Bacon and sausage stew with beans

Ingredients

• 75g dried black turtle beans (or black-eyed beans), 75g dried borlotti beans or kidney beans and 75g dried cannellini beans or haricot beans (or 2 x 400g of canned beans of your choice, rinsed and drained)
• 8 rashers smoked bacon (about 300g), sliced into lardons
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes or 800g fresh tomatoes
• 1.2 litres chicken stock
• 225g cabbage (preferably green, such as Savoy), thinly sliced
• 300g smoked sausages, sliced into 5mm/¼in thick pieces
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation method

1. If using dried beans, soak them in cold water for 5-6 hours or overnight, then drain, cover with fresh cold water and simmer for 35-40 minutes until they are cooked through.
2. Gently fry the bacon in the olive oil in a flame proof casserole on a medium high heat for a few minutes until golden-brown. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, then add the tomatoes and the stock and simmer for ten minutes.
3. Add the cooked, drained beans, then add the cabbage and sliced sausage and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Add the chopped herbs. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.