Hearty Vegetable Beef and Bean Stew

Vegetable Bean and Beef Stew is a hearty and filling stew full of vegetables, beef, potatoes and white beans in a rich broth. This thick stew is packed with protein and healthy ingredients, it will easily become a family staple.

Hearty Bean Stew Recipe

I have this deep passion for stew or anything soup-like. My husband, on the other hand, isn’t a huge fan. He always says it leaves him hungry.

Maybe it’s my love of rich broth. If I could, I would make chicken noodle soup with mostly broth, two noodles, three pieces of carrot, no chicken, and, of course, served in a mug with my special soup spoon. My mother is the exact same way.

We load our crusty baguettes with butter and dunk it into the delicious, salty broth. I could live off of soup.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, why not? There are just so many ways to make it.

This hearty stew is full of delicious, real food ingredients, lots of vegetables, rich flavor, beans, and grass-fed meat, and is really the ultimate comfort food. You know, to please the hubby.  

It will leave your belly warm and full. Perfect for that time of the year in Oregon when it rains just about every day.

And, while I would rather have rain than snow, I keep looking at southern Illinois weather where it is almost 60 degrees in January. Crazy southern Illinois weather. Sometimes I miss you.

This makes it a very simple and delicious meal that can easily be thrown together on a weeknight. And boy does this recipe make a lot of soup.

I love to make this on Sunday so I have leftovers for lunch, and if we have a soup-er (see what I did there… haha) busy schedule I can just heat it up and serve. That’s what I call fast food!

Tips For Making Vegetable Beef Stew:

• You can use homemade broth or store-bought (I use store-bought beef broth a lot since August has a chicken allergy, and I have not found a cheaper way to make beef broth yet) and canned white beans.
• I often precook a pound of ground beef and split it into two containers. Half goes in this stew and half can be made into Cheesy Spaghetti Squash Bowls or Asian Beef Noodle Soup. Save time and money. 
• If you have a bigger family or just love meat, you could add the entire pound of meat.
• This recipe can also be made Whole30 and Paleo by omitting the beans and making sure the pasta sauce is compliant.
• You could also substitute with black beans, pinto beans, or red kidney beans.
• To save some money, rather than using a can of beans, I love making dry beans in the instant pot. Soak overnight and then cook in the electric pressure cooker covering the beans with water (two inches higher) on high pressure for 11-15 minutes. Allow them to natural release. Drain and use.
• This could also probably be made in the slow cooker, but I haven’t personally tried it. Brown the meat in a large skillet and transfer to the slow cooker.
• If you would rather have more of a hearty soup rather than a stew, you can always adjust the amount of liquid and add more broth.

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Tools You May Need:

Large stock pot or dutch oven

Cutting board

Knife

Can opener

Liquid measuring cup

Garlic press – optional, but one of my favorite kitchen tools.

Measuring cups and spoons

Fine mesh strainer to strain the beans.

Vegetable Beef Stew Ingredients:

Ground beef – choose grass-fed for a healthier option. I usually cook up a whole pound, and then use the rest in another recipe. I like using ground beef so that the stew cooks more quickly. You could also substitute it with stew beef. Brown and remove from the pan. Follow instructions and then add back in with the remaining ingredients. It does take longer to cook. Simmer until the beef stew meat is tender and cooked through.

Onion

Garlic cloves– use a garlic press for super easy dicing.

Carrots

Celery

Red potatoes – Gold or Russets would work well also. As long as the potato has a thin skin so you don’t have to peel them… who has time for that?

Broth – chicken broth, beef, or vegetable will work. Homemade or store-bought.

Cannellini or great northern beans – Small white beans are my favorite. These add such a nice texture and thickness to the soup.

Zucchini

Tomato sauce – Pick your favorite red sauce.

Salt and black pepper to taste – I like salty soup, so I use a lot

Red pepper flakes – Optional, but it gives a nice little warmth and kick. If you like it really spicy, feel free to add as much as desired.

Italian seasoning

Rosemary – dried or fresh

Fresh herbs to garnish – optional

Oil: Choose a healthy oil like avocado or olive oil. Vegetable oil, canola, and any other high processed oil is not a healthy option.

How To Make Bean And Beef Stew

In a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat, add a little bit of oil and ground beef. Brown the beef, breaking it up as it is cooking. Once it is cooked through, remove from the pot and set aside.

Add carrots, chopped onion, garlic and celery to the pot and sauté until they become translucent. About 5 minutes.

Add in the rest of the ingredients, except the ground beef, and simmer for about a half hour. Stirring occasionally.

Finally, add in cooked ground beef and let simmer for another 10 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Cooking time varies based on the size of the potatoes.

Salt and pepper to taste. This will depend on if you use homemade or store-bought broth or if your broth already contains salt.

Serve and enjoy. We love to serve this with a sprinkle of cheese and sour cream.

Storage:

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Soups and stews with potatoes do not freeze well since the potatoes can become dry and become grainy after they are defrosted.

FAQ

What goes with Beef And White Bean stew?

• Homemade dinner rolls like these rosemary and spelt rolls
• Sourdough skillet Bread
• Crusty sourdough bread
• Mashed potatoes
• Green salad like this apple kale salad
• Rice
• Pasta: The kids love when I serve this over some macaroni.

How to add rich flavor to beef stew?

You could always add more spices and herbs like bay leaf, garlic powder, rosemary, smoked paprika, chili powder, etc. Or add Worcestershire or soy sauce.

How to make stew meat extremely tender?

It is a low and slow cook time. You will want to simmer the stew meat for a few hours on low heat in order to get a really nice and tender stew meat.

That is why for this recipe, I chose to use ground beef. It is much faster and is still packed with vitamins, minerals, protein, and other nutrients without having to wait for a long time.

Family Favorite Soup Recipes

• Classic Minestrone Soup Recipe With Bacon
• Healthy Potato Leek Soup Recipe- With Vegan Option
• Chicken Lentil Soup: Easy Weeknight Soup
• Sausage And Potato Soup {Instant Pot}
• Asian Beef Noodle Soup Recipe
• Instant Pot Beef And Broccoli (ok this one is not a soup, but a delicious hearty meal)

Try this recipe and love it? Come back and give it 5 stars and pin it! Please and thank you.

I hope you enjoy this delicious and very filling soup. Hubby even told me this was his new favorite soup. 

This post was updated October 2019.