Serves 6

A thick, warming stew is a satisfying winter supper. This one is filled with vegetables and just enough fresh sausage to flavor the pot. Cut up carrots, bell pepper, turnip, and celeriac (celery root), or use whatever vegetables you prefer. Near the end of simmering, add white beans — some whole and some mashed — but you can do the same thing with chickpeas or pinto beans. Make sure the stew is well seasoned, hot, and thick (it’s not a soup), and cooked just enough so the vegetables are tender but not mushy. The mashed beans help thicken the liquid and give it a long-simmered taste. Sprinkle bowls with olive oil and serve with Parmesan and crusty bread.

2½ tablespoons olive oil

½ pound fresh pork or chicken sausage, removed from the casings

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 red or yellow bell pepper, halved, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt and black pepper, to taste

2 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch slices

1 medium turnip, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium celeriac, cut into 1-inch pieces

Few sprigs fresh thyme

teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste

1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or more to taste

2 cans (15 ounces each) white beans, drained

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1. In a soup pot over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and breaking it into small clumps with the edge of a large spoon, for 6 minutes, or until browned. Transfer the sausage to a plate.

2. Add the remaining 1½ tablespoons oil to the pot. Add the onion, bell pepper, and generous pinch each of salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 8 minutes, or until they soften. Stir in the carrots, turnip, celeriac, thyme sprigs, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

3. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with the edge of the spoon. Add the 3 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. If the stew seems too thick, add more stock, ½ cup at a time, to make it the consistency you prefer.

4. Meanwhile, place 1 cup of beans on a plate. Mash with a potato masher or fork.

5. Remove the thyme sprigs from the pot. Stir the mashed beans into the stew. Add the remaining whole beans and return the sausage to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until the stew is slightly thickened and hot. Stir in the parsley. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and red pepper, if you like.

6. Ladle the stew into bowls and sprinkle with olive oil. Serve with Parmesan and crusty bread. Lisa Zwirn

Lisa Zwirn can be reached at lisa@lisazwirn.com