White Beans and Chorizo
Cured sausage, white beans, and a lemon-sharp broth built in one pot.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 131
- protein
- 32 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 5 min
- cook
- 20 min
- total time
- 25 min
- water
- 600 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Lunch
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Backpacking
- Canoe / raft
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Dried white beans, precooked and dehydrated | 1 cup | instant refried white beans work too |
|---|---|---|
| Dry-cured chorizo or hard Italian salami | 5 oz | shelf-stable, no refrigeration until cut |
| Dried onion flakes | 3 tbsp | |
| Onion powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Cayenne | 1/2 tsp | |
| Dried tarragon | 1 tbsp | |
| Citric acid or lemon powder | 1 tsp | stands in for 2 tbsp lemon juice |
| Olive oil | 2 tbsp | dropper bottle |
| Salt and pepper | to taste |
Method
- Slice the sausage into coins. Put the pot on low with 1 tbsp of the oil and fry the coins until the edges darken and the fat renders out, about 4 minutes. Do not walk away; cured sausage scorches fast.
- Pull the coins out with your spoon and leave the red fat in the pot.
- Add 600 ml water, the beans, onion flakes, onion powder, cayenne, and tarragon. Bring to a boil, then cut the heat to a simmer.
- Simmer 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often so the beans do not weld to the bottom. Add water in splashes if it goes past thick.
- Kill the heat. Return the sausage, stir in the lemon powder and the rest of the oil, and salt to taste.
- Let it sit five minutes with the lid on. The beans keep drinking water after the flame is out.
The original is an oven dish: raw sausage seared in a skillet, then roasted over beans and turnip until everything softens. Nothing about that survives a trip, so this version keeps the flavor logic and throws out the oven. Dry-cured chorizo replaces the fresh sausage, since it is already cooked and safe unrefrigerated. Precooked dehydrated beans replace the can, dropping about a pound of water weight per meal.
Rendering the sausage first is the step that matters. That paprika-red fat coats the beans and does the work the oven’s long roast used to do. The lemon powder at the end is not decoration either; a pot of beans and cured pork goes flat and heavy without acid, and the tarragon needs something bright to sit against.
Packing
Beans, onion flakes, spices, and lemon powder go in one bag at home. Sausage rides whole in its casing and gets sliced in camp. Oil in a leakproof dropper.
Variations
- Swap the beans for instant refried beans and cut the simmer to three minutes.
- No tarragon at the store? Dried thyme with a pinch of fennel seed goes the same direction.
- A handful of dehydrated diced turnip or potato in with the beans adds bulk for a long day.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/blogs/recipe/white-beans-chorizo