White Bean Stew - a hearty bowl of perfection to warm you to your toes during the cold months. Brimming with white beans, aromatic herbs, and vegetable stock, it’s a comfort dish that hits every spot. Serve with garlic bruschetta on the side for an added dash of deliciousness.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword beans, plant based, vegan recipes, wfpb, white bean stew
Rinse and pick the beans then cover them with water and soak for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.
In a large heavy bottom pot heat up a good lug of olive oil (or veggie broth for WFPB) and saute the leek (or onion) with the carrot and celery until they begin to soften.
Quickly stir in the chopped garlic and cook for a few seconds just until fragrant then add the soaked beans.
Pour in the water and bring to a constant simmer. Add the bay, sage and rosemary, cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes or until the beans are soft and tender to your liking.
Check the beans half way through cooking and see if you might need to add extra water if they are absorbing lots of liquid.
Once your beans are perfectly cooked remove from heat, stir in the nutritional yeast and season to taste with the smoked sea salt.
OPTIONAL but Recommended: Meanwhile grill or toast the bread on both sides until nice dark char marks form. Rub each slice on both sides with a garlic clove, lightly brush with some olive oil and finish with sea salt.
Ladle the bean stew into bowls and tear chunks of the garlic bruschetta over the top. Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil on top and enjoy.
WFPB + Plantricious
To make this recipe WFPB + Plantricious compliant make sure to omit the oil and saute the veggies in water or veggie broth instead.
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Notes
Storage - Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating - Reheat over the stove or in the microwave. Over the stove just seems to taste better and is always my first option.
Add-in ideas - If you want to kick up the ingredients on this white bean stew, try some add-ins. Some of my top choices are broccoli rabe, swiss chard, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, basil pesto drizzle, sun dried tomato pesto, or plant-based Italian sausage, cooked separately, and added to each bowl when serving.
Can I use canned beans? - I don’t tend to go for canned beans as they always have added junk in them. However, if you’re in a pinch or need a quicker option, canned beans will do. Just be sure to drain and rinse them. Be careful cooking them for too long as they might turn into mush.
Use day-old bread - If you don’t want to make the garlic bruschetta, use some day-old bread to serve on the side. I personally prefer the bruschetta because it just completes the dish, but old bread will definitely do the trick as well.