This easy butter bean stew is such a nourishing dinner to cozy up to on chilly nights. It’s packed with vegetables, ready in 30 minutes and great for batch cooking!
There’s something soo comforting about snuggling up to a big bowl of stew with crusty bread on a cold winter night.
This butter bean stew is packed with nourishing vegetables, naturally vegan and ready in just 30 minutes! Plus, it’s full of Mediterranean flavours and super versatile too. The secret to making speedy healthy meals are canned beans. Everything is added to one pot, simmered until tender then served. So easy!
Ingredients you’ll need:
All you need to make this butter bean stew recipe are 7 simple, healthy ingredients:
- Onion: any kind of onion will work well but I prefer the flavour of brown onions for the sauce.
- Garlic: Four cloves are great, but feel free to use more or less if preferred.
- Vegetables: You’ll need carrots, zucchini and red potatoes for this mediterianan stew. I leave the skin on and roughly chop them.
- Canned butter beans: also called Lima beans. A cheap, nutritious and delicious source of protein!
- Canned diced tomatoes: to make a rich tomatoey sauce.
- Seasonings: Sweet paprika, fresh thyme + salt are essential for flavour.
- Rice: I like arborio rice here but any type of short grain rice will work!
- Liquids: I use a vegetable stock but chicken stock or even water will do the trick.
- Greens: I used silverbeet (Swiss chard) here but frozen chopped spinach, fresh spinach or kale are all great choices.
- Olive oil
How to make butter bean stew
Onions: Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and potatoes.
Veggies: Add the carrots and potatoes and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes. Then, add the zucchini, garlic, butter beans, tomatoes, paprika, thyme, salt, uncooked rice, and stock.
Cook: Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer on low for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring the stew every 5 minutes or so to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Thyme stems: Remove and discard the woody thyme stems.
Greens: Stir in the silverbeet then remove from heat and serve.
Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and parley, and enjoy with crusty bread.
Tips ans variations
- Spicy: If you'd like the stew to have a bit of a kick, you can add a chopped red or green chilli with the carrots and potatoes.
- Creamy: to make a creamy butter bean stew, replace 1 cup of the stock with 1 cup of cream (low fat dairy, coconut cream or cashew cream.
- Potato size: chop the potatoes roughly the same size to ensure they all cook evenly at the same time and dont overcook/ go mushy.
- Different greens: If you're not fond of silverbeet (Swiss chard) then you can easily swap it for kale, baby leaf spinach, English spinach or a bag of frozen chopped spinach.
- Type of potatoes: feel free to use sweet potatoes or baby potatoes instead of red potatoes. You will need to adjust the cooking time if you do though.
- Other beans: cannellini beans, borlotti beans or kidney beans will work really well too.
Storing leftovers
This butter bean stew will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stove- add a dash of water if the sauce looks too thick.
FAQ
Can I make this ahead?
You can make this butter bean stew 1-2 days in advance. In fact, it tastes even better the day after. Just keep covered in the fridge.
Can I freeze this?
Yes! Leave it to cool then transfer to freezer safe containers. To defrost the stew, remove it from the freezer 24 hours before eating and leave it to thaw in the fridge. You can reheat the stew on the stove, just make sure it is hot before you serve it.
Can I make this in a slow-cooker?
Absolutely yes. I would recommend sautéing the onion, carrot and garlic over a gentle heat until soften first, then add all the ingredients into the slow cooker. Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low. Stir through the silverbeet at the end of cooking.
What is a good substitute for potatoes in stew?
Feel free to replace the potatoes with sweet potatoes, butternut pumpkin (squash), parsnip or celeriac. You will need to adjust the cooking time if you do though.
Other easy vegan recipes
15-Minute Peanut Chickpea Stir Fry
If you try this butter bean stew recipe or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
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Butterbean Vegetable stew
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6
Description
This easy butter bean stew is such a nourishing dinner to cozy up to on chilly nights. It's packed with vegetables, ready in 30 minutes and great for batch cooking!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 2 red potatoes, cut into cubes
- 2 cans butter beans
- 2 cans tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- ⅓ cup arborio rice*
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 springs fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups vegetable stock or water
- 250g chopped silverbeet (Swiss chard), kale, or frozen spinach
- Sourdough, fresh parsley + lemon juice, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy based pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and potatoes
- Add the carrots and potatoes and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes. Then, add the zucchini, garlic, butter beans, tomatoes, paprika, thyme, salt, uncooked rice, and stock.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer on low for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring the stew every 5 minutes or so to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove and discard the woody thyme stems.
- Stir in the silverbeet then remove from heat and serve.
- Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and parsley, and enjoy with crusty bread.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove- add a splash fo water if the sauce looks too thick.
- Can sub arborio rice for short grain rice, quinoa, barley or farro.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup, stews
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Amanda Buitrago says
This is absolutely delicious! I have made this many times, my family love it. I usually swap out the potatoes for sweet potato or pumpkin, as my 3 year old prefers those veggies potatoes. My husband and I usually add some chilli to ours too. Lovely dish, thank you!
Caitlin Rule says
Hi Amanda, thank you for your 5 star review, so happy your family enjoyed the recipe! Love the idea of adding pumpkin or sweet potatoes- yum! 🙂
Mercy says
Butter beans, it turns out, are not at all sweet. It tastes good, but starchy. I added 2 tsp of sugar to the pot.
Caitlin Rule says
Hi Mercy, that's really interesting- the stew shouldn't be starchy. Glad a little sugar helped the flavours and you enjoyed the recipe!:)
Kelsey says
Even though I enjoyed my recipe, im giving it a three because the only reason i enjoyed the recipewas wth additional spices added in. I know that without them being added, the stew would have been super bland.
Vee says
What kind of tinned tomatoes? And size?
Thanks.
Caitlin Rule says
Hi Vae, you'll need 2 x 400g (15oz) cans of diced tomatoes. Hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂