A pot full of tender beans, vegetables and a spiced tomato sauce that slowly soaks up all the flavors: this slow cooker bean stew is ideal for busy days. You need very little active prep time and can easily make multiple portions at once.

For this vegetarian stew we use The One Pan Show as a flavoring. The mix pairs well with tomato, beans and vegetables and makes this a nice base for meal prep. Serve the bean stew with bread, rice or roasted potatoes, or just eat it out of a bowl.

More inspiration for slow cooking? Also check out our easy slow cooker recipes for busy days.

Slow cooker bean stew in short

Serves: 4
Preparation: 15 minutes
Slow cooker: 6–7 hours on low or 3–4 hours on high
Total time: about 7 hours
Difficulty: easy
Vegetarian: yes

Ingredients

• 1 can kidney beans, about 400 g
• 1 can white beans, about 400 g
• 1 can chickpeas, about 400 g
• 1 large onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 zucchini
• 400 g canned diced tomatoes
• 250 ml passata
• 150 ml vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp The One Pan Show spice mix
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• black pepper to taste
• optional salt to taste

Optional:

• 1 tsp smoked paprika powder for extra smokiness
• chili flakes for some heat
• 100 g baby spinach
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• fresh parsley for serving

Preparation

1. Rinse the beans

Drain the kidney beans, white beans and chickpeas and rinse them well under cold running water.

Let them drain while you chop the vegetables.

2. Chop the vegetables

Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.

Slice the carrot, cut the pepper into pieces and chop the zucchini into large cubes.

Preferably don't cut the vegetables too small. They cook for a long time and should still be recognizable at the end.

3. Make the sauce

Put the diced tomatoes, passata, broth, tomato paste and The One Pan Show in the slow cooker.

Stir everything together well.

Using smoked paprika, chili flakes or balsamic vinegar? Add them now as well.

4. Add vegetables and beans

Add the onion, garlic, carrot, pepper, zucchini and drained beans to the slow cooker.

Gently stir everything into the tomato sauce.

The ingredients don't all need to be completely submerged in the liquid. During cooking the vegetables will release more liquid.

5. Let the bean stew cook slowly

Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook the bean stew:

6–7 hours on LOW

or

3–4 hours on HIGH

The stew is ready when the carrot is soft and the sauce has thickened nicely.

6. Finish the stew

Want to add spinach? Stir it into the stew in the last 10–15 minutes.

Taste just before serving and add extra black pepper, spices or a little salt if needed.

Optionally sprinkle with fresh parsley.

What to eat with slow cooker bean stew?

This bean stew is hearty enough to eat on its own as a meal, but you can also combine it with:

• crusty bread;
• rice;
• couscous;
• roasted potatoes;
• mashed potatoes;
• quinoa;
• a simple green salad.

For extra freshness you can squeeze a little lemon juice over it just before serving.

Why The One Pan Show in a bean stew?

Beans are a great base for a meal, but they have a fairly mild flavor. That's precisely why they work well with a spiced mix.

The One Pan Show gives the tomato sauce more depth and pairs well with onion, carrot, pepper and beans. Because the stew cooks slowly for hours, the spices have plenty of time to spread through the dish.

Make this recipe with The One Pan Show

Can you use different kinds of beans?

Certainly.

The nice thing about this recipe is that you can easily vary with what you already have at home.

You can for example use:

• kidney beans;
• cannellini beans;
• black beans;
• borlotti beans;
• chickpeas;
• brown beans.

A combination of two or three types gives the stew a more interesting texture.

Can you use dried beans?

You can, but dried beans require more preparation and some types need to be fully cooked first before they can be safely used in a slow cooker.

For an easy weekday recipe we therefore prefer canned or jarred beans that are already cooked.

That makes the recipe faster, simpler and more predictable.

Slow cooker bean stew as meal prep

This bean stew is very suitable for meal prep.

For example, make a large batch and use it throughout the week in different ways:

Day 1: bean stew with bread
Day 2: bean stew with rice
Day 3: as a filling for a wrap
Day 4: with roasted potatoes and a spoonful of yogurt

This way you have one base dish, but not every meal has to be the same.

The stew is also convenient to freeze in portion-sized containers.

Varying the bean stew

With pumpkin

Replace the zucchini with pumpkin cubes. That gives the stew a slightly sweeter, autumnal flavor.

With sweet potato

Add sweet potato cubes for a heartier meal. Don't cut them too small so they keep their shape during the long cooking time.

With extra heat

Add chili flakes or finely chopped red chili.

Mexican variant

Use black beans and kidney beans and serve the stew with avocado, lime and cilantro.

With extra vegetables

Mushrooms, leeks, celery and spinach all go well with it.

Is slow cooker bean stew healthy?

Beans naturally provide fiber and plant-based protein and therefore fit well into a varied diet.

Additionally, you can easily incorporate many different vegetables into this stew.

The exact nutritional value of course depends on the chosen beans, broth, spices and any side dishes.

More slow cooker recipes

This vegetarian bean stew is part of our collection of slow cooker recipes.

Try for example also:

• slow cooker chicken curry with Hurry Curry;
• slow cooker beef stew with Beef BBQ Chief;
• future slow cooker pulled chicken;
• future slow cooker potato-leek soup.

→ View all slow cooker recipes

This way you can create new meals from one base for busy workdays, meal prep and colder days.

Frequently asked questions about slow cooker bean stew

1. Which beans are best for a bean stew?
Kidney beans, white beans, black beans and chickpeas all work well. A combination gives more variation in flavor and texture.

2. Can I add the beans from the start?
Yes, if you use cooked canned or jarred beans. They can go in the slow cooker from the beginning.

3. How do I prevent the stew from becoming too watery?
Don't use too much broth. Little liquid evaporates in a slow cooker and vegetables release liquid during cooking.

4. Can I freeze this bean stew?
Yes. Let the stew cool completely first and then freeze it in suitable portions.

5. Is this recipe suitable for meal prep?
Yes. The stew is easy to make in larger quantities and can be combined with different side dishes.