This easy butter bean stew is delicious one pot main dish. It has simple ingredients with mild flavored creamy butter beans, lots of veggies and smokey kielbasa sausage is the perfect hearty, comforting meal.
Why this recipe is just so good....
- This is a heartier meal and only needs a bit of chopping and then it is all dump and simmer. It can be on the table in about and hour. Or you can let it sit on the stove and simmer on low heat for an extra hour or two.
- You will love that the recipe makes a large batch of stew. You can freeze leftover butter bean stew in containers for when you need a quick meal. Or you can cut the recipe in half and make a smaller amount of stew.
- If you want more bean soup and stew recipes, try my Lima bean soup, Navy bean soup, 15 Bean Cajun Soup, or Cajun Meatball Stew, Sausage Chili.
Ingredients
These are the ingredients you will need to make butterbean stew:
- We are using canned butter beans. It is important to drain and rinse them well to remove the excess salt.
- diced tomatoes
- beef broth ( or chicken broth or vegetable stock)
- carrots
- red, yellow bell pepper
- onion
- celery
- olive oil
- minced garlic cloves
- salt, pepper
- Italian seasoning
- chili powder
Ingredient Substitutions
- White Beans- you can use cannellini beans or Great northern beans.
- You can substitute the kielbasa for Italian sausage, turkey sausage or chorizo. If you prefer vegan stews, leave out the meats.
- Canned diced tomatoes- feel free to use fresh cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes or a about ¼ cup tomato paste.
- Lots of veggies make this stew very hearty and filling. In addition or instead of the carrots and peppers, you can use chopped sweet potato, baby spinach or other green.If you would like, add green beans or zucchini to the stew. Just add them at the end of the cooking time since they are much softer vegetables.
How to make butter bean stew
- In a large dutch oven or pot, brown the kielbasa. Remove to a plate. Heat the oil and brown the onion, celery, carrots, peppers and garlic.
- Add the sausage back to the pot. Stir in the beans, tomatoes and broth.
Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer. Let stew cook on the stove about 30-60 minutes. You can let it simmer for another hour or two, stirring occasionally until ready to serve.
Are butter beans and lima beans the same?
Butter beans, a large white bean, and lima beans are the same legume, but in different stages of maturity. Both are high fiber and low calorie forms of vegetarian protein.
What can I substitute for butter beans?
Some other beans you can use in soups and stews are Cannellini, Great Northern beans, Kidney, Navy, Pinto and Baby Limas. Just remember the smaller the bean, the quicker it will cook. Test with a fork. If the bean breaks apart easily, it will be done cooking. Or taste test for doneness.
Can I use dry beans?
Yes, they just need a bit more prep. You can rinse and soak the beans in a large pot of water overnight. Drain the next day and cook as directed. They will also take longer to soften.
Another method would be to put beans in a large pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, turn off and let sit for an hour or so until softened. Then cook as above.
Cooking Tips
- Always rinse canned beans to remove extra salt.
- The longer you cook the bean stew, the softer the beans will be.
- Taste the stew for flavor and spice. Add the least amount to start. You can always add more to your liking.
- For those that like spicier stews, add some crushed red pepper flakes, chili flakes for a bit of a kick. Flavors will strengthen as the stew simmers. It will also improve in flavor and texture the next day after it has cooled and stored in the refrigerator. I also feel soup and stew is better reheated.
- You can keep refrigerated for 4 days or freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost in refrigerator overnight. Bring to a boil and simmer until fully heated.
- I served the stew with my Keto Rolls with yeast. Or you could try my keto corn muffins.
If you tried this butter bean stew and enjoyed it, I'd love if you would give it a 5 star rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!
Love warm, hearty soups? Try these!
Print
Butter Bean Stew
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
This butter bean stew is an easy one pot main dish. Mild flavored creamy beans, lots of veggies and smokey kielbasa sausage is the perfect hearty, comforting meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion or red onion, sliced thin
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly chopped
- 2 stalks celery, thinly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 pound smoked beef kielbasa sausage, cut in about 1 inch diameter pieces
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup beef or vegetable broth, low sodium
- 4 (15 ounce) cans butter beans
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon chili powder*
- ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper
- parsley or chopped onion to garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium flame. Cook the kielbasa for 2-3 minutes until it browns. Remove to a plate.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion. Stir for about 3-4 minutes until it begins to lightly brown.
- Add the peppers, carrots and celery and cook and stir for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Make sure the garlic doesn't burn.
- Pour in the tomatoes with the liquid, broth and the spices. Stir and cook for a minute to combine the flavors.
- Drain and rinse the canned butter beans. Pour beans into the pot. Add the kielbasa back to the pot. Cover and bring everything to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a low flame. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. You can leave the stew on the stove for another hour if you want it to stay warm until you are ready to serve.
- Sprinkle some fresh herbs like chopped parsley over bowl of stew and serve with crusty bread.
Notes
*Always rinse canned beans to remove the excess salt.
*You can keep leftover white bean stew refrigerated for 4 days or freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost in refrigerator overnight. Bring to a boil and simmer until fully heated.
Jessie says
Love this recipe. Freezes great.