White Vegan Bean Stew
Vegan Italian White Bean Stew is fantastic as a make-ahead dish, super simple and economical too. With only a few minutes of hands on time, it's an excellent dinner staple. Make this recipe as a vegan main dish or side dish and enjoy leftovers in your lunch box.
These vegetarian beans take some time to simmer but is mostly hands off and with a bright hit of fresh herbs and garlic at the end. This vegan bean stew is a hit with my whole family, fitting right in with dairy-free and gluten-free diets.
Read along to see why I'll be making more dishes like these this year and follow the recipe below. For more easy, and healthy ideas, check out Creamy Hazelnut Soup and Rocket and Pear Salad and for a Southern take on beans, check out these New Orleans Red Beans and Rice.
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Healthy Vegan/Vegetarian Recipes
It’s almost New Years and I am a firm believer in New Years resolutions. I love the feeling of a new beginning and seize my few days off work to think through what’s working, what’s not and to set goals for the upcoming year and sometimes even longer.
Eating more vegetarian meals throughout the week is one of my goals. One of my other favourite vegetarian meals is Mushroom and Lentil Stew. The lentils soak up lots of flavour and give protein and a meaty texture for a really satisfying dish.
Ever wanted to learn some authentic Italian recipes IN Italy? Check out these amazing cooking classes in Rome for some major inspiration!
Meal Planning
In the past few years I started writing down my goals, sometimes on paper at the back of my day planner or in point form on my iPhone or a combination of both. I became sold on this the very first year I tried it as I started ticking off every goal on that list! Admittedly the first year they weren’t huge but that list helped me focus and those check marks on year one gave me the encouragement to start making more and bigger goals.
This year is no different, setting lifestyle, wellness and career goals and setting the bar higher. One of my wellness goals is to be more mindful and waste-conscious. It’s not that I don’t already strive for that but with some time off, I’ve been able to assess where my shortcomings are and find strategies to improve. My Use-It-Up Fruit Salsa recipe is specifically created to prevent fruit from getting wasted.
Cheap and Easy Vegan Meal Prep Ideas
My number one goal is....planning ahead and meal prep! Totally basic, I know, but truly a working mothers only way to limit takeout and have healthy options handy. Hands up of you can relate to the struggle of arriving home in time to cook dinner but needing to get a load (or 5!) through the washing machine, kids whining that they’re hungry and worse, complaining about what you’re making for dinner while you’re cooking it! Yikes (Insert allll the wine emojis here).
Doing easy, healthy and cheap vegan meal prep is as easy as pouring some water over beans. Beans are so healthy and if you choose dried beans, it costs just pennies. Keeping beans on hand and throwing them in water before bed is my #1 vegetarian meal prep idea.
My second cheap vegan meal prep idea is to stock up on veggies when they are on sale/in season. Prep and freeze them for quick additions to meals. Onions and mushrooms can be stored excellently this way as can peas, squash, herbs and more.
Third is to make extra. When you cook a pot of rice, beans, quinoa or a tray of roasted veggies, make double. Leftovers make great packed lunches or dinners. Layer rice, roasted veggies and some nuts or beans and top with your favourite dressing. So easy!
Some of my other cheap and easy vegan meals are Lentil Mushroom Stew and Potato Leek soup. Both are hearty and satisfying.
Related Recipes
Do you have a favourite go-to vegan recipe? I'll definitely be adding more so check back soon and have a look through our vegetarian section of recipes.
ox Sabrina
📖 Recipe
Vegan White Bean Stew Recipe
Ingredients
Classic Vegetarian White Beans
- 1.5 c Navy Beans, soaked overnight, rinsed and drained
- Water
- 2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
- 1 c Onion, diced
- 1 c Cherry Tomatoes, halved
- 1 Small Sprig Rosemary
- 1 Large Sprig Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Sage, chopped
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
Gremolata
- 1 Clove Garlic, minced finely
- 1 tsp Coarse Sea Salt
- ¼ c Olive Oil
- ½ c Basil, finely chopped
- ½ c Soft herbs such as parsely and chives, finely chopped
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Instructions
Classic Vegetarian White Beans
- Add all ingredients into a heavy bottomed pot and add water until beans are covered by about an inch.
- Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer, put lid on and let cook approximately 2 hours, until beans are soft inside but still holding their shape. (If beans are boiling over during cooking, you can leave lid partially open or turn tempurature down a bit.) Let cool and discard bay leaf and thyme stems. When ready to serve, gently reheat and stir through salted gremolata (below). If you opt not to use the gremolata, be sure to season your beans with salt and pepper to taste.
Gremolata and Assembly
- Mix all ingredients except additional salt and pepper for seasoning. Right before serving, stir gremolata into hot beans and season to taste with any additional salt and pepper.
- This recipe is excellent on it's own, served with a little crusty bread and a simple crunchy salad or as a side dish to a larger meal. These beans also work great as a base for cassoulet or do like the Italians and top crostini with the creamy beans. These will keep 3-5 days in your fridge and you can easily double the batch if you want leftovers.
Elaine
Love all the fresh herbs in this simple, but elegant dish! This is a great make-ahead recipe. Thanks!
SabCurrie
Thank you Elaine! Fresh herbs do make the difference, they can really brighten up a rich dish.
Bernice Hill
This is one of my favourite ways to eat navy beans, although admittedly I don't eat them enough. Here's to a healthy 2020!
SabCurrie
Happy New Year Bernice! And cheers to a healthy year ahead 🙂
Terri
I can relate to all the things you said (insert many wine emojis here too) . And although this recipe looks amazing, I'm looking forward to all your easy weeknight dinner recipes!
SabCurrie
Thanks Terri! I’m working on some more delicious and healthy meals as we speak. I hope some will become go-tos for my readers 🙂 happy New Year!
Kelly Neil
Oh my goodness what a perfect recipe for cold weather! Saved to add to our weekly meal plan. Thanks for sharing!
SabCurrie
Thanks Kelly! Beans are such a great food to have on the weekly menu, lots of fiber and vities 🙂 Happy New Year Kelly!
Deb
I just made these; didn't have all the fresh herbs but used freeze dried basil and a couple of dried spices , and it was still delicious. Trying to Do some Meatless Mondays 🙂
SabCurrie
Awesome! This is such a versatile recipe , so glad you liked it! 🙂
Terri
I love that these are easy, healthy, vegan and make-ahead! What a great lunch to bring along to the office. I'm out and about visiting physicians at lunch so I often eat on eat on my lap in my van between meetings . Therefore, I'm always looking for protein-rich portable meals that don't need reheating. Perfect!
SabCurrie
Awesome Terri! So healthy and doesn’t need refrigeration for lunch too!
Serena
So perfect for upcoming fall dinners!
Audrey
Very easy to make and tasty
Sabrina Currie
That’s exactly why I like them, thanks for the feedback Audrey!