This healthy, oil free French Thyme White Bean Potato Stew is brimming with flavor, packed with hearty veggies, and oh-so-easy to make. You can literally throw all the ingredients into your pot, set it, and forget it. Now how cool is that? Fragrant French thyme stars in this aromatic stew filled with filling potatoes, protein-packed white beans, zesty onions, and earthy garlic. These yummy and wholesome ingredients create the most delicious stew that fills the whole house with amazing goodness. Instant Pot and Oven Roasting instructions make it easy and versatile.
Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.
Hi there, Ameera here!
This recipe was inspired by my brother, Chris. He is an amazing, intuitive cook. His version of this dish is a little different from ours, but has the same basic ingredients: French thyme, potatoes, and white beans.
Chris made this dish for Dad when he last visited Chris and the family. Dad came home raving about it and of course, Mom and I wanted to know more. We did our own little spin on the dish and boy o boy is it yummy! We devoured it!
The best part is that it is super easy to make. You literally place all the ingredients into your Instant Pot, set it, and wait for the magic to happen!
Flavors to Marry
One of the hardest parts of this recipe is waiting for the flavors to marry at the very end. When this dish is coming out of the oven or when the Instant Pot has done its thing, it is piping hot. The flavor continues to develop for a good 10 to 20 minutes afterwards. We think waiting is a key factor, and we noticed a difference after the dish has slightly cooled.
Of course, Mom and I were all about tasting it as soon as it was done. It tastes amazing, don’t get me wrong, but it actually tastes SUPER amazing if you wait a little bit. Seriously, wait. You will be so happy you did.
Instant Pot VS Oven Roasting
You can make this dish in the oven or using an Instant Pot. We LOVE our Instant Pot. So of course, we gave it a whirl, and we just loved how the Instant Pot infuses the French Thyme into the broth of the stew.
If you go the oven roasting route, we suggest you check the liquids about half-way through as the heat from the oven tends to evaporate them. You may or may not need to add some extra liquid (if using the oven roasting method) depending on how thick/thin you like your stew.
We loved this recipe! It is so tasty and delicious!
I’ll let Mom tell you more.
Hi! Robin here!
I love that Chris is such an excellent cook. He does an amazing job in the kitchen and always creates such delicious tasting dishes. Monkey and I are always picking his brain on what he’s been up to in the kitchen lately. This one was sure a winner, especially in the Instant Pot.
We would love for you to give this recipe a try!
If you try this cozy stew, 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.
More Instant Pot Recipes
- Easy Calico Bean Soup
- Easy Black Bean Soup
- Cauliflower Potato Curry
- Southern Collard Green Potato Stew
- Lebanese Stewed Green Beans and Potatoes
- Lentil Tacos
- Vegan Beef Stew
- Cajun Black Eyed Pea Stew
Products Used:
- Instant Pot or Ceramic/Enamel Lined Dutch Oven with a tight-fitting lid
French Thyme White Bean Potato Stew
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 14 Minutes
- Total Time: 24 Minutes (+Rest Time)
- Yield: 5 1x
- Category: Stew
- Method: Instant Pot/Oven
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This healthy, oil free French Thyme White Bean Potato Stew is brimming with flavor, packed with hearty veggies, and oh-so-easy to make.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 ¼ cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
- 1 ½ cups water (or broth)
- 1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari *
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 – [ 15.5 oz. cans ] cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 pounds Baby Red Skinned Potatoes, unpeeled, halved
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
- 1 teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves *
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
- Pinch to ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
- 2 bay leaves
Optional Serving Ideas:
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaf) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- Place all the Base Ingredients and Spice/Herb Mix into the Instant Pot, stir well, try to push the potatoes down into the liquid as much as possible, then tuck in the bay leaves. Set the Instant Pot to Manual Pressure High for 14 minutes. When finished, press Cancel and unplug the Instant Pot; allow to sit for 2 minutes, then do a Quick Release.
- Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid, stir well to combine. Discard the bay leaves, then allow at least 10 to 20 minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve with your favorite toppings, like freshly chopped parsley, or with flatbread.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaf) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- Place all the Base Ingredients and Spice/Herb Mix into a large ceramic-lined/enamel-lined Dutch Oven, stir well, try to push the potatoes down into the liquid as much as possible, then tuck in the bay leaves. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
- When the vegetables are tender, remove from the oven. Remove the lid, discard the bay leaves, then allow at least 10 to 20 minutes for the flavors to develop. Serve with your favorite toppings, like freshly chopped parsley, or with flatbread.
Notes
*TIPS for Success:
- Flavors to Marry: Make sure you allow at least 10 minutes for the flavors to develop. The flavors continue to develop once the stew slightly cools.
- Oven Roasting: The high oven temperatures tend to evaporate liquids, check about half-way through the oven roasting time to see if additional liquids (veggie broth) are needed. Add only a few tablespoons at a time (if needed). We highly recommend using an enamel/ceramic lined Dutch Oven as it really traps in the heat.
*Notes Continued:
*Potatoes: We did kitchen tests with both Baby Red Skinned potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes (unpeeled, 1 ¼ inch cubes), both were delicious, but in the end, we loved the Baby Red Skinned potatoes, cut in half; larger ones may need to be cut into fourths.
*Broth: The stew broth is on the thinner side. It is beautifully flavored, but not thick like a traditional stew. It will appear watery at first (when using an Instant Pot), but once the stew is stirred it will slightly thicken up. The broth flavor is delicious and excellent for dipping crusty bread or flatbreads.
*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
*Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.
*Dried Thyme Crushed Leaves: We use Penzeys French Thyme. It has amazing flavor. If you can’t find dried crushed thyme leaves, you can use ground thyme, but use half the amount.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: 5, makes about 10 cups of stew
*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 5 days, freezes well.
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Was excited to see this on my feed this morning. I had everything I needed so I made this for lunch with Yukon gold potatoes. It was quick, easy and tasty. I think I’ll double the spices next time because I don’t use salt and we definitely noticed it was missing. It got great reviews from the the whole family. Will definitely be on the regular rotation from now on.
Hi there Karen 🙂
Yaaaay!!! We are so excited that you gave this recipe a try and you and your family enjoyed it! We appreciate you sharing your awesome feedback with us and for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Just wondering if it would work to use tight fitting pot on
Hi there Lana 🙂
Thank you so much for reaching out to us. When using the oven method, we highly recommend using an enamel/ceramic lined Dutch Oven as it really traps in the heat helping the cooking process. If using another style cookware, the dish may take longer to cook.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Hi! I just made your “French Thyme White Bean Potato Stew” and it was fantastic.
I’ve made many of your recipes and all of them have been delicious!
I want to sincerely thank you for providing these wonderful WFPB oil free recipes for free.
Thank you again,
Julie
Hi there Julie 🙂
Woooot!!! We are so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe as well as our other recipes. We truly appreciate your kind words, your continued support, and awesome feedback! Thank you so much for taking the time to write to us.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
This was excellent and will be part of the regular rotation. Thanks!
Hi there Colleen 🙂
Yaaaay!!! We are SO glad that you enjoyed this stew and plan to add it to your regular rotation! Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
5 stars! So much flavor and quick and easy in the Instant Pot! Tasted like total comfort food! I will definitely make it often this fall and winter.
Hi there Nina 🙂
Yaaaaay! We are so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe and give it 5 stars! Thank you so much for your awesome feedback and for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Hi 🙂
I plan on making this soon, but I only own a crockpot. Do you have any suggestions on cook time?
Hi there Maura 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to write. We have not tried this recipe in a crockpot, but think it would work well. Unfortunately, since we have not tested this recipe in a crockpot, we do not have any times or temps. If you try it, we would love to know how it went. Thank you so much!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Hi! Thanks for replying 🙂
I did use my crockpot, and left it on HIGH to cook for 3-4 hours. It was delicious. I added mushrooms, and used butter beans instead because that’s all that was at the store. Nevertheless, another scrumptious recipe, thank you! 🙂
Yaaaay!!! We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your adjustments and wonderful feedback with us! We truly appreciate you taking the time to write 😀
Whatever you do do not cook it on high pressure for 14 minutes. I questioned it and did 10 and it was still too long. This needs to be done may be about five minutes on high pressure otherwise your vegetables and your beans are completely gone and it’s like a soup that’s like already mixed or some thing. There is no flavor in this whatsoever I ended up adding vegetable-based broth and some other seasonings because it was so bland. I followed the recipe to a tea and I would not honestly make this ever again except if I… Read more »
Hi there Shelie,
We are so sorry that this recipe did not work out for you. We love this recipe. As you can see by the other review, others have also had great success with this recipe. Again, we are sorry that this one wasn’t the one for you.
-Ameera and Robin
This is the ultimate comfort food. So delicious!
Hi there Tara,
We are so happy that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for taking time to write us an awesome review.
-Ameera and Robin
I made the oven version of this yesterday with Yukon gold potatoes. It was a bit on the bland side but good and easy to make. The next time I will add some sliced fennel for more flavor.
Hi there Ann,
We are sorry that this recipe did not work out for you. We absolutely love it. Sometimes spices can decrease in flavor over time, you may wish to check your spices.
-Ameera and Robin
Loved this! I often cook without recipes and my food is good. Whenever I cook and follow your recipes my not at all picky husband always says this is REALLY good. As for people who found the instant pot over cooked their food what I have learned is your pot needs to be fully cool and clean or it takes a long time to heat up and then over cooks things. I added some green beans and mushrooms at the end. The gravy was delicious, very flavourful. I followed the recipe exactly except I used just vegetable broth no water.
Hi there Janine,
YAYYYY!!! We are thrilled that you and your husband enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for taking time to leave us a fantastic review.
-Ameera and Robin