Caribbean-Style Stewed Red Beans (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
My healthy stewed red beans recipe is perfect for anyone who craves a delicious weeknight meal, wants a quick and easy dish, and loves comforting flavors. I love that it takes very little time to come together, making it ideal for busy individuals or for families looking for a simple dinner. It's a budget-friendly, hearty side dish packed with tons of flavor, and it also happens to be vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free!
Servings: 6
Calories: 308kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 2 celery sticks diced
- 6 oz butternut squash or pumpkin diced
- ¼ scotch bonnet pepper diced
- 1 tbsp brown sugar unpacked
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup coconut cream
- ½ cup diced cherry tomatoes
- 28 oz canned kidney beans, do not drain (two 14oz cans)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 green onions, sliced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro optional
Instructions
- In a heavy based pot heat the oil and sauté the diced onion until soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery, pumpkin and scotch bonnet pepper, sauté for another 4-5 minutes stirring to ensure even cooking.
- Next, add the brown sugar and cook until melted and beginning to caramelize.
- Stir in the tomato paste, vegetable broth, coconut cream and cherry tomatoes, bring to a boil.
- Add the kidney beans, thyme and Worcestershire sauce continue to heat and bring to the boil again.
- Finally add the green onions, salt, pepper and cilantro. Cook for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the sauce has thickened.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and serve hot.
Notes
- Don’t drain the kidney beans, add the beans and the liquid that they’re in.
- Dice all vegetables to the same size to ensure even cooking.
- It’s best to use coconut cream however you can also use coconut milk if preferred.
- Vegetable broth can be substituted with chicken broth or even water.
- Cherry tomatoes add a delicious sweetness to the dish however you could also just use 1 large tomato instead.
- I’ve used canned kidney beans to save time however if you’d prefer to use dried kidney beans you’ll need to use 2 cups of dried beans, thoroughly washed and soak in 8 cups of water for at least 2 hours or overnight. Do not drain the water off.
- If using dried beans add the soaked beans and water to the recipe at step 2, after sautéing the onions and garlic, and cook for 1 hour before continuing with the remaining steps in the recipe.
- You’ll need to increase the cooking time by at least 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes if using dried beans to give enough time to cook and softened the beans.
- Once the sauce has thicken and the beans and vegetables are soft, remove the thyme sprigs.
- Stewed beans can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 308kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 939mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 8g