Basque-Style Green Bean Stew! If you’re a green bean lover or you’ve ever been skeptical that veggies can be this satisfying, this one is about to win you over with its smoky richness in every bite.
This nod to Basque-Style Green Bean Stew is the ultimate budget-friendly comfort meal because it’s big on flavor and brimming with feel-good ingredients. Think tender green beans coated in a smoky, sweet sauce that tastes like it simmered for ages (even though it’s totally doable on a weeknight). You’ll also get that lovely pop of red and green bell peppers plus, all coming together for a stew that’s cozy, hearty, and irresistibly aromatic.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
Seriously, the kids devoured this stew like, requesting multiple bowls full of it. It was so tasty and delicious that there were zero leftovers talk (and that’s a big deal in my house). The smoky-sweet flavor makes it feel special, while the tender green beans and colorful peppers keep every spoonful feeling exciting.
You gotta give this one a try!
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This nod to the Basque-Style Green Bean Stew is a budget-friendly stew that is delicious and full of smoky flavors. Tender green beans, red and green bell peppers, and white onions swim in a smoky, sweet sauce that is sure to please green bean lovers everywhere.
- Low Fat Dish Expectations: This dish is designed to be a low-fat dish. It is not going to taste as decadent as a dish that has a higher fat content. It is very delicious for what it is and that is a low-fat dish. We want to make sure the reader understands this before contemplating making it and to adjust expectations accordingly.
- Tenderness of the Veggies: This dish is all about very tender veggies. If you do not enjoy really tender veggies, then consider skipping this recipe.
- Sweetness of the Dish: The white onions and bell peppers are naturally sweet which lends itself to the sauce. The rice wine vinegar also adds another level of sweetness to the broth. If you want less sweetness, cut back the rice wine vinegar or use a different vinegar. Or taste test at the end of the cooking time, then taste and make an informed decision about how much rice vinegar, if any, you wish to use.
- Broth: The broth is thin. There is some of broth to this dish. If you enjoy a lot of broth, then slow to a light simmer and keep the lid on the skillet. If you have too much broth, remove the lid and simmer allowing the broth to concentrate. If you do not have enough, add ¼ cup more water and allow to simmer.
- Thicken the Broth: The broth is traditionally thin; however, if you prefer a thicker broth, then place ½ teaspoon of cornstarch or arrowroot powder into a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water, whisk until the slurry is smooth, then increate the heat in the pan, and add the slurry, bring to a boil, stir well, then simmer for several minutes.
- Cooking Time: The amount of time needed to cook the green beans is largely dependent upon the size (thickness) of the green beans and how old they are. Older green beans (from the grocery store) sometimes take longer to get tender. Simmer the green beans for 15 to 20 minutes or longer to allow the green beans to become fully tender and flavors to fully infuse the broth. The dish can be simmered longer to soften the beans even further into a very tender bean dish; however, please note that the total number of servings may slightly decrease directly relative to the length of time that the beans are simmered, in other words, the broth is reduced.
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 5 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered air-tight container.
This stew can be frozen.
Pantry Products:
- Miso: We used Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free. Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil. You can also use chickpea miso for a soy free version.
- Hot Sauce: We used Frank’s RedHot Original Hot Sauce.
- Liquid Smoke: We used Colgin Natural Hickory Liquid Smoke. Feel free to use your favorite liquid smoke.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Large skillet with tight-fitting lid
If you try this tasty dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
Print
Basque-Style Green Bean Stew
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 45 Minutes
- Yield: 7 Cups 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This nod to Basque-Style Green Bean Stew is the ultimate budget-friendly comfort meal because it’s big on flavor and brimming with feel-good ingredients.
Ingredients
Base Skillet Ingredients:
- 1 large white onion, halved, thin slice
- 1 green bell pepper, thin slice
- 1 red bell pepper, thin slice
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ¼ cup water
Other Ingredients:
- 1 – [ 14.5 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 Tablespoon white miso paste *
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon hickory flavored liquid smoke *
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce *
- 16 oz. fresh green beans, ends snipped, 2-inch pieces
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (+/-)
- Pinch to ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
- Pinch to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
Serving Ideas:
- Steamed Rice/quinoa
- Flatbread, crusty bread, pita, naan
- Drizzle hot sauce
Instructions
- Place all the Spice/Herb Ingredients into a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- In a large skillet, add the sliced onions, green and red bell peppers, sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes, add a splash of water, if needed to avoid burning.
- Then add ¼ cup of water, cover with a tight-fitting lid and sauté for several minutes.
- Then lower the heat to medium, add the minced garlic, sauté, stir constantly for one minute.
- Next add all the Other Ingredients (except the green beans) and the Spice/Herb Mix to the skillet, stir to incorporate, be sure to stir and melt the miso into the broth), bring to a boil. Then add the green beans, stir. Then lower to a low-percolating boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 10 minutes. Test for the tenderness of the green beans.
- Remove the lid and continue to simmer for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, largely dependent upon the desired level of green bean tenderness.
- Taste test, add additional seasonings, if needed. If additional seasonings are added, simmer for several more minutes.
- Remove from the stove, cover with a lid to allow the flavors to marry and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Products Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Equipment Used.
Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Serving: 4 to 6 (makes 7 cups)
This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.
Leave a Reply