Instant Pot White Bean Stew
This Instant Pot White Bean Stew is a quick and easy vegan recipe that’s perfect for winter! It includes creamy white beans, Swiss chard, herbs and red pepper flakes for a delicious Tuscan-inspired meal. It’s perfect for meal prep and even freezes well!
When the weather is cold and miserable, comfort food like this Instant Pot White Bean Stew is just what the doctor ordered.
Most people equate the word “stew” with meat and chunky vegetables like my chicken stew recipe, but rest assured that vegetarian stews like this one are every bit as satisfying!
This quick white bean stew contains an entire pound of dried Great Northern Beans, so to say it’s hearty is an understatement.
This is a Tuscan-inspired recipe with creamy white beans, fire roasted tomatoes, carrots, onion, Swiss chard and red pepper flakes for a nice spicy note. The kick of spice takes the stew over the top and ensures every bite is packed with flavor!
A hefty pinch of parmesan cheese is the perfect finishing touch. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The Tuscan bean stew requires just 15 minutes of hands-on prep, then your Instant Pot does the rest of the work for you.
- Leftovers freeze and reheat well, which makes this recipe great for meal prep.
- It’s naturally vegan and gluten-free, which is perfect for serving guests with diverse dietary needs.
Recipe ingredients
- Dried Great Northern beans. Using dried beans is essential in this recipe as they make this more of a stew. Dried beans develop a thicker, starchier liquid during cooking, and the creamy texture of the beans make it next level. Using the Instant Pot ensures that it cooks up much faster than the stove top method.
- Aromatics. Onion, carrot and garlic is the base of great flavor! Diced celery would be great addition as well.
- Red pepper flakes. 1/4 teaspoon adds noticeable heat without making the stew too spicy. Add up to 1 teaspoon if you like it hot.
- Fire roasted diced tomatoes. Adds a layer of smoky flavor to the stew. Sub with regular diced tomatoes as desired.
- Vegetable stock. Use homemade vegetable stock to elevate this dish, or your favorite store bought brand.
- Dried herbs. You’ll need dried rosemary, oregano, and a bay leaf.
- Swiss chard. Remove the fibrous stems and chop the tender leaves into ribbons. Be sure to check out my collection of Swiss chard recipes for more info and recipes utilizing this underused green. Not a fan? Sub with kale or baby spinach.
- Parmesan cheese. Top with parmesan cheese as desired, or serve as-is for a delicious vegan meal.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make Tuscan bean stew
This is one of my favorite easy Instant Pot recipes. Simply sort and rinse the dried beans, then soak them overnight or use one of the other methods that I’ve included in the recipe card.
From there, this Tuscan bean stew cooks up quickly in just one pot. It’s important to note that it will take the Instant Pot 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before the stew begins cooking.
Pro tip: You can either soak the dried beans overnight, or you can use the quick soak method outlined in the recipe card below.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Soak the dried beans. Detailed instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
- Sauté the onion and carrot. Set the Instant Pot to the ‘Sauté’ function, add a drizzle of olive oil, then cook the chopped carrots and onion until softened. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes cook for 30 more seconds.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Stir in the vegetable stock, dried herbs and spices, fire roasted tomatoes, and soaked beans.
- Cook. Lock the lid in place, set the Instant Pot to “Beans / Chili,” and pressure cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the Swiss chard. Once finished cooking, quick release the steam. Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” and add the Swiss chard. Cook just until the greens are wilted and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe FAQs
Canned white beans will not work in this recipe as they will turn to mush in the Instant Pot. If you plan to use canned beans, it’s best to prepare this dish on the stove top.
Let the chard and white bean stew cool before storing in an airtight container. Leftovers will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Use 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes for a subtle kick of heat, or omit it entirely if you prefer.
Serving suggestions
Pair this comforting stew with a hunk of crusty bread for dipping, or add freshness with a simple side salad.
- Serve rosemary focaccia or skillet cornbread on the side for dipping.
- Pack in more greens and veggies by serving the stew with Italian tricolore salad or spring mix salad.
- Top this white bean stew with freshly grated parmesan, or omit it to keep this recipe vegan and dairy-free.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: You can either soak the dried beans overnight, or you can use the quick soak method outlined in the recipe card below.
- This is a fairly flexible recipe, so feel free to replace the Swiss chard with baby spinach or kale, add more red pepper flakes for extra spiciness, etc.
- Do not top with parmesan cheese to keep this recipe vegan and dairy-free.
- Store white bean stew in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More vegan recipes you’ll love:
- Carrot ginger soup
- Chickpea curry
- Ratatouille
- Instant pot vegetable soup
- Cabbage soup
- Mexican quinoa
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Instant Pot White Bean Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dried Great Northern beans
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 medium carrots chopped into 1/2" pieces
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes add up to 1 teaspoon for an extra spicy stew or omit entirely as desired
- 28 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch swiss chard tough stems removed and chopped into ribbons
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- freshly grated parmesan for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Prep the beans:
- Rinse and sort the dried beans, discarding any beans that are discolored or cracked. Place in a large soup pot and fill with water until covered by 1-2 inches. Soak the beans using the overnight or quick soak methods described below. Do not add salt.1 lb. dried Great Northern beans
- Overnight soak: Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Quick soak: Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and let stand covered for 1 hour.
- Once soaked, drain the beans in a colander and rinse with cold water.
Prepare the stew:
- Press the Saute button on the Instant Pot and select 6 minutes, then add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and carrot and cook for 5 minutes till softened. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds longer.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 yellow onion, 2 medium carrots, 4 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Stir in the diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, herbs, bay leaf and salt. Add the beans and stir to combine.28 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes, 4 cups vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 bay leaf
- Lock the lid in place and select the Beans/Chili button or Pressure mode for 20 minutes. Note that the Instant Pot will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before the stew begins cooking. When the stew has finished cooking, release the pressure slowly or quick release.
- Remove the lid and select the Saute button. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed, and add the Swiss chard and cook just until wilted, about 3 minutes. Serve with grated parmesan cheese if desired and enjoy!1 bunch swiss chard, salt and freshly ground black pepper, freshly grated parmesan
Notes
- Pro tip: You can either soak the dried beans overnight, or you can use the quick soak method outlined in the recipe card below.
- This is a fairly flexible recipe, so feel free to replace the Swiss chard with baby spinach or kale, add more red pepper flakes for extra spiciness, etc.
- Do not top with parmesan cheese to keep this recipe vegan and dairy-free.
- Store white bean stew in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
27 Comments on “Instant Pot White Bean Stew”
I have an 8 quart pot. Would I make any changes to the recipe?
Looks delicious!
The recipe will work just fine in the larger pot!
I’m growing chard, too! How much is a bunch ? Could I freeze it for colder weather ??
A bunch is equivalent to about (6) large leaves or so. You can really use as much as you like! And yes you can freeze it! See my post on Swiss chard for more info. https://flavorthemoments.com/produce-of-the-month-guide-swiss-chard/
No mention about what to do with the chard!
It is added in Step 4 under “Prepare the stew”.
I am eating it right now, and this soup is excellent, with or without the parmesan cheese. To not have chard stems left over after cutting off the tender leaves, chop them up and throw them in with the beans. I used navy beans and crushed tomatoes, because that’s what I had in the house, decreasing the liquid a little, and that worked well. Curious but nervous about Doug’s idea of not soaking the beans, I let them soak for just a few hours when I got up, then cooked on bean/chili for 25 minutes in time to be ready for lunch! Thanks for posting this recipe.
I appreciate you taking the time to leave your feedback Susan — thank you! And I’m so glad that you enjoyed the stew. 🙂
I think there’s a boo boo in the Nutrition Information. It says:
Yield: 8-10 servings, Serving Size: 8 servings
Yield would be number of servings. But, Serving size should be in volume (cups, oz. etc.).
Making it right now, so should be interesting!
You’re definitely right — that was an error. Thank you for the heads up and I hope you enjoy the stew!
Just wanted to say that I’ve made this a couple times, and think it’s really delicious. I made a couple minor changes that I thought I’d share, in case others are interested:
I didn’t prep the dry beans in any way. I just dumped them in the pot dry, at the same point in the recipe that it calls for them to be added. I pressed the “Chili” button (on my IP Duo), and changed the time from the default of 30 minutes to 40 minutes.
When the timer went off, I quick released the pressure, and then pushed the Saute button, and added the Swiss Chard, just as the recipe instructs. I also added some chopped up sausage (an andouille sausage that was pre-cooked (the kind you find in the grocery store with the lunchmeats–so in other words, it comes pre-cooked, and just needs to be heated up), and let it heat up as the Swiss chard wilted.
I think it’s really delicious this way, and a bit easier, since there’s no need to pre-cook the beans in any way.
Hi Doug! I appreciate you leaving this feedback…it’s nice to hear how others have modified the recipe to their tastes and hear tips on how to make the process easier. I will try your method using the dried beans without soaking next time. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Thank! I was looking for an adjustment to account for not soaking or precooking the beans.
I don’t own an Instant Pot and my pressure cooker is somewhere in storage but it doesn’t matter. I would STILL make this soup over the stovetop, it sounds crazy town delicious!
Thanks Christina — where there’s a will there’s a way! 🙂
I am totally digging this stew, Marcie!!! It looks so hearty and filling, yet I love that it’s light and healthy at the same time! Plus it’s super quick and easy!? I mean, sign me up!! Pinned! Cheers!
Consider yourself signed UP! Thanks Cheyanne! 🙂
This weather has been so finicky here, too! We’ve had some 60 degree day, like yesterday, and now it’s cold and rainy. All I want to do is to curl up with a big bowl of this stew! Looks so warm and comforting, Marcie! I love the chard in here! Adding this recipe to my must-make instant pot list!
It’s been raining more the past few weeks then it has all year so soup is on! Thanks Gayle and I hope you enjoy this!
I agree about the weather, it was so nice today and then we got a reminder that it is still winter, so we are getting snow tomorrow. I’ll definitely try this soup, looks amazing!
The crazy weather seems to be a trend for sure! Thanks Mira! 🙂
Our weather has also been warm to freezing, constantly! Whatever the weather though, I would love this stew! I’m partial to stew over soup; so hearty and filling! This looks fantastic!
Sounds like everyone’s weather is up and down! I don’t make stew enough and need to change that!
I can totally relate to the flip flopping weather Marcie. It goes from cold to snow to mild weather here in the span of just a few days. Luckily, I could go for this spicy stew any time of year! And I love an excuse to try another recipe in my Instant Pot!
I just don’t know how to dress from one day to the next but luckily spring is almost here! Thanks Leanne!
Oh gosh tell me about it. It was 80 degrees here last week and then this morning it was cold again! It’s confusing all our poor plants! haha
ANYWAY. I love using swiss chard and yet I always forget about it! This stew looks perfect!
It is confusing to the plants — it’s crazy! The chard in my garden is growing crazy so I needed this recipe. haha Thanks Ashley!