Tuscan Bean Stew

The recipe is inspired by “Fagioli all’uccelletto.” Like most Italian recipes, it’s made with simple ingredients and is excellent for everyday cooking.

You can put it together in one pot in 30 minutes and serve it with rice, couscous, polenta, or a slice of crusty bread.

Also, the bean stew is great for meal prep as it keeps in the fridge for several days, and you can freeze it for months.

Diet: suitable for gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan diets.

Find the complete recipe with ingredients and instructions in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Beans

You can make bean stew with most bean varieties.

We make it with cannellini beans (white bean stew) or borlotti beans (in pictures).

You can substitute pinto beans, navy beans, butter beans, great northern beans, black beans, and red kidney beans or use chickpeas.

To make this in 30 minutes, we recommend using canned beans. If you have more time, you can go for dry beans.

In this case, soak them overnight, then boil them in lightly salted water until tender.

Tomatoes

We recommend whole canned peeled tomatoes or crushed tomatoes. If you can’t find those, go for diced canned tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes.

Flavor base

The flavor base – soffritto in Italian – is made with extra virgin olive oil, carrot, red or yellow onion, and celery. Garlic is optional.

It adds complexity and richness to the bean stew, and it’s an essential part of this recipe.

Aromatics

Fresh sage leaves and rosemary are delicious with beans, and we recommend them.

Add red pepper flakes or chili if you like a hint of spiciness or a pinch of smoked paprika or chipotle powder for a mild, smoky flavor.

You can add a couple of bay leaves for an even richer flavor.

You can substitute oregano and dried thyme for sage and rosemary. If you use dried herbs, do so in smaller quantities than fresh herbs, as their flavor is concentrated.

Salt and pepper

We use sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve it with

• Pasta.
• White or brown rice.
• Toasted crusty bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.
• Couscous or bulgur.
• Quinoa.
• Flatbread, pita bread, naan bread, or rosemary focaccia.

Top it with fresh parsley, a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice optionally.

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large pan, skillet, or Dutch oven; add chopped onion, carrot, and celery, and fry gently on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

Tip: You can finely chop the veggies with a chef’s knife or save time with a food processor.

Add finely chopped sage, rosemary, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and fry for two more minutes or until you smell the herbs’ fragrant aroma.

Add the canned tomatoes, drained beans, vegetable broth, salt, and black pepper and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust for salt, then serve it with your favorite grain, pasta, or bread.

You can top it with fresh parsley, good quality extra virgin olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon.

We love serving our bean stew with grains and a side of sautéed veggies such as sautéed kale or spinach. Also:

• For a quick 5-minute preparation, we go for couscous. No stirring is required; it’s a perfect grain choice for busy weeknights.
• Increase your veggie intake and make a quick portion of cauliflower rice. You can have the cauliflower rice instead of the white rice or do half-half.
• Serve it with crusty bread, rosemary focaccia, flatbread, or Italian piadina.
• Make it Italian and serve it with instant polenta. It’s a creamy and wholesome side dish of cornmeal, and you can make it in 5 minutes.

Save chopping time!

If you are often in a hurry and don’t have time to chop celery, onion, and carrot, you can use a food processor to chop up the vegetables. 

We like to chop more vegetables than needed on a Sunday evening to save time during the week. We use a food processor for that and try not to over-process the veggies. 

Then we put them in a freezer-friendly food container, like one for baby food, and freeze the whole thing.

How to make instant polenta?

Corn and beans have been eaten together for centuries, and they complement each other well from a nutritional point of view. They also taste delicious together!

Stir the polenta in hot water with a pinch of salt, slowly, with a whisk, then simmer while stirring it for about 5 minutes. The ratios of water to polenta should be on the package.

Arrange the polenta onto a plate, add the bean stew, and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley. It’s an earthy, comforting, and nutritious dinner that will satiate your family too.

Make ahead: This Tuscan bean stew is an excellent recipe to make ahead as it keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Its flavor becomes more intense as the stew sits in the refrigerator.

Refrigerator: Keep leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or stove top with a dash of water.

Freezer: Let beans cool down completely, transfer them to a freezer-friendly container, and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw: in the microwave or a saucepan on the stovetop with a dash of water.

If you love this bean stew, try one of our other easy and wholesome stews and soups:

• Tuscan bean soup with leafy greens and white beans.
• Spinach stew with chickpeas, cumin, fresh spinach, and pine nuts.
• Butternut squash soup: an easy-to-follow soup recipe with a bake-and-blend technique.
• One–pot chickpea stew with sweet potato, tomato, and plant-based protein.
• Lentil curry with a rich, earthy, and endlessly creamy texture.
• Chickpea curry: an easy curry recipe ready in 30 minutes.

Get more easy and healthy dinner inspiration with these bean recipes:

• Easy bean dip
• Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans)
• Black bean salad
• Red cabbage salad

For many more dinner ideas, check out our mains category page.