Quinoa White Bean Stew

01.31.14
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Quinoa White Bean Stew
Quinoa White Bean Stew

In my patio garden, I've killed a few things so far. I forgot to move the basil inside and the first frost of the season wiped it out in one night. The next to go was the sage (killed and started again, only to be killed again), and cilantro (my dog ate the entire pot- so it died on a technicality.) However, the parsley, it has been growing wild. I have so much parsley.

This stew is hearty- definitely a meal in a bowl. I like using quinoa in stews because it soaks up a good amount of liquid which helps with the chunky stew texture. I also like using white beans instead of kidney beans or chickpeas because of the soft texture and the unimposing flavor. The best part: let this stew sit over night and reheat with more broth the next day- the flavor with the pesto is so good!

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Quinoa White Bean Stew

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Erin Alderson
  • Yield: 2 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • Stew
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 medium red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 to 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 cups canned tomatoes, drained
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup canned cannellini beans
  • Parsley Pesto
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 cup parsley
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts, plus more to garnish

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add onions; saute until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the quinoa, carrots, 1 cup broth, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until quinoa is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the cannellini beans and cook for another 5 minutes. If stew has thickened too much, add more vegetable broth to reach desired consistency.
  2. While the stew cooks, pulse the garlic in a food processor. Add the parsley, olive oil, lemon juice and pine nuts. Pulse until well combined, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons water to thin it, if needed.
  3. Ladle the stew into two bowls and swirl in the pesto. Top with extra pine nuts and serve with crusty bread. (The stew can be made ahead. Warm it over low heat with extra broth, if needed.)

*recipe first appeared in the San Jose Mercury Paper 

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16 comments on “Quinoa White Bean Stew”

  1. Having too much parsley sounds like the best problem to have! 🙂 This pesto sounds so good with your hearty stew.

  2. Hello, I just had a quick question regarding the vegetable broth. Do you have a go to recipe for it? Or do you just buy one at the store? If so what brand do you prefer?

    Thanks

  3. delicious! I made this, using chicken broth(homemade) and cooked the beans instead of canned. Due to having a big family, I tripled the recipe and used more quinoa. The parsley pesto is fantastic and a Must Have for this, as without it the stew is a little bland, but with it, the stew is perfect! The toasted pine nuts thrown in are a nice textural interest as well. I will definitely make this again, cheers!

  4. We had this for dinner tonight and it was really lovely. I used Israeli couscous instead of quinoa. The only comment I have is that it could use some kind of herb to give it a little more depth. Otherwise, we devoured it. Went nicely with a loaf of cheddar buttermilk bread.






    1. Thanks for the feedback! I usually stir in the pesto pretty well, so I never notice 🙂 Best!

  5. delicious! I'd add a little more vegetable broth if you like it "soupier". Very simple recipe with tons of flavor






  6. I thought it was delicious, but a touch too acidic with both the lemon juice and tomato, so I added about a tablespoon of maple syrup, which neutralized it just right!

  7. I was missing carrots, but I had beets. In they went - beautiful color, and oh so delicious.

hi. 

Welcome to my little internet nook. On this site you'll find over a thousand vegetarian recipes, pantry knowledge, and more. I'm ever obsessed with food from gardening, cooking, and preserving. I hope you'll find endless inspiration on these pages and visit often. 

Virtual hugs, Erin (aka: e.l.l.a.)
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