Pressure Cooker Sausage and White Beans

Serves 6 in about 1 hour. Bay leaf goes in first, and baby spinach kale finishes the pot.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 ½ lbs smoked kielbasa sausage (or smoked turkey sausage), sliced in 1" thick rounds
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large bay leaf
• 4 carrots, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
• 1 4" long sprig of fresh rosemary
• ¼ tsp oregano, dried
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ½ tsp pepper
• 6 cups chicken broth, low sodium (use 7 cups if you like it a little soupier)
• 1 lb navy beans,*** dry (rinsed & sorted). or 2 cans of white beans*
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach or chopped kale
• Salt to taste (add after cooking as it may not need it)

Method

1. Turn the pot on to the Sauté setting. Leave it to it heat up and add the olive oil. Then add the sausage. Leave it to it sit and brown a few minutes, then stir. Lightly brown all sides.
2. Tip in the onion, bay leaf, carrots and celery. Mix and cook until the onion starts to turn translucent. Make sure to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pot (deglaze).
3. Stir in the thyme, rosemary, oregano, and garlic. Cook, stirring for 1 instant.
4. Stir in the pepper, and broth. Stir, and then put a glass lid on the pot and let the contents come to a simmer.
5. Once the broth is simmering, add the beans and stir. Put the pressure cooker lid on, lock in place, and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
6. Cancel the sauté function and press Pressure Cook (or Manual) button or dial, and then the + or - button to choose 40 minutes.** High pressure.
7. The pot may take 10 minutes or so to come to pressure, but since the contents are already hot, it will pressurize quicker. Once the cooking cycle has finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 15 minutes (15 instant Natural Release).
8. Next, turn the steam release knob to the Venting position to release the remaining steam/pressure. Please use caution and do this in bursts at first.
9. When the pin in the lid drops down, open the lid, facing away from your face, and keep it nearby. Use a long handled spoon to gently stir the beans. Taste a few to test for tenderness and for salt, and add salt if needed.
10. If beans aren't tender enough (sometimes old beans take longer), just put the lid back on and cook them for 5 more minutes under pressure, and a 10 to 15 instant natural release.
11. If you are adding spinach or kale, stir it into the beans after pressure cooking and let the pot sit for a few minutes until the greens are wilted and soft.
12. Serve. These beans are very good with some buttered crusty bread!

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.