Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics & Vegetables
- 30 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic, minced
Beans & Liquids
- 800 g canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 400 g crushed tomatoes
- 250 ml vegetable broth, low sodium preferred
Seasonings & Finish
- 2 g smoked paprika
- 5 g fine sea salt
- 1 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 15 g fresh mint, roughly chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 587 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbohydrates
- 119 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fiber
- 29 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 1786 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 2342 mg
- Calcium
- 349 mg
- Iron
- 14.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 290 mg
- Phosphorus
- 523 mg
- Zinc
- 6.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 113 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 132 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 7 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.08 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.9 mg
- Folate
- 38 mcg
- Water
- 169 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare all vegetables by dicing the red onion, thinly slicing the red and yellow bell peppers, and mincing the garlic cloves.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sliced bell peppers. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and the onions are translucent, which will take roughly 10 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and smoked paprika. Cook while stirring constantly for 1 minute to release the essential oils of the garlic and toast the spices.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and rinsed cannellini beans. Season with the sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil at approximately 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
Reduce the heat to low so the liquid maintains a very gentle simmer around 90 degrees Celsius or 195 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the Dutch oven and allow the stew to cook slowly for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Remove the pot from the heat. Fold in the roughly chopped fresh mint. Let the stew rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the mint to infuse its bright flavor without turning bitter.
Chef's Notes
- Rinsing canned beans thoroughly is essential. It removes excess sodium and the starchy canning liquid, allowing the beans to act as a sponge for the rich tomato and pepper flavors.
- While this recipe is designed for stovetop slow-simmering to fit a weeknight schedule, it adapts beautifully to a slow cooker. Simply sauté the vegetables first, then transfer everything except the mint to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.
- Mint might seem like an unconventional pairing for a tomato stew, but it provides a sweet, cooling contrast to the smoky paprika and rich peppers. Do not skip it, but ensure you add it off the heat to preserve its volatile aromatic oils.
- To make this meal even heartier, serve it ladled over a bed of quinoa, creamy polenta, or alongside thick slices of toasted sourdough bread rubbed with garlic.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. Flavors will continue to develop overnight.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in individual portions. Mint may darken, but flavor remains intact.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until bubbling, adding a splash of water or broth if the sauce has thickened too much.
Troubleshooting
Beans are mushy and falling apart completely
Cause: Simmering at too high a temperature or stirring too aggressively
Fix: Mash a portion of the broken beans into the broth intentionally to create a thicker, creamier gravy-style base. Cannot restore whole beans.
Prevention: Maintain a very gentle simmer and use a folding motion when stirring
Dish tastes flat or overly sweet from the peppers
Cause: Under-seasoning or lack of acidity to balance the sweetness
Fix: Add a small splash of red wine vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, plus a pinch of salt
Prevention: Taste and adjust salt at the end of the cooking process
Cultural Context
This dish draws deep inspiration from rustic Mediterranean bean stews, echoing the principles of Greek Gigantes Plaki or Italian fagioli all'uccelletto. Historically, slowly cooking affordable legumes with abundant, sweet late-summer vegetables like tomatoes and bell peppers provided a nutrient-dense meal for agricultural workers. It relies on the alchemy of time and gentle heat rather than expensive ingredients to develop profound, comforting flavor.
