Vegan White Bean Stew
This hearty white bean stew brings all the rich, fresh flavors of Tuscan cuisine to the table with an added bonus: it’s completely vegan! It’s the perfect family dinner for a busy weeknight or an easy meal prep recipe!
You’ll Love This
- It’s quick and easy! Tuscan cooking is all about simple, inexpensive meals (“cucina povera” or “poor cooking”), and this white bean stew fits right in. It all comes together in one pot, and it’s on the table in just over a half-hour.
- It’s unbelievably hearty and flavorful! Even your biggest eaters won’t notice this is vegan. All these veggies, in a creamy broth, with rich white beans will make sure everyone leaves the table satisfied. Serve it with some crusty bread and a simple garden salad for a balanced meal!
- It’s loaded with vegetables! Have I mentioned all these veggies? The hardest part of a vegan main course is usually protein, but the addition of Great Northern white beans ensures that your family is getting lots of good, plant-based protein and fiber.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Olive Oil – This is our family’s favorite brand of olive oil. Try to find something cold-pressed and organic.
- Mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) – This classic trio is the base for so many delicious soups and stews and it gets the job done in this dish by creating a delicious aromatic flavor base.
- Fresh Garlic – If you’re in a pinch you could use 1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder in place of the freshly sliced garlic, but I highly recommend keeping a head of garlic in your pantry for days when you need a hearty vegan soup or Tuscan pasta.
- Dried thyme, oregano, and sage – You could also use Italian seasoning in place of this dried herb trio. But I love the flavors that they each bring to the stew.
- Tomato Paste – For those who don’t use tomato paste often, I recommend buying an 8 oz. can of it, using what you need and then freezing the rest. I like to flatten it in a small Ziploc baggy so it doesn’t take up much space in the freezer. Then when I need tomato paste for a recipe, I slice off a bit of the frozen tomato paste and pop the rest back in the freezer. It will stay good in the freezer for several months.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – This is an ingredient that I have grown accustom to keeping a jar or two of in the cupboard at all times. Whether I’m throwing together Mediterranean Flatbread, Creamy Tuscan Pasta, or this stew – I always prefer to use oil-packed julienne cut sun-dried tomatoes.
- Great Northern Beans – You can also use cannellini beans or even pinto beans in place of the Great Northern beans.
- Vegetable Stock – You can also use veggie broth in place of the stock. I just prefer the extra richness and flavor that stock brings to this stew.
- Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk – This is our favorite brand of coconut milk. You want to make sure you’re using a full-fat canned coconut milk – not coconut milk from a carton or light coconut milk.
- Split Red Lentils – Split red lentils work well in this stew because they cook quickly in the rich broth. You could use other lentils in their place, just keep in mind that other varieties of lentils take considerably longer to cook so you’ll need to increase the cooking time.
- Kale – You could also fresh spinach in place of the fresh kale.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – This may seem like an odd ingredient, but trust me here! The vinegar is going to boost all the other flavors of the dish and cut the richness from the coconut milk. You could also use white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar in it’s place.
Instructions
Saute onion, carrot, and celery along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper in olive oil in a large pot.
Add garlic, oregano, thyme, and sage along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper and cook for another minute.
Create a well in the pot. Reduce heat to medium, and add tomato paste directly to the surface of the pot.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste turns brick red. Add a splash of veggie stock and deglaze the pan, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan.
Add sun-dried tomato, white beans, veggie stock, and coconut milk to the pot along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Once simmering, add lentils. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in kale until wilted.
Then add apple cider vinegar then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, vegan Parmesan, and croutons!
Tips
- This is a great meal prep recipe! The rich, warm Tuscan flavors in this soup deepen beautifully with a little extra time. Make this white bean stew ahead of time or just store leftovers in the fridge for the rest of the week. It will thicken a bit, so add a splash of veggie broth before reheating.
- Don’t rush the veggies! When you’re in a rush, it seems silly to cook the veggies first. Why not just put everything in the pot and cook it together? There’s actual science about chemical reactions related to aromatic compounds, but what it comes down to is this: Sauteing the veggies well, in the beginning, creates a smoother, more balanced, better integrated (and slightly sweeter) flavor for the whole dish.
- Skip the coconut milk for a brothy soup! I like the deep, hearty flavors of Italian white bean soup in a creamy soup, but if you prefer a clearer broth, just skip the coconut milk! (If you’re worried about the flavor of the coconut milk, though, rest assured: It will add the tiniest bit of sweetness, but no noticeable coconut flavor.)
The main difference between soup and stew is the amount of liquid in the dish. A soup is primarily liquid. A stew is primarily large chunks of meat and/or veggies with just enough liquid to stew the other ingredients.
Most white beans are generous about adopting the flavors of whatever they are cooked with. So you don’t need to worry about flavoring them first, if you’re using them in this stew. The mirepoix, dried herbs, fresh garlic, tomato paste, and sun-dried tomatoes are going to come together to flavor the white beans in a rich, hearty broth. And don’t worry – you won’t taste the coconut flavor of the coconut milk in this stew, but it does give it a luxuriously creamy texture.
The main difference between cannellini beans and Great Northern beans are the size and subtle flavor notes. Cannellini beans are larger than Great Northern beans, and generally have a more earthy flavor – while Great Northern beans are slightly nutty. Both, however, blend well with the other flavors they are cooked with, and both hold their shape well during cook, so they are virtually interchangeable.
Try these easy soup recipes next!
Did you love this recipe?
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White Bean Stew
This hearty White Bean Stew brings all the rich, fresh flavors of Tuscan cuisine to the table with an added bonus: it’s completely vegan! It’s the perfect family dinner for a busy weeknight or an easy meal prep recipe!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or sun-dried tomato oil)
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup sliced carrot
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup julienne cut oil packed sun dried tomatoes
- 3 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 32 oz. vegetable stock
- 1 (13.5 oz.) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup uncooked split red lentils, optional
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
For serving:
- fresh chopped parsley
- vegan Parmesan
- homemade croutons
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, carrot, and celery along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 8 minutes.
- Add garlic, oregano, thyme, and sage along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
- Create a well in the pot. Reduce heat to medium and add tomato paste directly to the surface of the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste turns brick red. Add a splash of veggie stock and deglaze the pan, scraping all the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add sun-dried tomato, white beans, veggie stock, and coconut milk to the pot along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
- Once simmering, add lentils. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in kale until wilted.
- Then add apple cider vinegar then season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, vegan Parmesan, and croutons!
Notes
This is a great meal prep recipe! The rich, warm Tuscan flavors in this soup deepen beautifully with a little extra time. Make this ahead or just store leftovers in the fridge for the rest of the week. It will thicken a bit, so add a splash of veggie broth before reheating.
Don’t rush the veggies! When you’re in a rush, it seems silly to cook the veggies first. Why not just put everything in the pot and cook it together? There’s actual science about chemical reactions related to aromatic compounds, but what it comes down to is this: Sauteing the veggies well, in the beginning, creates a smoother, more balanced, better integrated (and slightly sweeter) flavor for the whole dish.
Skip the coconut milk for a brothy soup! I like the deep, hearty flavors of Italian white bean soup in a creamy soup, but if you prefer a clearer broth, just skip the coconut milk! (If you’re worried about the flavor of the coconut milk, though, rest assured: It will add the tiniest bit of sweetness, but no noticeable coconut flavor.)
I really enjoyed this! I used “Italian Seasoning” instead of the individual herbs in the recipe and added a bag of Trader Joes kale,brussel sprouts and cabbage slaw instead of the fresh kale. I think the secret to this recipe was the sun-dried tomatoes.
This was delish and super easy to make! My son and his fiancée are both vegans and they ate almost the entire pot! They loved it. My husband and I are not vegan and both enjoyed it just as much. It was thick and hearty. Thank you!
I am so glad to hear that, Cheri. Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
We love this recipe. So easy to make and very hearty
This is my current favorite soup/stew. I don’t change anything except occasionally use lite coconut milk if I have that on hand. Thank you for this vegan recipe!
I am so glad to hear that! We love this creamy stew too 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review!
This was so amazingly good! We have beans for dinner twice a week so I have a LOT of bean recipes, and this one has gone instantly to the top of the list. I followed the recipe fairly closely; the only thing I eliminated was the oil, using cooking spray to sauté the vegetables instead. I also swapped out a pound of dry beans, cooking them up ahead of time, for the canned. This one is a keeper!
I am so glad that you’ve enjoyed this white bean stew. It’s one of our family’s favorites too! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
I love this recipe!!! It’s delicious!! I used half the amount of vegetable broth and half can of light coconut milk. I also added a little maple syrup.
Great recipe! Very hearty, very filling. I accidentally used standard sun dried tomatoes and it was still delicious.
Thank you much.
Absolutely d e l i c i o u s!! Definitely gonna be making this again…thank you!!
This was SOOO delicious. You really couldn’t taste the coconut milk in it at all, and the flavours blended in just beautifully. I will absolutely be making this again! Super hearty and quickly becomes something you CRAVE.
I have made this 2 times in the last 2 weeks! It is so good! My husband and in-laws enjoyed it! Thanks for an interesting and delish recipe!
Any chance I can use the low-fat coconut milk I have on hand? This looks delish-I can’t wait to try!
You definitely can! The soup will just have a thinner consistency.
Omg this was so delicious! We added Beyond meatballs vs the lentils. It was so hearty! I can’t wait to make it again!
Wow! This was fantastic. And even better the next day. Thank you!
Delicious!
I can’t wait till my wife gets home this evening!
Really delicious, and an excellent way to get in a bunch of healthy ingredients!
Hi! If I am not worried about the recipe being vegan, and I am out of coconut milk, would replacing it with the same amount of heavy cream work? Thoughts? Thank you!!
I would try adding 1/4 – 1/2 cup of heavy cream in place of the coconut milk. Great question, Morgan!
This looks amazing. Can you use a different type of milk besides coconut? I am on a low saturated fat diet.
You can! It just won’t be as creamy 🙂