Oh man. Tough loss for Hawks fans yesterday, eh? I wasn’t able to catch much of the game because my sensitive-eared toddler wasn’t loving all the yelling, and we had to exit the main viewing area. But we did get to watch the half time show. And all I have to say about that is dancing sharks. Dancing sharks, man. Right?
Well, Sunday may have been a bit of a downer around here (aside from those sharks and singing palm trees) but Monday is looking up. Because we’ve got Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew happening! A perfect wintertime Monday post-Superbowl-sadness (and indulgence) dinner if I’ve ever seen one.
This comforting stew is made up of a quick combo of beans, garlic, rosemary, and kale. It comes together in just over a half hour (most of it hands-off), and it’s vegan and gluten-free – but even my hardcore carnivorous (and non-kale-loving) guy is a fan. We love it with a side of toasted crusty bread, but it would also be excellent served over polenta or quinoa.

Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1/2 medum onion)
- 1/2 cup diced carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1/4 cup diced celery (about 1 stalk)
- 4 medium cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or white kidney beans, drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 (15-ounce) can butter beans (also known as lima beans), drained (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 5- inch sprigs rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small bunch lacinato kale (also known as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale, cut into 1-inch pieces) (about 4 cups))
- Additional salt and pepper to taste
- Additional olive oil for serving (if desired)
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large, heavy pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for one more minute. Stir in the thyme, salt, and black pepper. Add the beans, broth, rosemary, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer until the stew is thickened, 20-25 minutes.
- Add the kale and cook until wilted, 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaf. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve as-is or over polenta, brown rice, or quinoa. Drizzle individual servings with a little olive oil, if desired.
oh this sounds fantastic. Love the Rosemary in this dish. It would be perfect right about now woth the chilly weather. Thanks for sharing!
I love bean stews, and adding the chopped chicken at the end might just lure my Mr into loving this as well. If not, more for me!
We have been having some rainy summer nights here in Brisbane, and this stew would go down a treat 🙂 – and perfect for Monday nights too!
This looks like the perfect meal for the cold weather we’ve been having lately. It’s been snowing so I’ve been walking to work rather than biking, which takes twice as long and I get home HUNGRY! I’m going to add this to my batch cooking list for the coming weekend!
Good recipe and method. We use chick peas instead of kidney beans. Also, try some fennel seeds and a bulb of Fennel. (sliced!)
Yum!
looks delish. Thanks for all the different diet restrictive recipes on your site. Its so helpful for those of us with allergies.
Hi Kare,
This really looks so good. Especially the kale and carrots. Really love this recipe. One quick question, any substitute of olive oil? Thanks for the recipe.
Avocado oil or coconut oil would work great for the cooking part (not so much for topping. 🙂
When you simmer the stew do you leave the pan covered or uncovered?
Uncovered. 🙂
I made this recipe and it is healthy, delicious, and so easy! 🙂
Incredible meal that has everyone coming back fir more! I add gluten free quinoa pasta to bulk it out even more, really takes on the fabulous tastes.
Hubby & i are vegan & we love this stew! Made it several times over the past year. Served it to our carnivore friends & they loved it too! Along with a plate of mini soccas, everone loved the flavor profile. Simply delicious!! Thank you 😉
Hi Klaudia, thanks so much for the nice comment! I made this again recently too and remembered how much I loved it. I’m working on a ribollita recipe that I’ll be publishing soon, keep an eye out for that one too! 🙂 Happy holidays!
Great recipe. Simple, quick, tasty, and filling. Loved the combination of colors, appealing to the eye.
Love the flavors in this stew. I used fresh rosemary, thyme and added some sage.
I’ve been making this stew for three years and it’s a hit every single time.
I’ve made it for myself, my partner, friends, family and anyone who has visited at various times. It’s always been met with huge enthusiasm and many of them have made this a staple in their recipes too.
So delicious!
The only thing I’ve added to the recipe is a few drops of Henderson’s Relish to add an extra deep and umami flavour.
Thank you!
Hi Eilidh! I’m so glad this stew is a hit for you. It’s such a cozy wintertime staple! I admit, I had to Google Henderson’s Relish. Sounds like a delicious addition! I don’t think we have that in the U.S. but a good vegetarian Worcestershire might work okay as a stand-in. I think I’m going to try that! Thank you so much for sharing and for leaving a review.
Just made this on a very cold winter night and oh, what perfection! Cosy and delicious just like you want on days like this – I added a couple of potatoes and replaced celery with leek and beautiful things happened – thanks for sharing!
You were determined to avoid tough, exploded beans in yourTuscan bean stew recipe, so we soaked the beans overnight in salted in the water, which softened the skins. Any way the article was great and informative.
Hi Karen,
I’ve been making versions of this for a bit but your recipe looks great so I’m trying it with kale and fennel from the garden. Fennel and fennel seeds, as noted by another above, really add depth to this. Fennel, or other Italian sausage is also a good meat addition for the meat eaters. Thanks
Amazing recipes have been described. I just love it when I added some fried chicken in Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew. It gives an amazing taste to each ingredient. Thanks for sharing!
wow! What a yummy and delicious Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew recipe you have described. A perfect meal for cold weather. I don’t like garlic so what can I use instead of it?
A perfect meal for cold weather. I’m going to add this to my batch cooking list for the coming weekend!
This was awesome, thanks so much for sharing. This was super easy to put together and keeps well in the fridge for days!