This delicious Braised White Beans and Peppers stew comes together in just one pot! It's based on the delicious Italian stew, peperonata, which is made with slow cooked onions and bell peppers, with the hearty addition of cannellini beans.
I love a cozy one-pot bean stew in the Autumn or Winter months, and this one is such a comforting dish. Inspired by the Italian recipe Peperonata , this recipe has slow cooked bell peppers, onions and plenty of garlic, plus tangy capers and olives. I know that this plant-based recipe will become your favorite way to make beans too.
If you love slow cooked peppers, try my vegan Red Pepper and Chorizo Pasta recipe. Or if you're keen to try an equally delicious bean stew, this cozy smokey vegan Butterbean Stew is a perfect alternative! And If you love the idea of beans with a pasta inspired sauce, you'll also love my Cacio e Pepe White Beans recipe.
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🫘Ingredients
This white bean stew needs simple pantry ingredients, with the addition of red and yellow bell peppers.
- Cannellini Beans (also called white kidney beans) . I use two standard cans (tins) however you can use pre-cooked dry beans if you wish.
- Red Peppers and Yellow Peppers: It's optional to use two colours of sweet bell peppers (capsicums to my Aussie friends) however I like the contrast of colours
- Can of crushed or chopped tomatoes: I used a can of tomato passata, however crushed tomatoes or chopped tomatoes also work well.
- A large-ish yellow onion: make sure it's fairly fresh.
- Fresh Garlic cloves- as much as your heart desires!
- Oregano - or mixed Italian seasoning
- Capers- I like these as they give a salty tang that balances out the sweet pepper flavor.
- Olives- Again these are salty and tangy which balance out the flavor. I like to use good kalamata olives for the best flavor.
- Olive oil- good extra virgin olive oil. It makes a difference to the overall dish!
- White Wine Vinegar- or Apple cider vinegar- this helps balance the flavors. (you could also use a squeeze of lemon juice)
- Optional fresh chilli or dried red pepper flakes or chili powder.
- Flakey Sea Salt and Black Pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
👩🍳Instructions
Use these photos to help you know how the stages of the cooking process for this white bean stew.
Start by slicing your onions and peppers into thin strips and chop the garlic.
1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat some olive oil, and slowly cook the sliced onions until softened. About 10 mins.
2. Once the onions are softened, add the peppers and garlic and chili, along with a sprinkle of salt and the oregano or Italian seasoning. Continue cooking until softened.
3. Once the peppers are quite soft- they will look like the photo, you can add all the other ingredients.
4. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, capers and olives. Cook until the tomato is cooked down and it becomes a rich stewy consistency.
Taste and add more salt or white wine vinegar, or add some hot sauce as needed.
To Serve: Serve with a lovely chunk of crusty bread and some fresh herbs sprinkled across the top.
🌶️Substitutions & Variations
Here are some variations you can make for this cannellini beans recipe to customize it to your taste or what you have available.
- Other Beans - choose almost any other kind of white bean- Butter beans, lima beans, great northern beans or navy beans are all options and will be just as delicious. -
- More Soupy - If you prefer a more brothy soup, add some vegetable stock or a little water to thin out the stew.
- Spicy or Smokey- customise the flavors to your own taste by adding a little liquid smoke or smoked paprika, or adding in fresh chillis or even a dash of hot sauce.
🔪Equipment
You'll need a large pot, a dutch oven or casserole dish that's safe for the stove top to make this one pot stew. You'll also need a sharp knife for cuttting!
🫙Storage
Stews and soups like this peperonata inspired cannelini bean stew are perfect for making ahead of time. You can store the stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen.
Top tip
Don't skimp on the olive oil, or gently cooking down the onions and peppers for the best flavor!
❓FAQ
Yes you can choose other beans instead of cannellini beans. Butterbeans (also known as lima beans) Great Northern Beans or kidney beans are all good replacements.
More soups and stews:
Want some more easy vegan stews? Try these!
Love Beans?
Try some of these other bean recipes:
📖 Recipe
White Beans & Peppers One-Pot Stew (Peperonata Beans)
Equipment
Ingredients Note:
For accuracy, I measure all ingredients in metric as standard, then convert and test the recipe for American cup measurements etc.
(Heads up Aussie and UK readers- your measurements in cups are sometimes different, so please use metric or check you have the correct cup and spoon type!!)
Ingredients
- 300 g (2 cups) Red Bell Peppers (About 2 medium)
- 300 g (2 cups) Yellow Bell Pepper (About 2 medium )
- 400 g (1 ⅔ cups) crushed tomatoes (or chopped tomatoes (1x15 oz can/tin) )
- 225 g (1 cups) white onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 480 g (2 ⅔ cups) cannellini beans ((Drained. Equivelant to 2 standard 15 oz or 400g 'cans' ))
- 3 tablespoon capers
- 3 tablespoon kalamata olives
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 small chili
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or ACV)
Instructions
- Finely slice the onions, red peppers and garlic.
- In a large casserole or dutch oven, sautee the onions over a low heat in plenty of olive oil until softened.225 g white onion, 2 tablespoon olive oil
- Once the onion is soft, sprinkle over a little salt, then add the garlic and peppers, along with the chilli and oregano to the onions and cook until the peppers are soft.300 g Red Bell Peppers, 300 g Yellow Bell Pepper, 5 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 small chili
- Once the onions and peppers are softened, add the tomatoes, beans, capers,400 g crushed tomatoes, 480 g cannellini beans, 3 tablespoon capers, 3 tablespoon kalamata olives
- Simmer the stew until it comes together and the beans soften into the peppers and tomatoes. Add a little white wine or ACV, and salt to taste.1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Serve with crusty bread and chopped parsley.
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