Description
Creamy and rustic, this Tuscan white bean stew features tender white beans simmered in a warm, herb-scented broth, perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 900 g (2 cans or about 4 cups) cannellini or navy beans
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 150 g)
- 2 medium carrots, diced (about 150 g)
- 2 celery stalks, diced (about 100 g)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced (about 12 g)
- 480 ml (2 cups) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 240 ml (1 cup) water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp (1.5 g) dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 2 tsp (10 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp (0.5 g) black pepper
- 30 g (1/4 cup) grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano (optional)
- 15–30 ml (1–2 tbsp) lemon juice or white wine vinegar
- Fresh parsley or rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the cannellini beans in a sieve under cold water. Chop onion, carrots, celery, and mince garlic; set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 6–8 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Add garlic and thyme; sauté for 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in beans, vegetable broth, and water. Add bay leaf and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mash about one-third of the beans in the pot to thicken the stew.
- Stir in Parmesan (if using) and lemon juice or vinegar. Adjust salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf and serve hot.
Notes
For a vegan version, omit the cheese or use nutritional yeast. The stew tastes better the next day as flavors meld.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Braising
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 680mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 14g
- Cholesterol: 8mg