Butter Bean and Kale Stew

Butter Bean Stew is a healthy and easy vegetarian one-pan meal that is hearty yet bright and fresh. With the addition of fresh kale, it's packed with vegetables and there's plenty of protein to keep feeling satisfied. 

We love a healthy vegetarian meal, especially when it's ready in less than 30 minutes. This butter bean stew pulls flavors from the Mediterranean and features a secret special ingredient. Tomato jam adds a touch of sweetness along with rich, bright and tangy tomato flavor. It's something of a secret weapon to turn a tasty yet standard stew into something truly special.

Ingredients that Matter

You'll need a handful of pantry staples, some fresh produce, and canned butter beans, of course.

• Butter Beans. These large whitish/tan beans are creamy and quite hearty. In canned form they are labelled as "butter beans," but they are also called "lima beans" when frozen. Butter beans come in lots of varieties and you can make this recipe starting with dried beans. Soak overnight then simmer in plenty of water and aromatics until tender, anywhere from 1-3 hours. You'll need about 3 cups of cooked beans or 2 (15 oz.) cans of butter beans. We prefer to drain and rinse our canned beans. Can't find butter beans? Use a white bean like great northern or cannellini instead.
• Mirepoix (onion, celery and carrots). This staple in French cuisine, used in soups, stews and sauces, typically features two parts of onion to one part each of celery and carrots. Mirepoix provides a very balanced aromatic flavor to this stew, with a little sweetness from the carrots, vegetal flavor from the carrot, and a balance of sweet and vegetal from the onion.
• Crushed Tomatoes. Use a whole 25-ounce can of crushed tomatoes. We suggest using San Marzano if possible. If you prefer a chunkier stew, reach for diced tomatoes.
• Tomato Paste. This highly concentrated tomato product gives our stew rich tomato flavor, and also helps to thicken the broth.
• Bouquet Garni. Another classic from French cuisine, a bouquet garni is simply a bundle of herbs used to flavor soups, stews and sauces. Herbs are tied together then removed before serving (this imparts their flavor without having to chew on the herbs or their stems). Ours uses bay leaves, thyme and parsley stems (all traditional) along with rosemary and oregano. Simply lay a fresh bay leaf on kitchen twine, add the other herbs on top of the bay leaf, then roll the leaf over the herbs. Tie the bundle with the twine and add before the stew simmers.
• Vegetable Broth. We like to keep this dish vegetarian so we use vegetable broth. The recipe calls for just 2 cups, but you may add up to 4 cups if you want a thinner more soup-like stew.
• Garlic. A few cloves of garlic (minced) adds the perfect amount of garlic flavor without overpowering the dish.
• Tomato Jam (optional). We list this ingredient as optional, but we STRONGLY recommend giving it a try. Like other jams, it's made with tomatoes and sugar. Some will have other ingredients like lemon and honey. Simply use what's available to you locally. Can't find tomato jam? Try using red pepper jelly instead. It tastes different, of course, but it has a similar sweet, tangy vegetal flavor.

How to make Butter Bean Stew

Step 1. Start by cooking in a Dutch oven or large pot the mirepoix in extra-virgin olive oil over medium-low heat until the vegetables are soft.

Step 2. Add garlic, tomato paste, tomato jam, salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 3. Add the chopped kale and butter beans and cook until the kale starts to wilt, about 4 minutes.

Step 4. Add the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth and bouquet garni. Simmer, covered, until the kale is very tender, about 15 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni when finished cooking.

How to Store Butter Bean Stew

Be sure to cool the stew to room temperature before transferring to an air-tight container. Flavor-wise, it'll taste great (even best) the next day and will stay good for about three to four days.

Can you freeze the stew? Yes, absolutely! Transfer to a freezer safe zip-top bag or air-tight container, label it, and freeze for up to 3 months. When reheating, we suggest thinning out with more vegetable broth or water (if using water, add a bit more salt) and be sure to bring the stew to a full boil before serving.

What to serve with this stew

This stew is plenty hearty on its own, but feel free to add small pasta like elbows, boiled potatoes or crusty bread (our favorite). Top with fresh basil and try adding another spoonful of tomato jam to the center of the bowl and stirring it in as you eat it. Cheeses like parmesan or burrata work extremely well here, though note that the stew won't be vegan with the addition of cheese. Instead, use nutritional yeast to keep it vegan.

This recipe is easy, healthy, vegetarian, vegan (without the optional cheese) and a one-pan meal.

Looking for More Healthy Dinner Ideas?

Try our healthy Lentil and Red Pepper Soup recipe. Or make a take-out quality Sweet and Sour Tofu. And you can't go wrong with pasta! Try either our Spaghetti Arrabiata or Creamy Spinach Pasta, both easy weeknight dinners the whole family will love.

Recipe

Butter Bean and Kale Stew

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• Author: Adam Dolge
• Total Time: 30 min.
• Yield: 8 cups 1x
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Butter bean stew is a healthy and easy vegetarian one-pan meal that is hearty yet bright and fresh. With the addition of fresh kale, it's packed with vegetables, and there's plenty of protein to keep feeling satisfied. 

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots (scrubbed or peeled), diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 tsp. table salt (plus more as desired)
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tbsp. tomato jam (plus more for serving) (see note)
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 bunch kale (stems removed), chopped (about 8 loosely packed cups)
• 2 (15 oz.) cans butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (25 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 4 parsley stems, 2 thyme sprigs, 1 rosemary sprig, 2 oregano sprigs) (see note)
• fresh basil and parmesan or burrata for serving, optional

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Instructions

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 4-6 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato jam and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2.  Add kale and beans and cook until the kale starts to wilt, about 4 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, add bouquet garni, and cook, covered, until the kale is tender, about 15 minutes.
3. When kale is tender, remove bouquet garni and discard. Adjust seasoning and add more salt if desired. Serve the stew with fresh basil and cheese, if desired, and another spoonful of tomato jam.

Notes

• Use your favorite brand of tomato jam (those with lemon and honey work well).
• If you can't find tomato jam, you may use red pepper jelly.
• A bouquet garni is typically a bay leaf, parsley stems, thyme and other herbs. To assemble, lay a fresh bay leaf on kitchen twine then place the other herbs on top of the bay leaf. Roll the leaf around the herbs and use the twine to tie it into a bundle.
• Bring stew to room temperature before transferring to an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The stew may be frozen for up to 3 months.

• Prep Time: 5 min.
• Cook Time: 25 min.
• Category: stews
• Method: simmering
• Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean