• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Goodness Avenue logo

  • About
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dish
    • Sides
    • Salads
    • Snacks
    • Dessert
  • Lifestyle
  • Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
Home » Recipes » Main Dish » Nourishing Butter Bean Stew

Nourishing Butter Bean Stew

Nov 10, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

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!

Butter bean stew in a bowl with bread on the side.

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!

Butter bean stew in two bowls with bread

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
Ingredients shown to make the stew.

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.

Stew ingredients in a pot with raw rice on top.

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.

Butter bean stew in a pot with chopped silverbeet being folded in.

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.
Cooked butter bean stew in a pot.

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.

Stew in a bowl with a gold spoon.

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.

Butter bean stew in a bowl with bread in bowl.

Other easy vegan recipes

Hearty Lentil Quinoa Soup

One Pot Vegan Orzo

Peanut Butter Chickpea Curry

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.

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Butter bean stew in a bowl with bread on the side.

Butterbean Vegetable stew

  • Author: Caitlin Rule
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6
  • Category: Soup, stews
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

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

Scale
  • 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
  • 1/3 cup arborio rice*
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 5 springs fresh thyme
  • 1/2 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

  1. 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 
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Remove and discard the woody thyme stems.
  5. Stir in the silverbeet then remove from heat and serve.
  6. 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.

Keywords: butter beans, white beans, stew, vegan

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @goodnessavenue on Instagram and hashtag it #goodnessavenue

More from my site

  • Spinach Feta Salmon BurgersSpinach Feta Salmon Burgers
  • Roasted Pumpkin + Zucchini Couscous SaladRoasted Pumpkin + Zucchini Couscous Salad
  • Baked Sweet Potato Mushroom TacosBaked Sweet Potato Mushroom Tacos
  • Thai Basil Tofu Stir FryThai Basil Tofu Stir Fry
  • Raspberry Mug Cake (Gluten-Free + Paleo)Raspberry Mug Cake (Gluten-Free + Paleo)
  • Miso Sweet Potato Pumpkin SoupMiso Sweet Potato Pumpkin Soup

Main Dish, Recipes

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

.

Welcome to Goodness Avenue! I'm an accredited nutritionist (BHSc) sharing simple veggie loaded recipes to help you add more goodness into your everyday life! More About Me →

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Healthy baking ideas

Side shot of strawberry jam thumbprint cookies on a plate.

Strawberry Jam Thumbprint Cookies

Cut up brownies with salt sprinkled on top.

Flourless Peanut Butter Banana Brownies

Cut up banana pumpkin bread loaf.

Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread

Side shot of pumpkin pies with whipped cream.

High Protein Pumpkin Pie Tortillas

COPYRIGHT © 2022 · GOODNESS AVENUE