This simple and comforting seven bean stew features a medley of dried lentils, pinto beans, navy beans, black eyed peas, kidney beans and black beans. A hearty and delicious stew for cold weather.
Due to positive and valuable reader feedback, the name of this recipe has been updated to a 'stew' rather than a soup. The text has also been updated to include helpful tips and instructions.
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- Comfort food in a bowl
- A medley of 7 beans and lentils
- This recipe is
- A note about vegetable stock, tomato paste & gluten
- Notes about using dried beans
- Using canned beans for this recipe
- Helpful tips for making the perfect Seven Bean Stew
- More comfort food recipes
- Comforting Seven Bean Stew [vegan and gluten-free]
Comfort food in a bowl
It's been very cold here on the Island which makes me crave soups and stews day in and day out, especially when I'm on the mend. Stew always makes me feel so good.
This simple recipe for seven bean stew is made with a blend of dried beans which I found stashed in the back of our pantry. Good thing dried beans last a while. Beans are high in fiber and are a good source of plant-based protein. I include beans and legumes in my diet every single day.
Cooked beans make up the bulk of the stew which is hearty and down right comforting this time of year. Soaking time aside, this recipe comes together nicely and makes for a filling lunch or dinner with a piece of toasty bread.
A medley of 7 beans and lentils
This comforting 7 bean stew features a hearty mix of the several dried beans noted below. However, you can use any type of dried beans you like. Below, I also share notes on replacing dried beans with canned beans.
- brown lentils
- pinto beans
- navy beans
- black eyed peas
- red lentils
- kidney beans
- black beans
This recipe is
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Hearty and delicious
- Easy to make
- High in fiber
- Contains a 7 bean variety
If you use low sodium broth and tomatoes, you can eliminate a lot of the sodium, if you are concerned about that. I typically use low sodium versions when a recipe need something from a can or package. To compensate (because I love salt) I sometimes add fresh Celtic sea salt right after cooking time is up.
A note about vegetable stock, tomato paste & gluten
Most vegetable stocks are gluten-free, unlike beef and chicken stock. However, be sure to check the label on your particular brand of stock or bouillon to make sure it is gluten-free. The same goes for tomato paste.
Notes about using dried beans
I prefer to cook my own beans rather than rely on canned ones for this recipe. The main reason being price—it doesn't get any cheaper than dried beans. While you do have to invest some time in soaking the beans overnight, it's worth the effort.
Dried beans also last quite a long time. However, they certainly don't last forever; very old dried beans will never cook properly and you'll end up with a hard indigestible stew.
EDIT: I have read that if you live in a place with hard water, that can also interfere with the beans softening up. As such, a small amount of baking soda will adjust the pH of the water and will help with softening the beans.
As such, be sure to source dried beans in your bulk section that are frequently refreshed. Alternatively, you can buy packaged dried beans, but check the best before date to make sure they're not older than a year.
If you want some great information on the benefits of soaking beans and how to do it, I like to refer to this article.
Using canned beans for this recipe
If you are short on time, or forget to pre-soak the beans, canned will also work for this seven bean stew. If you prefer to used canned beans, be sure to reduce the simmering time to 15-20 minutes max.
You may not be able to find all varieties of canned beans. As such, you can purchase a few varieties you like. Kidney beans, black beans, navy beans and lentils are fairly easy to find at your local grocer.
As well, you will need to triple the measurement of beans. Dried beans typically bulk up 2-3 times their size once soaked. Therefore, use 3 cups of your favourite canned beans for this recipe.
Helpful tips for making the perfect Seven Bean Stew
- Don't boil the beans too much. Boiling can cause them to fall apart.
- Source fresh dried beans - again, dried bean older than a year will take much longer to cook and may never soften up.
- Cook the beans just until tender. Over cooking will also result in the beans turning to mush.
- For gluten sensitivities or intolerance, make sure you use a gluten-free vegetable stock and tomato paste for this recipe.
More comfort food recipes
If you love this vegan seven bean stew, check out some of my other favourite soup and stew recipes below:
Winter Vegetable Soup with Chickpeas and Wild Rice
Sweet Potato Soup with Red Lentils & Hemp Seeds
Creamy Leek, Potato and White Bean Soup
Moroccan Chickpea Cauliflower Soup
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Comforting Seven Bean Stew [vegan and gluten-free]
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, diced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 cup dried seven (7) bean mix, or a mix of the following dried legumes: green lentils, pinto beans, navy beans, black eyed peas, red lentils, kidney beans and black beans
- 6 cups vegetable Stock
- 1-28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Garnish
- fresh parsley , chopped
Instructions
Prepare & Soak the dried beans
- Rinse the dried beans (or chosen mixture of dried beans/lentils) and pick them over to remove any pieces of sediment or rocky bits (note: some bean mixtures will note if they have already been picked over).
- Add the dried beans to a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by several inches. Allow the beans to soak for at least 12 hours. When you are ready to start making the soup, drain and rinse the beans well. Set aside.
Prepare the Soup
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high then add the onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring regularly until the onion become translucent and golden brown and the vegetables are beginning to soften (about 7-8 minutes).
- Add in the drained beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder and vegetable stock. Bring mixture to boil then immediately reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the beans are fully cooked and fork tender.
Garnish and Serve
- Season with salt, pepper and garnish with fresh diced parsley. Serve with a side of toasted bread.
Notes
Nutrition
This is an approximation of the nutrition offered in this recipe, and is created using a nutrition calculator. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your preferred calculator.
Disclaimer
all recipes on The Simple Green are developed and tested in a Canadian kitchen, at normal elevation, using electric appliances and ingredients available in Canada. Results may vary.
Recipe is great however more broth is required to have a real soup consistency, otherwise it's more like the consistency for a chili.
Thank you, Denise! I am happy you like the recipe and I will make a note of your feedback for the recipe. Have a wonderful day!
We really enjoyed this recipe. It's raining out and cold this made the whole house smell divine. We shall have this one again. I personally liked the hearty thickness of this soup, it is almost like chili. We added a spoon full of sour cream and corn bread for a near perfect meal!
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Hi Barb! I'm really happy to hear you like the recipe and thank you kindly for the feedback 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
I’m so happy that I discovered this soup recipe! Thanks you - my family loves this soup and I make it almost weekly. I ads 3 chunky chopped carrots and some frozen corn to thicken it up even more.
I'm so happy to hear that you and your family like the recipe, Sophie! Thanks so much for the feedback!
Nice starter idea. But it's a bit heavy on the salt. Is that added? Or is it naturally in the ingredients?
Hi Ed! The nutritional information is auto-generated, so it may not be entirely accurate. However, if you're concerned about sodium levels, you could opt for low or no sodium added canned tomatoes and vegetable stock, as well as limit the amount of salt added for flavour. Hope this helps 🙂
Hi!
Can this recipe be adapted for the slow cooker?
Thank you.
Hi Alouette! I haven't made this recipe in the slow cooker before, however, I will certainly give it a go and update the recipe accordingly!
Hi I sautéed the veggies in my instapot, then added the rest...I added the bean mix dried not presoaked.... and cooked on high pressure for 65 minutes... it was perfect!
Thank you for sharing that 🙂
Love this recipe!
So glad to hear it, Christie!
Oh, I adore this recipe this all those delicious flavours. So hearty and cozy. Thank you for this recipe!
SO happy you like it, Marion!
Absolutely loved this! We didn’t have tomato paste so used harissa instead, and it worked super well having the spices like cumin - added a diced carrot at the start, and served it with a knobbly seedy sourdough loaf. To die forrrrr! Oh and by boiling the dried beans for 5 minutes and letting them sit in the hot water for a while I didn’t even have to soak overnight, which was handy for a last minute dinner decision.
That's so wonderful! Thank you for sharing that tip, Phoebe! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Love this recipe - but I am not a Vegan so put in pork loin and chopped bacon - also stick in the local green hot peppers! It is superb! Thank you 🙏🏻 😀😀😀
It does make a great base, too 🙂 Thanks for choosing to make my recipe, Kurt!
More like a soup than a 'stew' as the consistency is very liquidy. I added a can of refried beans to help thicken it. I will make it again with less liquid and more beans next time and served over a grain.
I varied the recipe slightly to accommodate the tinned beans I had in cupboard. I added chick peas and quinoa, which has a high protein content, and I added the liquid from the cans, which also adds flavour. For those that feel it’s too watery, the addition of quinoa thickens the stew but you’ll have to continually stir to preven it catching on the bottom and it’ll take a little longer to cook as the quinoa needs to absorb the liquid.
Absolutely delicious, may be good on a bed of couscous or bulgar wheat. Will definitely try that soon.
Thank you for taking the time to send your feedback, Mark! I love the sound of those variations.