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Home » Recipes » Soups

White Bean Tomato Stew

Published: Mar 9, 2020 · Modified: Aug 11, 2020 by Lexi

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This simple white bean tomato stew is one of my favorite comforting vegan dinner recipes. Simply pair with warm bread, fresh herbs and feta!

overhead view of vegan tomato white bean stew with feta and parsley in white bowl with spoon

This vegan white bean tomato stew makes me feel like I'm sitting in a cozy, beautiful cottage in the Italian countryside. With some crusty bread and a glass of wine, I can almost pretend I'm on vacation!

In all seriousness, it's such a comforting dish, and it couldn't be easier to make. It's naturally vegan, gluten free and packed with flavor. It makes for fantastic leftovers, too!

This white bean stew is a little Italian, a little Greek – we'll just call it Mediterranean in general. Good quality canned tomatoes are a must, along with fresh herbs and plenty of seasoning. With just a few simple ingredients, you can make a restaurant-quality dinner!

close up side view of tomato white bean stew in a bowl with feta and pita bread

Canned or dried beans?

Since we're considering this a weeknight dinner, we used canned. As long as you're using a quality brand, there's not too much of a difference. And you'll cut the cook time by a few hours!

If you'd prefer to use dried beans, you'll have to pre-soak them before cooking. There are two ways to accomplish this: 1. Cover beans in cold water and soak overnight. 2. Cover beans in cold water, bring to a boil, remove from heat and soak for 1 hour.

Next, drain the beans, transfer to a large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Season liberally with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1 ½ hours, until the beans are tender.

Note: if using dried beans, be sure to sort through them and rinse before using. Watch out for any small rocks or other debris.

What type of white beans should I use for stew?

overhead view of tomato white bean stew on wood table

Technically, there are a few different varieties of white beans. They include cannellini beans, navy beans, Great Northern beans and white lima beans. Each differs slightly in size, texture and flavor.

We prefer to use cannellini beans in this recipe, but Great Northern beans are the next best option. If you don't have either, navy or lima beans will work, too. The texture will just be slightly different!

Be sure to drain and rinse the canned beans before adding to the stew. Since they're already cooked, you won't want to stir them too much, otherwise they'll end up a bit mushy.

Build a flavorful base for your white bean stew

backlit side view of tomato white bean stew on a wood table

There are a few key ingredients that make this white bean tomato stew extra flavorful:

  • Diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Tomatoes add a ton of flavor to the broth base of this stew. Be sure to use good quality tomato products! There's a huge difference in quality between brands. Cheaper, mass-produced canned tomatoes tend to have a very acidic, tinny flavor. Our favorite brands include Mutti, Muir Glen, San Marzano and Cento. The same goes for tomato paste. The higher quality, the more concentrated, rich tomato flavor!
  • Fresh herbs. Fresh parsley, basil and thyme add so much flavor to this white bean stew. Dried herbs just don't compare in flavor in this kind of dish! Plus, you can use leftovers for garnish. I always load mine up with fresh parsley.
  • Garlic! We use 6 large cloves in this stew, but if you're a garlic aficionado, feel free to use even more! Fresh = flavor.
  • Red wine vinegar. It might seem like an unnecessary ingredient, but it adds the perfect amount of acidity to balance all of the flavors. A splash or red or white wine would do the trick, too.

When it comes to garnishes, this white bean stew isn't complete without a generous handful of vegan (or regular) feta or parmesan. The perfect salty counterpart to a rich, tomato-based broth!

I also load mine up with more fresh herbs, more red pepper flakes and of course, plenty of bread for dipping and soaking up all of that delicious tomato broth.

overhead view of empty bowl with remnants of tomato stew
The aftermath

This stew is best served piping hot and fresh. To enjoy leftovers, gently simmer on the stove until heated all the way through. It also stores well for meal prep!

More delicious vegan weeknight dinners

  • Vegan Shakshuka with Tofu
  • Vegan Ricotta and Spinach Stuffed Shells
  • Quinoa Vegetable Stew
  • Sweet Potato Risotto with Kale and Hazelnuts
  • Vegan Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
overhead view of two bowls of vegan white bean tomato stew with feta and parsley

If you make this vegan white bean tomato stew recipe, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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White Bean Tomato Stew


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Lexi
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings
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Description

This simple white bean tomato stew is one of my favorite comforting vegan dinner recipes. Simply pair with warm bread, fresh herbs and feta! 


Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 6 large cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • ½ tbsp coconut sugar (or regular sugar)
  • 3 bay leaves
  • ¾-1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ½-¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3 15 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil 
  • 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • Toppings: vegan feta or parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, bread for serving


Instructions

  1. Heat a large sauté pan to medium and add oil. Once heated, add onion and sauté for 6-8 minutes.  Add garlic and continue cooking, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes. 
  2. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine vinegar, coconut sugar, bay leaves, ¾ teaspoon of salt, ground pepper, ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, and fresh thyme to the pan. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring a few times. 
  3. Add parsley, basil, and beans and continue simmering for an additional 15 minutes. Taste and add additional ¼ teaspoon of salt and red pepper flakes if desired. Stir and let cook for 5 more minutes. 
  4. Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving. When you are ready to serve, top with vegan feta or parmesan cheese and chopped herbs. Serve with warmed, crusty bread of choice.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 581
  • Sugar: 13.7 g
  • Sodium: 2179.3 mg
  • Fat: 15.5 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 90.4 g
  • Fiber: 18.9 g
  • Protein: 26.1 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @crowded_kitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #crowdedkitchen

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Comments

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    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. Susie F says

    January 08, 2021 at 10:08 pm

    Was served this the other night and it was SO tasty and satisfying!! I got a copy of the recipe the very next day and have just cooked up tjid potful of goodness. Was happy to see it makes enough to eat for more than one meal!

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      January 11, 2021 at 9:18 am

      Aw thank you, love to hear that! Yes, it's so good as leftovers!

      Reply
  2. Vicki says

    January 03, 2021 at 8:45 pm

    This is delicious, made it tonight for dinner and will enjoy several more servings throughout the week!! I only added two cans of beans - another would not have fit in my skillet and used Great Northern as Cannelli were out at my WF's today... Thank you for another fabulous recipe!!

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      January 04, 2021 at 7:30 am

      So glad you enjoyed!

      Reply
    • Easton says

      December 07, 2024 at 7:18 pm

      Added green lentils and spinach and it was fantastic. Thank you for posting! 😁 10/10

      Reply
  3. Linda says

    January 03, 2021 at 8:10 am

    Holy cow this makes a lot. To much for one or two people

    Reply
    • Lexi says

      January 03, 2021 at 2:04 pm

      Hi Linda, as noted on the recipe card, the quantities make about 4 servings. You can certainly halve the quantities if just serving 1-2 people. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
    • Denise says

      December 29, 2022 at 1:50 pm

      I made this today and want to let you know it’s delicious! The recipe doesn’t say if the tomatoes should be drained so I looked at comments to see if anybody asked that but didn’t see it so I didn’t drain them. Because of that, I think mine is more of a soup than stew. I’ll definitely make this again but next time will drain at least some of the liquid from the tomatoes.

      Reply
Lexi and Beth toasting with wine.

Hi, we're Lexi and Beth, a mother-daughter team from Michigan. The recipes you'll find here are a reflection of how we bring our family together around the dinner table despite various dietary differences.

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