Easy Kidney Bean Vegetable Stew
Thick and hearty bean and vegetable stew with potatoes, mushrooms, and spinach is a simple, inexpensive, protein, fiber, and nutrient-dense vegan stew made on the stove, in an Instant Pot, or crockpot in under an hour!
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Calories: 450kcal
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can of kidney beans, drained
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 1 (8-ounce) package of sliced mushrooms
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons of dry thyme
- 2 teaspoons of rosemary
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 (28-ounce) can of tomato sauce
- 3 to 4 cups of water
- 3 vegetable boullion cubes
- 1 pound of yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 cups of spinach
- Chopped parsley optional, for garnish
- Crushed red peppers, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the beans to a food processor and puree until smooth.
- In a large pot with a lid, add the oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onions, mushrooms, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until onions begin to become tender and translucent.
- Add the thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Mix well and cook for one minute.
- Add tomato sauce, water, boullion cubes, and bean puree. Mix well and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add potatoes and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover with the lid and cook for 40 minutes. Then stir in the spinach until it wilts. Try a potato to see if they are cooked. Add more time accordingly.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and crushed red peppers.
Notes
If you have some leftover rice, you can toss it in.
- For extra flavor: Sauté the vegetables until just starting to brown/caramelize for even more flavor depth. Remember to de-glaze the pan well, too, scraping the bottom.
- Simmer low and slow: The long simmer allows all the flavors to develop and meld. Don’t try to take shortcuts!
- To adjust the thickness and texture: Adapting the amount of beans you puree changes the overall texture/thickness. To further adapt it after simmering, add more broth (for a thinner, soupier stew), or use a blender/immersion blender to blend more of the veggies for a thicker stew. Adding cornstarch also works to thicken.
- Season to taste: Taste the stew before serving and adjust the salt/pepper.
Nutrition
Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 1851mg | Potassium: 2145mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 22737IU | Vitamin C: 54mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 6mg
