Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew

This comforting Tuscan Bean Stew is cozy, hearty, and simple to make – the best type of cold-weather dinner! With three types of beans – cannellini beans, kidney beans, and butter beans – simmered with a generous amount of garlic, savory rosemary, and nutritious kale, this bean stew is such a great way to enjoy the comfort of beans, vegetarian style.

This bean stew comes together in just over a half hour (most of it hands-off), and it’s not only vegetarian, but it’s vegan and gluten-free – but even my hardcore carnivorous (and non-kale-loving) guy is a fan.

Tuscan Bean Stew Ingredients

• Olive oil – for sauteeing and, of course, flavor.
• Onion, carrot, and celery – this bean stew begins with a classic mirepoix, a crucial building block for maximum flavor.
• Garlic – fresh, minced garlic, please, and lots of it! This soup is all about the garlic.
• Thyme, rosemary, and a bay leaf – these herbs lend an earthy, savory vibe that is perfect for this rustic stew.
• Crushed red pepper flakes – just a few for a little touch of heat. You can add more if you like more heat, or leave them out completely for milder palates.
• Veggie broth – just a couple of cups of broth really helps add a few more notes of flavor. If you’re not worried about making a strictly vegetarian bean stew, you can always use chicken broth.
• Cannellini beans, red kidney beans, and butter (lima) beans: I like this combo of hearty beans but you can use any combo of beans you like or swap out the red kidney beans for navy beans for an white bean stew.
• Tuscan kale – I love the heartiness and structure of this sturdy blue-green kale, but other types of kale work great too!

How to Make It

This stew comes together like a soup.

1. First, you saute your veggies
2. Add the garlic, beans, broth, and herbs.
3. Cook until tender and flavorful
4. Stir in the kale until wilted.

What to Serve with Tuscan Bean Stew

We love this bean stew with a side of toasted crusty bread, but it would also be excellent served over polenta or quinoa. I love serving a crisp green salad alongside dressed with a simple vinaigrette.

4.94 from 15 votes

Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Author: Karen

Yield: 6

With three types of beans and a generous dose of rosemary and garlic, this is a seriously satisfying stew. And it’s vegan too!

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1/2 medum onion)
• 1/2 cup diced carrots (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
• 15 ounces cannellini beans (drained; also known as white kidney beans; one can; about 1 1/2 cups)
• 15 ounces red kidney beans (drained; one can; about 1 1/2 cups)
• 15 ounces butter beans (drained; also known as lima beans; one can; about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 sprigs rosemary (about 5 inches each)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 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)

Equipment

• 1 Dutch oven or large pot

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.

Notes

Pantry recipe note: Leave out the kale if you don’t have any on hand.

Meat option:

If meat-eaters would really like to amp it up, some cooked, chopped chicken added at the end of the process or to individual carnivorous servings would do nicely.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 2cups, Calories: 232kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 234mg, Potassium: 899mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 6330IU, Vitamin C: 46mg, Calcium: 165mg, Iron: 5mg

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