By Mayo Clinic Staff
Tuscan white bean stew

Dietitian's tip:

This stew uses cannellini, a type of white bean often used in soups and stews in Tuscany. Serve it as a main course with a simple salad of mixed greens.

Number of servings

Serves 6
  1. DASH diet
  2. Weight management
  3. Plant-based
  4. Meatless
  5. Healthy-carb
  6. Diabetes meal plan
  7. Gluten-free
  8. High-fiber

Ingredients

    For the croutons:

  1. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  2. 2 cloves garlic, quartered
  3. 1 slice whole-grain bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  4. For the soup:

  5. 2 cups (about 1 pound) dried cannellini or other white beans, picked over and rinsed, soaked overnight, and drained
  6. 6 cups water
  7. 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
  8. 1 bay leaf
  9. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  10. 1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion
  11. 3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
  12. 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  13. 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  14. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus 6 sprigs
  15. 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock or broth

Directions

To make the croutons, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes to infuse the garlic flavor into the oil. Remove the garlic pieces and discard. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the bread cubes and saute, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

To make the soup, combine in a soup pot the white beans, water, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the beans are tender, 60 to 75 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaf. Place the cooked beans into a large bowl and save the cooking pot for later use.

In a small bowl, combine the reserved cooking liquid and 1/2 cup of the cooked beans. Mash with a fork to form a paste. Stir the bean paste into the cooked beans.

Return the cooking pot to the stovetop and add the olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and carrots and saute until the carrots are tender-crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the pepper, chopped rosemary, bean mixture and stock. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the stew is heated through, about 5 minutes.

Ladle the stew into warmed bowls and sprinkle with the croutons. Garnish each bowl with a rosemary sprig and serve immediately.

Nutritional analysis per serving

Serving size: About 1 1/4 cups stew and 1/6 of the croutons

  • Total carbohydrate 45 g
  • Dietary fiber 11 g
  • Sodium 334 mg
  • Saturated fat 1 g
  • Total fat 7 g
  • Trans fat Trace
  • Cholesterol 0 mg
  • Protein 16 g
  • Monounsaturated fat 5 g
  • Calories 307
  • Total sugars 3 g
  • Added sugars 0 g

This recipe is one of 150 recipes collected in "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook," published by Mayo Clinic Health Information and Oxmoor House, and winner of a James Beard award.

Sept. 08, 2018