Pantry meals came into high demand in 2020 for obvious reasons, and one of the easiest yet tastiest pantry meals I made was this Vegan Instant Pot White Bean Stew. It’s incredibly easy to make, hearty and satiating, and very flavorful!
This stew a dump-and-go recipe, which means you can quite literally, dump all the ingredients into the Instant Pot, do no hands-on cooking, and come back to a warm, delicious dinner!
Unfortunately, a lot of dump-and-go recipes you’ll find online seem to lack creativity and flavor—think mixing canned beans and salsa on top of a chicken breast (blah). Luckily, I am a stickler for maximizing flavor, so your taste buds definitely won’t be bored with this recipe!
Why you’ll like this vegan white bean stew
Dump-and-go. See above. Dump and go = no hands-on cooking!
Weeknight-friendly. See above. You can have dinner on the table and all you need to do is 10ish minutes of chopping. Oh, and one-pot meals also mean minimal dishwashing! Bonus: the Instant Pot inner pot is dishwasher safe!
Hearty and satisfying. This is hearty yet healthy comfort food that satisfies your cravings and your hunger, and leaves you full for hours. Especially if you serve this stew with some crusty, whole grain bread.
Allergen-friendly and healthy. This stew is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, oil-free, and nut-free so it is definitely allergen-friendly!
Flavorful. There are multiple levels of flavors in this dish, from the bouquet garni (more on that below) to the ground cumin and paprika to the fresh gremolata topping (my favorite part).
Ingredient Rundown
The aromatics. If you’re familiar with my savory recipes, you know that I usually like to start with some aromatics. This could be as simple as onions or garlic, but it always varies based on the flavor profile and cuisine. The aromatics I use in this recipe are shallots, celery, and garlic.
This recipe is a bit different than most of my savory recipes in that you don’t cook the aromatics in oil. That’s because there’s no hands-on cooking in this dump-and-go recipe. But don’t omit the aromatics – they still add a good amount of flavor.
Yukon Gold Potatoes. To naturally thicken the stew, I add one large Yukon Gold Potato. I grate it with a box grater (the side with the large holes). Why grate them? Because the potatoes practically melt into the stew. But if you don’t have a grater, just peel and finely dice the potatoes.
Dried white beans. The beauty of the Instant Pot is that it makes it much simpler to cook beans from scratch. No need to babysit the pot, wait for it to boil, or check to see if your beans are burning.
You do need to soak the beans for this recipe overnight or for 8 hours, so it does require a little advance planning. But as long as you can remember to soak the beans, the soaking step takes just 2 minutes.
As for bean variety, my go-to is cannellini beans (so creamy and rich). But great northern beans or navy beans work just fine too.
Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Read up, this part is important! Thick ingredients like crushed tomatoes tend to burn in the Instant Pot.
To avoid the burn warning, add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste at the end and layer them on top of all of the other ingredients without mixing in. The tomatoes are less likely to mix into everything and sink to the bottom of the pot if you pour them as low and close to the pot as possible and not from high above.
Gremolata. An Italian word for a chopped herb condiment featuring lemon zest, garlic and parsley. I make the gremolata while the stew is cooking, and stir it into each bowl when ready to serve. I promise you it will take your stew from good to AHMAAZING. It adds an incredible amount of bright, lemony freshness that makes every bite sing!
Substitutes and Modifications for this Recipe
Using unsoaked dried beans. If you do forget to soak your beans, you can make this recipe with unsoaked beans, but a few notes
- the texture of soaked beans is much better IMO (you’ll end up with more split skins if you don’t soak the beans);
- You’ll need to add more liquid (about 4 3/4 to 5 cups of vegetable broth instead of 3 cups – that’s about 1.1-1.2 liters instead of 720 mL);
- You’ll need to increase the cook time from 12 minutes to something about 55 minutes.
Using canned white beans. Since the beans are already cooked, you don’t need to cook them for very long. I’d say 5 or 6 minutes using the pressure cook setting. IMO, dried beans are better in taste and texture, but if you don’t got ‘em and can’t get ‘em canned beans will work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute this ingredient?
No Shallots? Try leeks or a sweet onion.
No Thyme? Try oregano, rosemary, or sage, but use less. Or, use dried thyme (1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons).
Is the gremolata necessary?
Yes! When making dump-and-go recipes, you’re missing out on some of the opportunities to build flavor during the sauté step. So, it’s important to find other ways to build flavor elsewhere.
What to serve with white bean stew?
A hunk of crusty bread is the best pairing! If you’re gluten-free, try serving this over a bed of millet or brown rice.
Can I freeze this white bean stew?
Yes! Freeze it without the gremolata in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link). Defrost in the fridge before reheating.
More Delicious White Bean Recipes to Try
- Try this community favorite Creamy White Bean Soup with Kale and Gremolata (another great use for gremolata).
- Pasta meets stew in this Vegan Italian White and Pasta Bean Stew. It is the perfect rustic Italian comfort food!
- For another easy Instant Pot recipe, check out this hearty Vegan White Bean and Quinoa Chili.
- Need a quick and healthy weeknight dinner? Try these Creamy White Beans with Kale and Wild Rice.
- Want to make the most of summertime produce? This Charred Corn Salad with White Beans is delightful.
If you give this recipe a try, be sure to tag me on Instagram with your recreations and please comment with your feedback below!
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Vegan Instant Pot White Bean Stew
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340g) dried white beans, such as cannellini or great northern beans, soaked overnight*
- 3 medium shallots, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 celery ribs, sliced
- 1 large or 2 small-to-medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and grated**
- 3 1/2 cups (840 mL) vegetable broth***
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (use 1.5 tsp if you love cumin like I do)
- 1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika
- Bouquet garni: 2 bay leaves + a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley and thyme, tied tightly together with kitchen twine
- 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 (14.5-ounce / 410g) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons (50g) tomato paste
Gremolata Topping
- 1 large handful of Italian flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stems
- 1 large garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
- 1 small organic lemon
- Coarse or flaky sea salt
- For serving (optional): fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, and crusty whole-grain bread
Instructions
- Pour the vegetable broth into the Instant Pot. Add the soaked and drained white beans, shallots, garlic, celery, grated potatoes, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and the bouquet garni. Stir to combine.
- Pour the crushed tomatoes and scoop the tomato paste on top of the other ingredients, but do not stir, allowing the tomatoes to sit on top (this prevents the tomatoes from blocking the Instant Pot’s heat sensory and burning).
- Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Select the Pressure Cook setting at high pressure and set the cook time to 12 minutes.
- While the stew is cooking, prepare the Gremolata Topping. Roughly chop the parsley. Using a Microplane, grate the garlic directly over the parsley and zest the lemon on top of this mixture, taking care to not zest the white pith underneath the skin. Mix the garlic and lemon zest into the parsley and chop until everything is finely minced. Sprinkle with a bit of the coarse or flaky sea salt.
- Once the 12-minute timer has completed and beeps, allow a natural pressure release.
- Open the pot and taste for seasonings, adding more salt as needed. Transfer the stew to individual bowls, and top each with some gremolata. If desired, squeeze a little fresh lemon juice and drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil, and serve with whole grain bread. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Notes
Yum! Thanks for this recipe. I’m trying to use my new instant pot, and this was a hit. The whole family loved it!!!
I did add extra broth, as the burning aspect made me nervous.
I used dried thyme ( I didn’t have any fresh sprigs.)
And I definitely used the hot paprika, yum!
Awesome, K. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I thought this was tasty, though my beans were a little crunchy. I will make again. Any advise is welcomed. I used 3.5 Cups of the broth. Maybe a little less could have made it thicker. I did add an additional can, but if the beans weren’t crunchy they may have been bigger.
Hi Cassie, is it possible your beans are on the older side? The older the bean, the longer it will take to soften. The next time you make it, test several beans to see if they are done, as testing just one bean isn’t typically an accurate gauge for all of the beans. If the beans are still not as tender as you like, re-seal the Instant Pot and add another 2 minutes of pressure cook time.
Hope that helps!
This was delicious ! The Parsley topping is a must! I added some chopped bacon I needed to use up and some spinach! I also blended half of the soup !
Good to hear you enjoyed the stew, Ashley! :)
I made this today in my new Instant Pot. I am 3 for 3 in making exquisite dishes using your recipes. Mushroom broth; Corn chowder; and this one.
The instant pot has, at least for now, reinvigorated my interest in cooking.
My biggest problem is I’m tall, so the time spent prepping ingredients, leaves me with a stiff neck and lower back. That may be my favorite part of the Instant pot. I’m still stiff once I’ve prepped everything, but as soon as I close it up, I get a 20-30 minutes rest break.
As an aside, I’m using the meal plan this year, but cooking for 1, I’ve decided I don’t like doing the whole week’s worth of meals and that related meal prep all at once, so I pick and choose among the week’s recipes.
Whatever complaints I might have, Nisha’s recipes are the single best, and most important aspect to my being vegan.
Hi Ken, thanks for the review! We are glad you’ve enjoyed the recipes. :)
Do you have to use the bay leaves?
Hi Natalie, we suggest using bay leaves because it adds a subtle herbal flavor and can help add flavor and to deepen existing flavor. If you don’t have bay leaves, feel free to skip, the dish will still turn out lovely.
I did not read carefully enough and dumped everything in and stirred. Luckily didn’t have any issues (maybe because I used diced tomatoes instead?). I also didn’t use salt when soaking my beans so I worried I have to add a ton at the end but it turned out fine! Only real addition I made was stirring in a bit of chopped kale at the end. Great recipe! Will definitely make it again!
Thanks for sharing, Kathy! It’s awesome to hear you loved the stew.
Can this be cooked in a Dutch oven?
I don’t see why not!
Hi Alex, we haven’t tried with this specific recipe, so we recommend trying our Tuscan Stewed White Beans instead. Similar flavor profile but even better in my opinion :)
My Stew did not turn out like “stew” but more like soup. I may not have used enough beans, so I added a can of cannellini but it is still very soupy. I also had to double the cumin AFTER the dish finished cooking. It was very bland. I followed the recipe in terms of liquids except added that last 1/2 cup of veggie broth rather than have it sit in the refrigerator and spoil. I have absolutely loved every other recipe here that I’ve tried. Your website is a go to many times a week and I’m not a vegan purest! I don’t know what happened here.
Hi Jan, so sorry to hear you had this experience. In the future, to thicken soups, feel free to use an immersion blender or blend a portion of the soup separately. Hopefully this will help you to reach the desired thickness of soup. Happy to hear you enjoy the other recipes, though, and thanks for being a loyal RPL reader!
This IS a flavourful dump & go recipe! I think if I make it again I might add some greens either as a crunchy topping (kale chips maybe) or stir in some spinach or kale just before serving.
I’ve changed my mind I think I just didn’t add enough gremolata. Also, truth be told I didn’t have white kidney or navy beans so I used small white beans and I think that made it feel more like a side dish than a stew – so really 5 stars to the recipe and -1 for me
Leigh, Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the stew.
Love it. It’s delicious. Not mixing in the tomatoes is very important tip, I am glad you said it. I put in more vegetable broth not because we like thinner soup. My son said he will love to have more of this dish in the future. It’s so easy, I wouldn’t mind cooking it again.
Hi dTrish, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Yes, I did soak the beans for about 14 hours. I put them in the water and let them sit on the counter (not in the refrigerator).
I used dry great northern beans the dish.
Hi Brian, could your beans have been old by any chance? Sometimes older beans take longer to cook.
I really enjoyed this. I think the Gremolata takes it from every day to something special. I loved that touch.
I didn’t have celery so subbed with carrot.
I didn’t pay enough attention and mixed all the ingredients in to the instant pot and THEN read that the tomato shouldn’t be stirred in… sure enough I got the dreaded “burn warning” so added more stock and all was well. This was due to my inattention as it was written there quite clearly!
Will definitely make again. Thank you 🙏🏼
Thanks for the kind words, LouLou :) Glad to hear you were able to troubleshoot your issues!