This easy butter bean stew is one of my go-to meals when I want a simple, healthy, and hearty meal that’s big on flavor. This easy one-pot tomato and butter bean stew has a Meditterean-inspired taste and can be made in one pot in under 30 minutes.

This is a super simple butter bean recipe that looks amazing, tastes amazing, but is wonderfully simple! It adds colorful cherry tomatoes which bring some delicious summery vibrance to the dish, but can easily be substituted so you can enjoy this dish year round.

If you like this recipe, you’ll love my ultra-popular creamy butter beans recipe with lemon and garlic, these red pesto butter beans, or these quick and easy 15-minute creamy white beans. Serve with toasted sour dough to mop up the sauce!

Ingredient Notes

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:

• Butter beans: The size of the butterbeans makes this stew feel particularly hearty. However, you could also use cannellini beans as a substitution. Butter beans may also be labelled as lima beans.
  
• Mixed Cherry Tomatoes: Mixed cherry tomatoes make up the rich tomato sauce that pairs perfectly with the butterbeans. I used “tawny” cherry tomatoes which come in a box with red, yellow, and orange cherry tomatoes. If you can’t find mixed colors, normal red cherry tomatoes will also work. You just need to gently break up the tomatoes with the back of your spoon. You could also use tinned chopped tomatoes instead.
  
• Red onion and garlic: Take the time to really finely dice the red onion and mince your garlic (I just use a garlic crusher for extra ease). If you don’t have red onions, you could use white onions instead.
  
• Tomato paste: This adds an extra shot of tomato flavour to the stew, and helps coat the butterbeans in your spices.
  
• Seasonings: This butter bean stew has a Meditterean vibe, seasoned with rosemary, thyme, and oregano. I also add a dash of red wine vinegar which helps to deglaze the pan and add some zing to the stew!
  
• Spinach: Spinach adds some greenery and fibre to this recipe, but can be omitted if you prefer.
  
• Hard Cheese: Grate in some hard cheese, such as Pecorino or Parmesan, to help thicken the sauce and add some cheesy goodness. Omit this if you want a vegan butter bean stew.
  

In terms of tools, this is a one-pot recipe. All you’ll need is a chopping board and knife for dicing the onion and parsley, a strainer to drain the tin of butterbeans, a large pan to make the stew, and a spoon for stirring.

How To Make This Butterbean Stew

Step 1) Cook the Onion and Garlic

To start, grab a large pan and heat up some oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add some finely diced red onion and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Be sure to keep stirring the onions so they cook evenly. Next, add some minced garlic to the pan and cook for another minute.

Step 2) Add Cherry Tomatoes

Add your halved cherry tomatoes, the tomato paste, and some water to the pan. Cover and cook for several minutes until the tomatoes have begun to break down.

Step 3) Stir in the Butter Beans

Stir the jarred butter beans – along with the bean stock (this helps the stew get super thick and delicious!) into the stew along with the seasonings. Stir everything together and simmer for 5 -1 0 minutes.

Step 4) Add Spinach & Hard Cheese

Stir in your chopped spinach until it’s wilted into the sauce, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in your grated hard cheese.

When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle some chopped parsley over the top of the stew for a fresh burst of flavor. I also added some crumbled feta cheese over the top.

Substitutions/ Variations

This butter bean stew is such a versatile recipe that you can adapt it to suit your tastes and what you have in your cupboards. Here are a few suggestions:

• Swap out the butter beans for cannellini beans or other white beans
• Add in some vegan chorizo for a smokier flavour
• Stir in some crispy fried tofu at the end to add more protein
• Add in some more vegetables, such as red peppers, sweet potato, and butternut squash
• Par-boil some new potatoes and add those for a butter bean and potato stew
• Sprinkle over some crumbled feta and chili flakes for added flavor.

Serving

My favorite way to serve this butterbean stew is with crusty bread (or hot buttery garlic bread), and maybe some other vegetables like corn on the cob on the side. However, it’s also great with:

• Mashed potato
• On top of a jacket potato
• Quinoa or giant couscous
• Bread bread and a garlic and herb dip, something like hummus or tahini

Storage

This butterbean stew will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days after cooking. Just make sure it’s piping hot before serving. You can also freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. Defrost it fully before cooking.

More recipes you’ll like:

• Creamy Butter Beans
• Harissa Butter Beans
• Butternut Squash and White Bean Pasta
• Creamy Red Pesto Butter Beans
• Simple Mixed Bean Chilli Recipe