This Bean Stew recipe features soft and creamy beans and tender beef, in a unique peppery onion and tomato-based gravy for a hearty comfort food dinner! (PS: don’t skip the black pepper)
More Beef Recipes To Try
Homemade Chipotle Beef Barbacoa
Ground Beef and Broccoli
Easy Ground Beef Casserole
I love all styles of dishes that involve beans, and this homemade stew is one of my absolute favorites.
It’s remarkably easy to make, with the simplest of ingredients, but requires just a little patience for the dish to develop fully.
I’m willing to bet that you haven’t tried a beans stew quite like this. It looks almost too basic (especially in pictures!), but the taste is something so familiar, yet different.
Table of Contents
Beans Stew Recipe Ingredients
Beans: I used borlotti beans (red speckled beans) in this recipe. They’re my favorite because of their nutty flavor and creamy texture when cooked. You can use any canned beans you like, as long as they don’t require soaking and boiling before using.
Onions: For adding a savory, and slight sweetness to the gravy.
Beef: I always use top blade in stews, but you can swap it out for your preferred cut of stewing beef. Or replace the beef with another can of beans and vegetable stock, to make this a vegetarian bean stew.
Garlic: Freshly chopped garlic will yield the best taste in this stew recipe. Garlic powder is okay in a pinch.
Allspice berries (pimento): The spices in this homemade beans in beef stew give the gravy the most amazingly comforting flavor. I don’t recommend switching out or skipping this ingredient.
Cloves: As with the allspice berries, cloves flavor the sauce and give it the warmth one expects from a hearty stew.
Tomatoes: The tomatoes cook down completely to form the basis of the gravy.
Salt: Because of the beef in this recipe, you’ll need quite a bit of salt for seasoning this dish.
Black pepper: In my opinion, coarsely ground black pepper is the star of this dish, and at home, we even call this meal “pepper bean stew”, because of the distinct pepperiness you taste in every mouthful. You could skip it or add black pepper powder and it’ll be fine, but it can be so much better.
Hot pepper flakes: With the amount of hot pepper flakes used in this recipe, you’ll get a mild, almost undetectable heat, so you can leave it out.
How To Cook Beans Stew: Step by step
Step 1: Cook Onions and Beef
In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and onions, and saute until translucent.
Add the beef, garlic, allspice, and cloves, and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the meat is softened and tender.
Step 2: Make The Gravy
Add the beans, tomatoes, and water to create a gravy paste.
Season with salt, black pepper, and hot pepper flakes.
Step 3: Simmer And Serve
Simmer for 30-40 minutes, and serve hot over white rice, or with your favorite flatbread.
Stewed Beans Recipe Tips
Don’t rush this recipe – the beef needs enough time to cook through, become tender and succulent, and infuse its flavor into the sauce.
Check on the beans occasionally, to avoid cooking them into a pulp. You want at least some of the beans to retain their firmness, and not cook away completely.
Adjust the seasoning to your taste. The recipe gives recommended measurements, but you can alter it as you need to.
Try not to skip the coarse black pepper unless you have to – it’s the ingredient that makes this homemade beans stew unique!
Storing Beans in Beef Stew
Store leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container or dish, for up to 3 days.
To reheat, add a splash of water to the gravy to help thin it out after being in the fridge, and microwave until heated through.
If you love beans, I suggest you give this beef and bean stew recipe a try, especially in colder weather, and let me know what you think!
Beans And Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can white beans drained and rinsed
- 2 medium onions finely sliced
- 1 ½ – 2 pounds beef top blade
- 2 Tbsp garlic finely chopped
- 4 allspice berries pimento berries
- 4 cloves
- 2 tomatoes grated
- 1-2 cups water
- ¾ Tbsp salt to taste
- 1 Tbsp black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- 1 tsp hot pepper flakes to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the olive oil and onions, and saute until translucent.
- Add in the beef, garlic, allspice, and cloves, and simmer for 30-40 minutes until the meat is softened and tender.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, and water to create a gravy paste.
- Add the water, season with salt, black pepper, and hot pepper flakes.
- Simmer for 30-40 minutes, and serve hot over white rice, or with your favorite flatbread.
