasts, boneless thighs, etc.) and add some red pepper (sliced or chopped)? I'm guessing you would have to augment the spices that would be missing from the chicken sausage? Sounds and looks delicious. Thanks.
This has convinced me I need an oval dutch oven! I have always been looking for an excuse. I often make a been soup that includes a smoked turkey leg...which never fits in my round Le Creuset or my round Batali. Must go shopping for a Staub oval. This recipe looks delicious - but I'll try it with the smoked turkey leg instead of sausage, just to justify the new pot!
That is a handsome dutch oven! This recipe is on the list for sure. Thanks!
-Derek
Sorry for my lack of knowledge about kitchen ware. But although I've seen photos of dutch ovens, I'm still confused about how it's different from any other big pot. Since there is the word "oven" in the name, I thought perhaps a Dutch Oven is something you can place directly inside a regular oven to bake/cook something, pot and all. But your stew recipe mentions just using the dutch oven on the stove top. Are dutch ovens used both on stove tops and inside ovens? Thanks in advance for any clarifications you can provide.
oh yummmm. It reminds me of chorizo bean stew, which is one of my favourite winter dinners.
There is nothing heartier or happier than a stew or casserole at this time of year. I literally just posted this recipe for lamb and cider stew, which is so easy and so satisfying on a cold day. It's also great for big numbers of people! http://homefluffyhome.blog.com/2012/11/03/im-on-the-lamb/
I'll try that link again. Lamb and cider casserole: http://homefluffyhome.blog.com/2012/11/02/im-on-the-lamb/
It's making my mouth water all over again.
I am Dutch (from Amsterdam, Netherlands) and I have never heard of a pot called 'Dutch Oven'. Here in the Netherlands we don't use that word for what seems to be a normal cast iron pot. I thought it was similar to the modern enameled Dutch Oven (I have two of these from Le Creuset, so how Dutch is that?). However, I found out that there IS a difference, the modern enameled pots lose some of the advantages of bare cast iron ovens like the one that is shown in this post: you can't deep fry in them. But you CAN put them in an oven.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_oven
I learned something today ;-)
I too love the Dutch Ovens. And While I like the look of Staub better than Le Creuset, I happen to prefer the white interior over the black. I think it is easier to see when things are browning with a white interior. Ah well, to each his own. The soup will be great in either pot!
I have Dutch oven envy. Been wanting a Staub for years but already have the requisite Le Crueset. Maybe I can give a few of my white lined beauties to my kids and so open up a spot on the shelf for one like yours. Oh, and the soup looks luscious as well :)
I made this last night and it was excellent (still is, with leftovers, and deepened flavors from marinating overnight)!! I'll admit, though, that I made some changes to accomodate for time and equipment. I don't have a Dutch oven, so I made this on the stove in a heavy 5.5qt stainless steel pot. I also didn't want to wait to soak the beans overnight and didn't have time for even a quick soak, so I substituted 4 cans of cannellini beans. All the other ingredients stayed true to Faith's recipe. Since the beans were already cooked, I put it (uncovered) on a very low simmer for just an hour and a half--and added less salt (due to canned beans having lots of sodium). The color was obviously not as dark, but the flavor was wonderful! I look forward to making it with dried beans next time :) Thanks, for this recipe, Faith!!
This would also cook up beautifully in a clay pot. I have a La Chamba soup pot and it gifts me with the most tender beans every time I use it.
Made this today and it was ok. I think the type of sausage you use makes a big difference - I used more than the recipe called for and still found it too "bean heavy" (and I loooove beans). Just wasn't balanced enough; next time I'd use 2/3 the beans.
Mine also turned out very white, not at all like the picture, which I assume was again related to the type of sausage used.
Made this today in my 6-3/4 qt Le Creuset. I couldn't find the type of bean used in the recipe and used navy beans instead. Also doubled the chicken-sausage. After cooking for 2-1/2 hours in the oven, most of the liquid evaporated nicely, but overall it wasn't as thick as I'd hoped. I pureed 3 cups of the soup (without the sausage!) with my immersion blender and added it back into the pot. Now it's thickened and perfect for a cool fall evening!
I made this stew over the weekend and it was great! I had some chicken apple sausage so used that and really liked the hint of sweetness it gave. I baked some wheat bread and served it together after topping the stew with a little parmesan. YUM!
Also, a dutch oven lid makes a great difference. A good one will have little raised dots all over the surface of the lid. These are very helpful at redistributing the steam inside the dutch oven. Instead of the liquid coming down around the lid and the sides of the pot, the liquid drips all over the contents.
I'm thinking of trying this in a crock pot. Any comments or suggestions?
i too tried this recipe, it was good but lacked a bit. I used everything reccommended in the recipe except they weren't rancho gordo beans. I agree with island_monkey that it was too bean heavy and it didn't darken or thicken up anything like the photo. I ended up adding a few tablespoons of tomato paste, some cheese, and a bullion cube and simmered with the lid off to thicken it up some and get more flavor. Its a good simple recipe with a little tweaking.
I made this stew the other night, and while it is pretty tasty, it looks absolutely nothing like the photo. Not a big deal, because did I mention it was pretty darn tasty? ;) My bigger problem was with the white beans. I soaked them overnight (and more so) as suggested, but they never got truly soft or even remotely creamy. They are certainly soft enough to eat, but still retain some bite to them. Any suggestions? To be fair, I went with the cooking on the stove for a couple of hours method, as I have no idea where my Dutch Oven currently is (GAH). I'm wondering if I simply just didn't let it simmer enough? It was much more like a soup rather than a stew.
I just made this tonight & it just seemed to be lacking something I used dried canellini beans which did get nice & soft and creamy. I used a chicken jalapeno & red pepper sausage, and did add one extra link (4 oz.), butit got lost. I feel like it needs something spice/herb-wise more than just bayleaf garlic, s&p. I liked the taste the cider vinegar added, but I still feel like it needs either soup herbs(marjoram, thyme
I made this yesterday and it is really good!!! This is definitely a recipe that you have to tweak according to what you have. I used plain chicken sausage that I cooked and browned right beforehand, and I only used two cans of cannellini beans. I thought that was the perfect amount of beans, and I thought even plain sausage added a great flavor. After 2.5 hours of simmering, I also found it wasn't very thick, so I used a little flour to thicken it. Oh my, it is tasty! It didn't need any additional herbs for me, it was hearty and thick and warming. The apple cider vinegar added an interesting flavor. I will definitely make again.
Love mine too, but mine is one of the little ones (2.something quarts). I think I'll need to half this recipe, but it sounds great.