A comforting Mediterranean-style white bean stew with tomatoes, vegetables, garlic, fresh parsley, and olive oil, served with toasted herb bread. Similar white-bean-and-tomato preparations commonly use olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, white beans and fresh herbs.
Ingredients
For the White Bean Stew
- 2 cans (15 oz each) white beans/cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup diced tomatoes
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup diced carrot
- ¼ cup finely diced onion
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ cups vegetable broth
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Optional: ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
For the Toasted Bread
- 4 slices rustic or sourdough bread
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1 tsp chopped parsley
- Optional: pinch of dried oregano
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and cook for 3–4 minutes.
- Add the diced bell pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, paprika, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, white beans and vegetable broth.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes.
- Lightly mash a small portion of the beans with the back of a spoon. This naturally thickens the stew while keeping plenty of whole beans. This technique is also used in white-bean stew recipes.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- Stir in lemon juice and fresh parsley just before serving.
- Toast the bread: Brush bread slices with olive oil and toast until golden. Rub lightly with garlic and sprinkle with parsley.
- Serve the hot bean stew in bowls with the toasted bread on top or alongside.
Time
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Nutrition Information
Estimated per serving, including 1 slice of toasted bread:
- Calories: ~390 kcal
- Protein: ~15 g
- Carbohydrates: ~55 g
- Fat: ~12 g
- Fiber: ~11 g
- Sugar: ~7 g
- Sodium: ~550 mg
Nutrition is an estimate and will vary depending on the beans, bread, broth and amount of olive oil used. White-bean recipes can vary considerably in calories and sodium depending on ingredients and serving size.
Recipe Q&A
Q: Can I use cannellini beans?
A: Yes. Cannellini, navy beans or butter beans all work well.
Q: Can I use dried beans instead of canned?
A: Yes. Cook the dried beans until tender first, then use them in the recipe.
Q: Can I make this vegetarian?
A: Yes. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Q: Can I make it vegan?
A: Yes. The stew itself is vegan when prepared with vegetable broth. Use vegan bread if needed.
Q: How can I make the stew thicker?
A: Mash about ½ cup of the beans directly in the pot and simmer for a few extra minutes.
Q: Can I add spinach?
A: Absolutely. Stir in 1–2 cups of fresh spinach during the final 2–3 minutes.
Q: What can I serve with it?
A: Toasted sourdough, crusty bread, pita, or a simple Mediterranean salad are good options.
Q: How long does it keep?
A: Refrigerate in an airtight container for about 3–4 days and reheat gently.
Q: Can I freeze it?
A: Yes. Freeze the stew without the bread for up to about 3 months for best quality.