Is it a stew? Is it a soup? No, it’s a stoup!

Half stew, half soup, this Tuscan-style bean dish is ideal for cold, dark winter days. It’s hearty and warming, simple and satisfying: in other words, just what you need when you’ve traipsed home through 3 feet of snow.

The following recipe should cook up into a pretty thick, chunky mixture, and it’ll make a big batch of probably 12 or more servings. Normally I divvy this up and store it in 1- or 2-person portions which can be reheated later on. It’s one of those recipes that ages really well, so this actually helps to intensify the flavours. Personally I like this stoup in its chunkiest form, but if you want something closer to a soup, just thin out the mixture with a little extra liquid when reheating.

As an accompaniment you can’t beat warm, vegan-buttered bread; but this stoup also works well with a side of rice or quinoa, or even as a pasta sauce.

Tuscan Bean Stew (Stoup)

one BIG pot full (12+ servings)

Preparation time: 1.5 hours+ (30 minutes active)

Ingredients

5 cloves garlic, finely minced

3 large carrots, diced (into roughly 1 cm or 1/2″ chunks)

3 courgettes*, diced (into roughly 1 cm chunks)

250g white or chestnut mushrooms, diced (into roughly 1 cm chunks)

1 tin kidney beans

1 tin cannellini beans

2 tins butter beans

4 tins chopped tomatoes

2-3 cups red wine (optional)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

150g pine nuts or sunflower seeds

150g pitted black olives

2 tablespoons unsmoked paprika

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cinnamon

The leaves of 1 sprig rosemary (finely chopped)

A small bunch of kale or cabbage (4-5 cups’ worth), roughly chopped

Olive oil (for frying and drizzling)

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

1. First, heat up a little oil in your pot. Add in the garlic and carrots along with a little salt, and cook these

on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.

2. Next, add the courgettes and mushrooms. Keep cooking the mixture for a further 5 minutes. Add extra

oil or a little water if necessary to avoid burning.

3. Pour in the tomatoes, beans, olives, and seeds. Add the red wine, soy sauce, spices, half of the rosemary,

and mix everything together. Then, add just enough water to cover the vegetables. Stir everything up one

more time, then cover and leave the mixture to simmer for at least 1 hour. Stir it occasionally, and add more

water if necessary.

4. Towards the end of the cooking time, about 5 minutes before you take the pot off the heat, stir through the chopped kale or cabbage.

5. Season to taste and serve with warm buttered bread, grains, or pasta.

6. Enjoy!

*Editor’s note: this is what they call zucchinis across the pond in the U.K. I left it in because don’t you love hearing the recipe in your head in a British accent? 🙂

Also by Emily: Opinion – Why Some People Stop Being Vegan

Mapo Tofu Recipe (Sichuan Spicy Tofu)

More comforting vegan soup recipes: Mexican Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup

Pumpkin Soup

Roasted Broccoli Soup

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Photo: Emily Wilkinson