Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew

By Colu Henry

Updated Oct. 11, 2021

Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(14,076)
Comments
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This hearty, flexible stew comes together with pantry ingredients and delivers layers of flavors. Cherry tomatoes, roasted in a generous glug of olive oil to amplify their sweetness, lend a welcome brightness to this otherwise rich dish. Onion, garlic and red-pepper flakes form the backbone of this dish, to which white beans and broth are added, then simmered until thick. While this stew is lovely on its own, you could also add wilt-able greens such as kale, escarole or Swiss chard at the end, and toasted bread crumbs on top. The dish is vegan as written, but should you choose to top your bowl with a showering of grated pecorino or Parmesan, it would most likely work well in your favor.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • ½cup roughly chopped Italian parsley leaves and tender stems
  • 2teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)
  • 2(10-ounce) containers cherry or grape tomatoes
  • ¼cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons and more for drizzling (optional)
  • 1tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 3large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 2(15-ounce) cans white beans (such as butter or cannellini), rinsed
  • 1½cups vegetable or chicken broth, or water
  • Flaky salt, for serving (optional)
  • Toasted bread, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

358 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 10 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 722 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, gently toss together the parsley and lemon zest with your hands until well combined; set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a large baking dish or on a sheet pan, toss the tomatoes with ¼ cup oil and thyme; season well with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until they have collapsed and begin to turn golden around the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    When the tomatoes are almost done roasting, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large (12-inch), deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion, garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook until the onion is softened and the garlic is fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the rinsed beans and broth and bring to a simmer. With the back of a spoon or spatula, gently smash about ½ cup of the beans so they slightly thicken the broth. If you want a thicker stew, crush some more of the beans. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    When the tomatoes are finished roasting, add them directly to the stew along with any juices that have been released. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more so the flavors become friendly; season to taste with salt.

  5. Step 5

    Ladle into shallow bowls. Top each serving with some of the lemon-parsley mixture and drizzle with more olive oil, and season with flaky salt, if you like. Serve with toasted bread.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
14,076 user ratings
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Comments

Johnny

I added a head of Swiss chard and about 5 fresh sage leaves (which I highly recommend because ), uh,white beans and sage...). Really wonderful.

Grandie

AMAZING. I adapted the recipe after reading many of the comments. My husband & I rate our recipes & this one was 10/10! With the changes made, we have enough for 2 nights for two of us, w/perhaps a little leftover for a snack. I appreciated all the comments, as i do think the changes mattered: 1) CHOP the onions 2) Used 6 large garlic cloves 3) Used 3 Cans of Beans 4) Used 2 Cups of veggie broth 5) Added 2 T of Tomato Paste & a generous handful of Spinach in Step 4 GREAT. esp in cold weather

Rere

This is really good and fast to make. Only thing I will say is the soup base is not red like the picture. I think maybe if I do this recipe again I’ll add some sun dried tomatoes or a little tomato paste.

DC home cook

This stew has amazing flavor. I used dried thyme (dead of winter means dead thyme bush), one tablespoon tomato paste, a dash of anchovy paste, and a teaspoon of Better than Bullion (chicken flavor). The taste is complex and comforting, and the pepper flakes add a nice zing. I will absolutely make this again.

K. Price

Made this as written earlier this week and loved it. No surprise there! Used some beautiful red tomatoes. But this was KILLER as a heat up at lunch just now. Loved loved loved it. Filling, quick to heat and eat, will make another batch just for lunches soon!

ngibson

This is one of my favorite recipes from the NYT. I make it often and it serves as a great lunch. It gets better the 2nd day. Also, it’s great with substitutions.

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Credits

By Colu Henry

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