Tuscan Bean Stew

5 from 7 votes

This Tuscan Bean Stew is hearty, spicy, healthy and satisfying. Full of veggies, beans, and whole wheat pasta it's a high protein, high fiber, delicious meal that's done in 30 minutes.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American, Vegan, vegetarian

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 288kcal

Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 carrots peeled and chopped
1 red onion chopped
2 bell peppers any color, chopped
6 cloves garlic minced
1 box baby kale chopped
28 oz can crushed tomatoes with Italian spices
1-2 cups low sodium vegetable broth more if needed
15 oz cannellini beans drained and rinsed (1 can)
15 oz navy beans drained and rinsed (1can)
½ cup dry small whole wheat pasta I used penne and then cut the penne into smaller bits when it was cooked
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1-1½ tsp salt more to taste
½ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and chop your veggies. Meanwhile, boil water for your pasta in a separate pot.
Add the carrots, peppers, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add in the kale, cook 2-3 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes, broth, beans, and spices (red pepper flakes, salt, pepper). In the separate pot of boiling water, cook your pasta.
Once the pasta is done, drain it and set aside. If you use penne pasta for this recipe, I recommend cutting each penne pasta in half when it's done cooking - to make them smaller and match the size of the other ingredients in the soup
Simmer the stew for 20 minutes on medium-low heat. When the stew is close to done, stir in the pasta.
Cook everything together for another 5-10 minutes on low heat (be careful not to overcook the pasta though!)
Ladle into bowls, and top each bowl with 1 tbsp of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

Notes

Cook Pasta Separately: Always cook pasta in a separate pot and add it only during the last 5-10 minutes. Cooking pasta directly in the stew makes it mushy and absorbs too much liquid.

Cut Large Pasta: Cut penne or rigatoni in half after cooking so every spoonful has a balanced mix of ingredients.

Use Baby Kale: Baby kale is pre-washed and tender, saving time on de-stemming. Regular kale works if stems are removed and leaves are chopped.

Rinse Beans: Drain and rinse canned beans to remove excess sodium and starchy liquid.

Adjust Liquid: Use 1 cup broth for thicker stew, 2 cups for soupier version. Add more if it gets too thick while simmering.

Sauté Until Softened: Cook vegetables until soft and just starting to brown to develop sweetness and flavor.

Make Vegan: Omit Parmesan or use nutritional yeast (2 tablespoons per serving) for dairy-free version.

Storage: Store stew and pasta separately in airtight containers in fridge for 3-4 days. Keep pasta separate to prevent it from getting too soft.

Freezing: Freeze stew without pasta for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight, then cook fresh pasta to add when reheating.

Thicken Stew: Mash some beans against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon to release starch and naturally thicken the broth.

Nutrition