Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew

By Colu Henry

Updated October 10, 2021

  • Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
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Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(15,184)
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

  • ½ cup roughly chopped Italian parsley leaves and tender stems

  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from 1 large lemon)

  • 2 (10-ounce) containers cherry or grape tomatoes

  • ¼ cup olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons and more for drizzling (optional)

  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

  • 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

  • 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans (such as butter or cannellini), rinsed

  • 1 ½ cups vegetable or chicken broth, or water

  • Flaky salt, for serving (optional)

  • Toasted bread, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

71 grams carbs; 506 calories; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 17 grams fat; 12 grams fiber; 848 milligrams sodium; 19 grams protein; 7 grams sugar

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
15,184 user ratings
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Comments

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

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.

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.

Beth D.

This was absolutely delicious! Thanks to all previous commenters for their suggestions. And the references to the quarantine of 2020 reminded me of how the ingenuity of 'using what you have in the pantry' inspires creativity in the kitchen. As the cost of everything is skyrocketing in '26, I suspect we'll engage in another round of culinary experimentation.

Susan

Depression and caring for a senile mother keep me from cooking good food at home. This recipe minus the lemon, parsley topping has become a delicious miracle in our home many times over. Thank you so much for the recipe, Colu Henry! I’m sure it’s even better with the lemon and parsley but I’m not sure how it could be.

Liz

This is a great fast and easy recipe! I made this for my family of six with some of the suggestions from others (chopped onions; extra garlic, beans and broth; tomato paste; thinly sliced kale or Swiss chard; a parmesan rind) and used large lima beans. I served it in soup plates with greek marinated grilled chicken thighs on top (along with fresh grated parm) and everyone loved it! Next time, we'll leave out the chicken and maybe amp up the veggies for a lighter meal.

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Credits

By Colu Henry

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