Canned white beans and a good vegetable broth, along with some pantry staples, come together to create this hearty and rustic Braised White Bean Stew.
Braised White Bean Stew is the answer to eliminating your weeknight meal stress. Healthy, hearty, and delicious, this Braised White Bean Stew takes about an hour to make and is extremely freezer friendly. Make a large batch on the weekend – double it if you wish – and freeze it for an easy go-to weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
White beans are sometimes referred to as Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans. If you can’t find one of those, Cannellini Beans are a perfect substitute. Did you know that Navy beans, as their name might suggest, were used as a primary food supply by U.S. naval forces in the early 1900s? I love food trivia!
Like most beans, white varieties are typically very high in fiber and are also a protein source, which can make them an attractive meat substitute for vegetarians. White bean varieties are typically also high in potassium, folate, vitamins C and B6, calcium, and iron. So, when I said this stew was healthy, I wasn’t kidding!
As you can see from the recipe below, I used canned white beans just to make life easier for myself. If you prefer, you can use dried beans, just be sure to soak them in water overnight before cooking them. To keep this recipe under an hour from start to finish, use canned beans.
If you’re looking for a non-vegetarian version of this stew, feel free to add some diced bacon or ham to the pot along with the olive oil and onions.
When all is said and done, get yourself a big piece of crusty bread, set yourself up on the couch, and turn on Netflix. This stew is so warm and soothing, it begs to be eaten in comfort. Enjoy!
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Braised White Bean Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 38 ounces canned navy beans, drained and rinsed (2 cans)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Using a Dutch oven, add the olive oil and bring to a medium heat.
- Add the onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes until cooked. (Do not brown the onions!)
- Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Toss in the rosemary, salt, oregano, and black pepper. Stir into the onion and garlic mixture.
- Next, add the beans and the vegetable broth. Stir and place a lid on the pot. Lower the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes.
- The broth will begin to thicken. Since the beans are already cooked, once the broth reaches the desired consistency for you, the stew is done. If the broth becomes too thick, add more vegetable broth – about ¼ cup at a time.
Nutrition
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Margaret says
I cannot wait to make this soup this weekend. Will let you know what the kids think.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
And, I can’t wait for you to make this soup too, so that I can hear what the kids think. 🙂
Daniela Anderson says
This dish reminds me of home, we have something similar which everybody is crazy about. It can either be enjoyed as a vegan/vegetarian dish, or we add smoked ham to it. The flavour is fantastic, you wouldn’t think it’s so simple to make. I love how your stew doesn’t take long to cook, evenings can be pretty hectic when your toddler has more energy than the entire world population, so a nice quick meal is all l need. On my list for next week.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Oh, I remember the toddler days. 🙂 If I were preparing this dish for myself, I’d probably add a little ham or bacon too. But, I had to keep it vegetarian for my family. 🙂
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
I’m really looking forward to trying this stew! I have a lot of dried beans in my pantry, so I think I’ll make some in the Instant Pot and then use them like you do the canned beans.
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
I love white beans of any kind so this stew would be right up my alley. It’s really budget friendly as well. I didn’t know that trivia fact about how navy beans aka white beans got their name. I can see myself trying this recipe in the near future 🙂
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I’m sure you’ll enjoy it! I’ve been hearing so much about this instapot lately – let me know how it works with the dried beans. 🙂
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes says
My mom makes navy bean soup all the time, but I haven’t tried making it myself!! Thanks for reminding me to do it– it’s so yummy! (And I had no idea how navy beans got their name- I knew it wasn’t from the color navy though! haha)
byronethomas@gmail.com says
LOL – Navy coloured beans would be quite the sight! 🙂 Moms always make the best soup, don’t they?
Uma Srinivas says
I use this white beans for my Indian gravy. I will post my recipes soon. I bet this tastes good with bread 🙂
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Indian gravy? That sounds promising!
Silvia @ Garden in the Kitchen says
Your delicious recipe reminded me of my Mom’s white beans which was quite a treat growing up. And you are right, beans do freeze really well so whenever I make beans I always cook extra to freeze or share with someone who isn’t familiar with it. Its the ONE food I don’t think people eat enough of or give it a chance.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
We use a lot of beans in our home. With the three of us being extremely healthy eaters, and two of us being vegetarian, beans are such an important staple in our pantry. So easy to grab a quick healthy dinner without all of the fuss or expense.
Sarah | Away From the Box says
I love Navy beans, especially in BBQ baked beans. I had no idea they have so many health benefits! What a great recipe!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Oh, Sarah, you have found the way to my heart! There’s nothing as good a baked beans! My mom used to make baked beans and homemade bread on the same day. Together, they made for the best meal!
Hanady | Recipe Nomad says
Yep I’m with you on the canned beans! I just don’t have time to soak them when I have a zillion other things to do. While the recipe as is sounds good I think I’ll add a bit of turkey bacon and maybe a pinch of Smoked Paprika! So inspired!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hanady, the smoke paprika and turkey bacon would be a great addition to this dish!
Mark, Compass & Fork says
I love recipes like this. Slow-braised beans have everything you need for a healthy and filling meal. And the price of the beans make it so economical. We usually cook meals like this on the weekend so we can have leftovers during the week or in the freezer. Getting organized with your cooking can certainly take the pressure off mid-week meals.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Mark. I always do a lot of meal prep on the weekends. I know weekends are meant for fun and relaxation, but an hour or two of meal prep saves me hours throughout the week, which is a trade off I’m willing to do!
Manila Spoon says
I love that this bean stew is simple, easy and freezer-friendly. I usually make a big batch for the family to make sure we have left-overs for freezing. I love hearty dishes and this delicious stew is right up my alley!! A must-try!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
In our home, cooking is large batches is the way to go! 🙂
Anne Murphy says
Oh, I love bean dishes – such perfect comfort food! I don’t think I’ve used rosemary in white beans… I’ll have to try that!
I might add a little ham, instead of the bacon… or, on the other hand, I might not. It certainly looks good enough as is!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Anne. 🙂
Jessica (Swanky Recipes) says
There is something comforting about stew this time of year that our family loves. Love that this makes two portions are it’s perfect for the hubs and I. Can’t wait to try this easy recipe right before our big move!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Jessica. Good luck with the move!
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
This looks ideal for our chilly winter days. Love that you can double this recipe and it freezes well – so important for our super busy weeknights!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I completely agree, Marlynn. 🙂
Heather says
YUM! I love a good stew! I love the idea of unfussy, easy soup that I can whip up quickly. I’m excited to make this white bean stew soon! Thank you for sharing!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thanks, Heather. 🙂
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery says
This looks like such a delicious, hearty soup/stew. I wonder if it would work in a pressure cooker with dried beans – my biggest problem with bean-based dishes is remembering to soak and cook the beans ahead of time!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
That’s my issue too, Julie. That’s why I always have canned beans on hand just in case. 🙂
Amy says
This stew really does sound wonderful, especially with some crusty bread to go with it. I love using canned beans for the convenience of it, but man it is so much cheaper to use dried beans!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
If you’ve never had white beans before, you’re in for quite a treat. They’re really delicious. 🙂
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Oh, I agree, Amy. I used canned beans mostly for convenience. 🙂
Renz says
I don’t think I have ever had white beans. But I’m ready to have this now for sure. I would simply pair this with some white rice. And some bread. Simple and delicious
Kylee from Kylee Cooks says
I could not love this more! As a working parent – anything I can make ahead and freeze AND satisfies my nutritional requirements AND tastes amazing? SOLD! Can’t wait to give this a try!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thanks, Kylee. Same here – I love freezer friendly meals!
Nicole Washington says
I love beans and I love that you made this recipe. Good job!
Kathy McDaniel says
My family and I love beans! I love the fact that I can make a big batch and freeze some for a later use. I also loved the food trivia part. How didn’t I know where the name of “navy beans” came from??? Feeling a bit silly!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Don’t feel silly! I had no idea either. 🙂
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says
Ok this is my kind of comfort food. I like to use canned beans too…unless I am making baked beans. Saves on time, and they taste great too. Yup….crusty bread and Netflix sounds like a plan. Love the fact to make a HUGE batch. Freezer friendly meals come in handy for sure.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Gloria. I love cooking larger batches and freezing it for weeknight fuss free dinners. 🙂
Melanie says
Could you tell me what size can of beans you used, l looked at the nutritional facts and cannot see how it comes to 172 calories. 1 tbsp olive oil is 119 cals so the beans must be very small cans. Confused on this. Thanks
Melanie says
Could you tell me what size cans you used in the recipe thanks
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Hi Melanie, I used 19 ounce cans of beans. 😊
Melanie says
Thank you ☺
Steve walker says
I made the soup and it tasted good. I will only use half a tsp of rosemary next time. As it was a little over powering with a full tsp! I also made an iron skillet corn bread to go with it that was very delicious! It was a pinterest recipe also!
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Steve. 🙂
B Mosher says
Made it with beef broth and thyme instead of vege broth and oregano & rosemary. It was a five out of five.