Dinner in 30 · Mediterranean

White Bean and Spinach Stew

Name: White Bean and Spinach Stew
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: mediterranean
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup / 150 g); 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin; 0.5 tsp dried oregano; 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes (optional); 2 cans (15 oz / 425 g each) cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed; 1 can (14.5 oz / 411 g) crushed tomatoes; 3 cups (710 ml) vegetable stock or water; 0.75 tsp salt, plus more to taste; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 5 oz (140 g) baby spinach, about 6 cups; 2 tbsp lemon juice, about 1 lemon

This is the stew I make when the grocery budget is stretched and dinner still has to feel like a hug. Canned white beans, crushed tomatoes, a pile of spinach, and a squeeze of lemon, simmered together in one pot for 25 minutes.

It is fully vegan as written: no butter, no cream, no parmesan anywhere in the pot, and you will not miss them. A few beans get mashed against the side of the pot to make it creamy without any dairy at all.

It is also gluten free and dairy free start to finish. If you are strictly gluten free, the one label worth checking is your vegetable stock, most are gluten free but a few are not. Around 320 calories a serving, and it costs about what a coffee run does.

Jump to recipe

By the TasteBoard team. Timed in a home kitchen, with total time added up and safe temperatures checked.

Photo: @E4024 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

30 min promise: 25 min total
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 25 min
Servings: 4
Course: Dinner in 30
Calories, about: 320 per serving

Ready in 25 min, honestly. No hidden waiting.

Instructions

1Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, about 1 minute.
2Add the onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until it is soft and translucent.
3Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using, and stir 30 to 45 seconds, until the pot smells fragrant.
4Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, stock, salt, and pepper, and raise the heat to bring the pot to a simmer, about 2 minutes.
5Simmer 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the stew looks a bit thicker and the tomatoes darken slightly. Mash a few beans against the side of the pot with your spoon and stir them back in for natural creaminess.
6Add the spinach in handfuls, stirring until each handful wilts before adding the next, about 2 minutes total.
7Take the pot off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste, add more salt if it needs it, and serve hot.

Tap a step to mark it done, saved on this device only. Timer buttons count down right here and beep when time is up.

Why you will love it

25 minutes total, one pot, and most of it is unattended simmering.
Fully vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and dairy free as written, no swaps needed.
Pantry driven: canned beans, canned tomatoes, an onion, and a bag of spinach.
Around 320 calories a serving with about 15 grams of protein from the beans.
The lemon at the end wakes the whole pot up, do not skip it.

Tips

The lemon juice goes in off the heat, at the very end. Cooked lemon turns dull, fresh lemon makes the whole pot taste brighter.
Beans and tomatoes drink salt. If your first taste is flat, add 0.25 tsp more salt and taste again before deciding the stew is boring.
Rinsing the canned beans well removes the starchy liquid and keeps the broth clean.
If you need this strictly gluten free, check the vegetable stock label. Most are gluten free, a few hide barley or wheat, water works fine if yours is questionable.

Swaps and variations

Grated parmesan on top is delicious, but it is not vegan or dairy free. What changes: the bowl becomes vegetarian only, so skip it if you are cooking for vegans.
Kale instead of spinach: strip the leaves and chop them. What changes: it needs 3 to 4 minutes to wilt, so add it a couple of minutes before you would add spinach, and the chew is heartier.
Extra creamy: blend 1 cup of the finished stew until smooth and stir it back in. What changes: a thicker, creamier body, still completely vegan.
For heat: extra red pepper flakes, or a spoon of chili crisp on each bowl. What changes: gentle warmth becomes a real kick.

What to serve

Crusty bread or toasted sourdough for dunking, almost mandatory.
Ladled over cooked rice or quinoa, which turns it from soup into a stew and stretches it further.
A simple cucumber and tomato salad on the side for something cool and crunchy.

Storage and reheating

Leftovers keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, which makes this a great Sunday batch for the week. It thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of water when you reheat. Reheat in a pot over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until it is steaming hot and reaches 165 F (74 C). It freezes beautifully for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge. Honest note: the spinach loses a little of its bright green after freezing, but the flavor holds up fine.

Calories shown are an estimate from standard ingredients, not medical advice. Brands and amounts change the number.

Questions cooks actually ask

Is this really vegan?

Yes, completely. No butter, no cream, no parmesan, no animal stock anywhere in the pot. The creaminess comes from the beans themselves, which is why the recipe has you mash a few against the side of the pot. The parmesan idea in the variations is optional and would break vegan.

Can I use dried beans instead of canned?

You can, but it is a different recipe in time terms. Soak them first, then simmer until tender, which is usually 1 to 2 hours, and that is before this 25 minute pot even starts. Canned beans are what keep this a weeknight dinner, and two cans cost about two dollars.

My stew tastes flat, what do I do?

Nine times out of ten it needs more salt, and the tenth time it needs more lemon. Beans and canned tomatoes are quiet until they are seasoned properly. Add 0.25 tsp salt, taste, then a squeeze more lemon if it still needs lift.

Can I use frozen spinach?

Yes. Thaw it and squeeze it very dry before it goes in. What changes: the color is a darker olive green instead of bright, and the texture is more uniform, but the flavor is the same.

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White Bean and Spinach Stew

Instructions

Why you will love it

Tips

Swaps and variations

What to serve

Storage and reheating

Questions cooks actually ask

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