Easy Italian White Bean Stew Recipes

ITALIAN WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse and pick the beans then cover them with water and soak for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.
• In a large heavy bottom pot heat up a good lug of olive oil and saute the leek (or onion) with the carrot and celery until they begin to soften.
• Quickly stir in the chopped garlic and cook for a few seconds just until fragrant then add the soaked beans.
• Pour in the water and bring to a constant simmer. Add the bay, sage and rosemary, cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes or until the beans are soft and tender to your liking.
• Check the beans half way through cooking and see if you might need to add extra water if they are absorbing lots of liquid.
• Once your beans are perfectly cooked remove from heat, stir in the nutritional yeast and season to taste with the smoked sea salt.
• Meanwhile grill the bread on both sides until nice dark char marks form. Rub each slice on both sides with a garlic clove, lightly brush with some olive oil and finish with sea salt.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and tear chunks of the garlic bruschetta over the top. Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil on top and enjoy.

BEAN STEW

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, add olive oil, onions, carrots, and celery. Cook and stir for about 8 minutes to soften the vegetables.
• Add the garlic, tomato paste, dried Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
• Pour in the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes (with liquid), potato, and white beans (drained and rinsed). Stir to combine, cover with a lid, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with a side of French bread!

ITALIAN WHITE BEAN AND SAUSAGE STEW

Steps:

• Soak beans in cold water, 8 hours to overnight.
• Drain beans and set aside.
• Make a cut down the center of each sausage and peel off the casing. Transfer sausage into a dry soup pot over medium-high heat. Brown sausage, while breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. Cook and stir until juices start to caramelize and stick to the bottom of the pan, creating a fond, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add onion and stir to coat in the rendered sausage fat. Cook until onion starts to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add white wine to deglaze the pot. Add black pepper, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and water.
• Add drained beans, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and continue to simmer until beans are tender, about 30 more minutes. Taste beans to be certain they are perfectly cooked.
• Smash about 1/4 of the beans with a potato masher to give the stew a creamy texture if desired. Stir in chopped kale, increase heat to medium, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
• Ladle hot soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

EASY ITALIAN WHITE BEAN STEW

Steps:

• Heat a dutch oven (or large soup pot) over medium heat.
• Add the olive oil and bacon and cook, stirring, until the bacon is almost cooked, 3-4 minutes.
• Add the onion, celery, garlic, and chili flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the white wine and continue to cook, stirring and scraping up any of the browned bits on the bottom, until the wine has reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
• Add the beans, broth, cheese rind, rosemary, oregano, bay leaf, lemon zest, salt, and pepper and bring contents to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a light simmer (about medium-low heat), cover, and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in spinach, if using, and the juice of a lemon. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Continue to cook, uncovered and simmering, for about 5 more minutes.
• Serve in bowls and top with a tiny drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of grated parmesan and parsley. Enjoy.