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Cheesy Vegetarian

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

Black beans are without a doubt my favourite bean (and my kids’ favourite too), and I absolutely love this simple black bean stew. It’s nothing fancy or complicated, just good, honest food – simply black beans in a rich tomato sauce, cooked with a few straightforward spices, and served up however you like. And best of all, it can be on the table in less than half an hour.

A portion of tomato and black bean stew served with rice, lettuce and sour cream.

This easy recipe uses canned black beans, because who’s got time for cooking dried beans on a busy weeknight – or any other time?! Certainly not me, and I love using canned beans for a quick dinner. Just simmer them until the stew is nice and thick, and they really could not be more delicious.

🍚 How to Serve Black Bean Stew

I’ve made this dish dozens of times, and served it in so many different ways. It’s a really versatile recipe. Here are some ideas for how to serve this easy black bean stew:

  • simply served with rice (and toppings, like avocado and sour cream)
  • wrapped up in a soft tortilla to make an amazing bean burrito
  • loaded into a taco shell with salad and extra toppings
  • heaped onto a baked potato
  • served with lots of roasted veggies (crispy potato wedges would be great)
  • with tortilla chips on the side for scooping

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🥗 Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for tomato and black bean stew laid out with text overlay.
  • black beans. Canned black beans ensure this recipe is quick and easy. If you prefer, you can cook dried beans from scratch beforehand, then follow the recipe as written.
  • onion – I used half an onion, because I find a whole large onion is too much in this recipe. If you’d rather not have half an onion left over, try to just use a small one instead.
  • tomatoes (try to use good quality ones)
  • tomato paste
  • garlic – I used minced garlic from a jar, but fresh garlic would also be fine.
  • smoked paprika
  • ground cumin
  • fresh chilli (or chilli flakes, if you prefer) – I always choose a small, mild chilli. I do like things quite spicy, but adding too much spice can spoil a meal very quickly! If you’re not sure how hot your chilli is, start with just a small amount – you can always add more later.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you find you sometimes get stomach issues from eating too many beans or other legumes, make sure you rinse canned beans before cooking with them. This can help to wash away the gas-inducing substances from the beans.

📹 Recipe Video





Overhead shot of rich tomato and black bean stew with rice and lettuce.

🖨 Printable Instructions

Vegan tomato and black bean stew on a plate with rice and lettuce.

Print

Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew

A super easy vegan black bean stew, with a rich tomato sauce and beautiful spices. This is such a versatile recipe!
Course Main Course
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 3 people
Calories 266kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 1/2 onion (or 1 small onion), finely diced
  • 1 tsp garlic puree (or 4 cloves garlic, minced)
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 small mild chilli, finely diced (or 1/2 tsp chilli flakes)
  • ~ 5 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 x 400g tins black beans, drained (480g, or ~ 2 1/2 cups, in total when drained)
  • 75 ml (~ 1/3 cup) water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the diced onion, and cook for around 5 minutes, until fairly soft but not browned.
    Finely diced onions cooking in a frying pan.
  • Add the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and chopped chilli, and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. You can start with just half of the chilli if you’re unsure how hot it is.
    Spiced onions cooking in a frying pan.
  • Next, add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture forms a thick, tomatoey paste.
    Rich tomatoes and onions cooking in a frying pan.
  • Add the drained black beans to the pan, along with the water, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid, and allow to simmer for at least 5 minutes – leave it longer if you have time, ideally more like 15-20 minutes. The mixture should be thick and rich. You can remove the lid for the last few minutes if your stew needs thickening up.
    Rich tomato and black bean stew in a frying pan.
  • Serve warm. I like to serve mine with rice and a dollop of sour cream.
    Vegan tomato and black bean stew with rice and lettuce.

Video





Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.7g | Protein: 13.6g | Fat: 6.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.8g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 478mg | Potassium: 954mg | Fiber: 14.3g | Sugar: 5.5g | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 4mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prep this bean stew in advance?

Yes – this stew will reheat nicely, so it’s no problem to prepare it in advance. Once it’s cooked, allow it to cool, and store in the fridge in an airtight tub until you’re ready to reheat.

How should I reheat any leftovers?

You can reheat any leftovers in the microwave, or in a pan on the stovetop. You may need to add a splash of water when reheating if the stew has dried out a little. Ensure the beans are piping hot before serving.

Is this recipe vegan / gluten-free?

Yes! This bean stew is both vegan and gluten-free.

🫘 Other Black Bean Recipes

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Vegan tomato and black bean stew on a plate with rice and lettuce.

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Ricotta and Black Bean Stuffed Peppers

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Mexican baked eggs topped with melted cheese.

Mexican Baked Eggs

The post Vegan Tomato and Black Bean Stew appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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Cheesy Vegetarian

Caribbean Sweet Potato Stew

Sometimes I really just need a hot bowlful of something that’s truly comforting – and if that comfort food can also contain plenty of goodness, even better! This Caribbean sweet potato stew is packed with fresh vegetables, beans, and a seriously tasty jerk BBQ sauce. Serve it up over some rice for a hearty, veggie-packed meal.

Overhead shot of a pot of vegan sweet potato stew.

The flavours in this stew are incredible – I love a good sweet / spicy combination. A lot of the flavour comes from the BBQ sauce, so make sure you choose a good one! I used a Jerk BBQ sauce (which you can get from Amazon, or from the supermarket), which added to the Caribbean vibe perfectly – it’s got just the right amount of sweetness and smokiness to flavour the stew without overpowering it.

⭐ Caribbean Sweet Potato Stew

Caribbean cuisine has been shaped by many factors, including the region’s extensive history with colonisation, and its wonderful warm climate. This sweet potato stew is not necessarily a traditional Caribbean dish, but it’s my own celebration of some of the Caribbean’s most iconic ingredients – sweet potatoes, coconut, beans, tomatoes, and more. A lot of Caribbean food is meat-based, but this is a totally vegan stew.

The recipe makes a nice big batch – easily enough for 6 people – so it’s perfect for cooking up to feed a hungry crowd.

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🥗 Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this hearty vegetarian stew. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Ingredients for Caribbean sweet potato stew laid out with text overlay.
  • sweet potatoes
  • cabbage. I used a savoy cabbage, but use whatever you have.
  • canned beans. I like to use two different kinds, to add a bit of interest – this time I used cannellini beans and kidney beans, but black eye beans or black beans would also be great.
  • canned tomatoes
  • onion
  • ginger and garlic. I used the pre-minced versions (ginger paste / garlic paste) for convenience, but you can use fresh if you prefer.
  • coconut milk
  • BBQ sauce (preferably a Jerk BBQ, for Caribbean flavour, but any will do)

As with any similar hearty stew, you can pretty much throw whatever you like into a dish like this. Ideally, choose vegetables that benefit from low, slow cooking (rather than anything that will cook down into mush). For example:

  • bell peppers
  • frozen peas
  • carrots
  • parsnips
  • potatoes
  • celery
  • kale
  • spring onions

Becca’s Top Tip

If you do want to add a vegetable that needs less cooking, like broccoli, just add it to the pot 15 minutes before serving.

📹 Recipe Video





🔪 Equipment

You’ll need a nice big pot for this recipe. If you don’t have a big casserole dish, you could halve the recipe and make a smaller version – however, there’s something really lovely about heaving the huge pot out of the cupboard and cooking up a big batch of stew.

I love any occasion that calls for my huge Le Creuset casserole dish. It’s wonderfully big and heavy, and it works beautifully to cook up a vegetarian stew or casserole. It can be used on the stovetop or in the oven.

I won’t lie, Le Creuset casserole dishes are expensive – mine was a gift many years ago. As much as I love mine, you can also buy very similar pots that are a much more budget-friendly.

Click to see the Le Creuset pot on Amazon.
Cheaper version (with great reviews) on Amazon.
(affiliate links)

A red Le Creuset casserole dish on a white background.
A bowl of vegan sweet potato stew and rice.

🖨 Printable Instructions

Sweet potato and cabbage stew in a large casserole pot.

Print

Caribbean Sweet Potato Stew

Course Main meal
Cuisine Caribbean
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 468kcal
Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

  • 900 g sweet potatoes (~ 2 lb / ~ 2 large potatoes)
  • 1 Tbsp oil
  • 250 g (~ 1/2 lb) cabbage (I used a savoy cabbage), roughly chopped
  • 1 onion, sliced or diced
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 400 g tin cannellini beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 400 g tin kidney beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
  • 400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
  • 400 ml tin coconut milk (~ 1 1/2 cups)
  • 100 g (~ 1/4 cup) BBQ sauce (ideally jerk BBQ)
  • 500 ml (~ 2 cups) water or vegetable stock
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  • First, prepare the sweet potatoes. Cut out any nasty looking bits, and peel as much of the skin as you like. You can peel all or none of it, or anything in between – I usually peel off about half. Cut the potatoes into chunks.
    Diced sweet potato on a chopping board with some of the skin left on.
  • Heat a dash of oil in a large casserole dish, and add the sweet potato, along with the chopped cabbage (leave out any tough bits of stalk), and the chopped onion. Stirring regularly, cook over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes.
    Chopped cabbage, onion and sweet potato in a large casserole dish.
  • Add the minced garlic and ginger, and cook for a few more minutes.
    Sautéed cabbage and sweet potato with garlic and ginger paste added.
  • Next, add the two drained tins of beans, the canned tomatoes, the coconut milk, and the BBQ sauce.
    A large casserole dish with tomatoes, beans, and coconut milk inside.
  • Add about 2 cups of water or stock, and mix well to combine. Cover with a lid, and bring to a simmer. Allow to cook for another 20-30 minutes, or until you’re ready to serve. If the stew needs to thicken up a little, just remove the lid and continue to simmer for a few more minutes.
    A Caribbean-style sweet potato stew in a large pot.
  • Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot whenever you’re ready. I served mine with rice.
    A bowl of Caribbean style sweet potato stew and rice.

Video





Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 468kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 11.7g | Fat: 13.5g | Saturated Fat: 9.9g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 671mg | Potassium: 792mg | Fiber: 14.8g | Sugar: 20.8g | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 4mg

💭 Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare this sweet potato stew in advance?

Yes! Stews reheat really nicely, so there’s no problem with fully cooking the stew in advance, and then reheating later.

Does this stew freeze?

Yes – you can freeze any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

How should I reheat leftovers?

Leftover sweet potato stew can be reheated thoroughly in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stovetop.

How should I serve sweet potato stew?

I love to serve this stew with rice, which soaks up the tasty sauce beautifully. It can also be served on its own.

Is this stew vegan / gluten free?

Yes! It is both vegan and gluten free.

🍠 Other Sweet Potato Recipes

Vegetarian Stew Recipes
Sweet potato and cabbage stew in a large casserole pot.

Caribbean Sweet Potato Stew

Creamy Sweet Potato Gratin

Creamy Sweet Potato Gratin

Sweet Potato and Lentil Thai Curry

Sweet Potato and Lentil Thai Curry

Sweet Potato Curry

Sweet Potato Curry

The post Caribbean Sweet Potato Stew appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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