This vegan Tuscan Butter Bean Ragout is the perfect cozy and easy meal. Pair it with crusty bread, rice, pasta or enjoy just on its own. This vegan butter bean recipe is perfect for using up scrap veggies in the fridge, meal prep, or quick and wholesome meal for family.
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Hey Internet, I’ve got a new quick dinner for you and it’s not pasta for once! LOL, what can I say, I love me some pasta.
But… this tuscan butter bean ragout (vegan of course, but also gluten-free!) is packed with protein, veggies, tons of flavor, and you can really serve it anyway you like.
So you COULD serve it with pasta if you’re as addicted as I am, but rice, crusty bread, or a side salad would work just as well.
The best part about this vegan ragout is you can just grab random veggies from the fridge, chop them up and throw them in. Use any beans, any seasonings, and any add-ins you like--it’s truly a customizable dish, and very forgiving for novice cooks.
A ragout is typically a meat dish that’s packed with stewed vegetables and seasonings. It’s kind of like a stew but with less liquid.
Of course, we only make vegan ragout in my house, and while you could easily use tofu, tempeh, seitan, or another meat alternative, I’ve opted to just use butter beans.
Also, like I said, lots of veggies. Any you like is fine, just keep in mind that some veggies like potatoes, carrots, and other root vegetables will take longer to cook than veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans.
This vegan ragout is warm, tomato-y (omit if desired), chunky, hearty, wholesome, rustic, and cozy.
Don’t skip the crusty bread or another starch to soak up that delicious sauce. My husband and I both went back for seconds of this one.
Alright, enough yapping about this delicious recipe. Onward!
What You’ll Need
So, since this is a vegan butter bean recipe, let’s start with the star of the show: butter beans.
I LOVE butter beans. No, they’re not made with butter. They’re just giant, satisfying, and have an amazing buttery texture--hence the name.
They’re actually technically lima beans, but I’ve always seen them labeled as butter beans.
This recipe relies on canned butter beans to make a very quick meal, but you could use pre-cooked from scratch beans just well. And like I said before, any beans will work.
You could also swap out homemade seitan, tofu, tempeh, lentils, or any other type of meat alternative… or just omit entirely. Up to you.
So, the bulk of this recipe is just veggies. I mean, you could use pretty much anything you wanted, but seeing as this is a recipe, I’ll tell you what I used (amounts, etc. are in the recipe card below).
Veggies I used: onion, garlic, mushrooms, red bell pepper, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and kale.
Like I said, use what you like, just be careful of cook time. I used veggies that I knew would cook quickly but more importantly that would all cook at about the same rate.
Veggies that take a bit longer to cook will obviously need more time, so I’d start those first and let them get close to done before adding in things that take less time. Those veggies include potatoes, carrots, beets, and other root vegetables.
So, to flavor this vegan butter bean recipe, I obviously used some diced tomatoes as noted above, but I also used sun-dried tomatoes (I buy oil-free sun-dried tomatoes from Trader Joe’s, but I think other places have them), vegan chicken broth using Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base (but veggie broth will work too), herbs like oregano, basil, and thyme, and the juice of a lemon at the very end of the cooking process.
Some of the veggies, like the onion, garlic, and mushroom add a huge amount of flavor on their own too, so keep that in mind when composing your own vegan ragout.
Every time I make a ragout it looks a little different, but I was determined to set a recipe so I could upload it to the blog, and now that I’ve made it like this I’m totally addicted to it.
It’s awesome with a little nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan sprinkled on top, or with a splash of white wine vinegar, straight up wine, or the lemon I mentioned above.
Don’t forget to season it at the end with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper if so desired.
Tips for Making Vegan Tuscan Butter Bean Ragout
- The steps for making this vegan ragout are really actually very simple. One tip I have is to cut all your veggies ahead of time for stress-free cooking, but if you’re already pretty confident in the kitchen you could start your onions sauteing while you prep the other veggies.
- So, start by sauteing your onions in a large pot over medium high heat. I like to use a nonstick pot and a splash of broth or water to cook my onion, but you’re welcome to use oil if you prefer to cook that way. To cook without oil, I just splash a tablespoon of broth or water into the pan whenever the onions start to stick, and stir it around. Saute the onions for 3-4 minutes or until they are relatively translucent and aromatic.
- Now add the garlic and saute another minute, until fragrant.
- Tip: If your sundried tomatoes are hard, soak them in very hot water for a few minutes, then drain the liquid before chopping them and adding them to the ragout.
- Next, add the mushrooms, bell peppers, and any other similar veggies you’re using (think broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans). Saute for another 3 minutes, then both tomatoes, the broth, and the herbs.
- Bring to a boil, then turn the mixture down to a simmer, add the beans, stir, and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until all veggies are softened and the mixture has thickened.
- Add the kale or other greens and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the kale has wilted into the ragout.
- Finally, add the lemon, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Serve it up with some crusty bread (I recommend an Italian or French bread here, but any will work. Sourdough would be especially good), or over pasta or rice or potatoes even. Enjoy!
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. This dish freezes very well.
More Quick Vegan Dinners
Like I mentioned above, many of my quick vegan dinners are pasta, but not all of them! Here’s some of my favorite quick recipes:
- Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
- Savory Coconut Pasta
- Tofu Buddha Bowl
- Vegan Alla Vodka
- Vegan Beef and Broccoli
- Chinese Curry
- Vegan Orange Chicken
- Vegan Honey Mustard Chicken Wraps
Anything Else?
I hope you love this vegan butter bean recipe--I know I do, and Mr. Zardyplants does too. Using the bread to sop up any remaining sauce is both delicious and fun.
This vegan Tuscan butter bean ragout is:
- Tasty
- Cozy
- Thick
- Satisfying
- Wholesome
- Customizable
- Nutrient-dense
And perfect for a quick and cozy dinner, but impressive enough to serve guests! Also great for meal prep!
Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)
Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!
<3 Liz
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Vegan Tuscan Butter Bean Ragout
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan Tuscan Butter Bean Ragout is the perfect cozy and easy meal. Pair it with crusty bread, rice, pasta or enjoy just on its own.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3-5 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
- 12 oz mushrooms of choice, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- ½ bunch tuscan kale (or other leafy green), stems removed and torn to bite-size pieces
- 3 oz. sun dried tomatoes
- 1 15-oz can or jar artichoke hearts packed in water, halved or quartered
- 2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes (or 3 cups fresh)
- 2 15-oz cans butter beans (or 3 cups cooked)
- 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup vegan chicken or veggie broth
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Saute onions: Start by sauteing your onions in a large pot over medium high heat. I like to use a nonstick pot and a splash of broth or water to cook my onion, but you’re welcome to use oil if you prefer to cook that way. To cook without oil, I just splash a tablespoon of broth or water into the pan whenever the onions start to stick, and stir it around. Saute the onions for 3-4 minutes or until they are relatively translucent and aromatic.
- Add garlic: Now add the garlic and saute another minute, until fragrant.
- Tip: If your sundried tomatoes are hard, soak them in very hot water for a few minutes, then drain the liquid before chopping them and adding them to the ragout.
- Add other veggies: Next, add the mushrooms, bell peppers, and any other similar veggies you’re using (think broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans). Saute for another 3 minutes, then both tomatoes, the broth, and the herbs.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then turn the mixture down to a simmer, add the beans, stir, and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until all veggies are softened and the mixture has thickened.
- Add greens: Add the kale or other greens and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the kale has wilted into the ragout.
- Season to taste: Finally, add the lemon, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
- Serve: Serve it up with some crusty bread (I recommend an Italian or French bread here, but any will work. Sourdough would be especially good), or over pasta or rice or potatoes even. Enjoy!
- Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. This dish freezes very well.
Notes
- Note 1: This recipe relies on canned butter beans to make a very quick meal, but you could use pre-cooked from scratch beans just well. And like I said before, any beans will work. You could also swap out homemade seitan, tofu, tempeh, lentils, or any other type of meat alternative… or just omit entirely. Up to you.
- Note 2: This is a great recipe for using up veggies from your fridge or pantry. Use whatever veggies you like, just be careful of cook time. I used veggies I knew would cook quickly but more importantly that would all cook at about the same rate. Veggies that take a bit longer to cook will obviously need more time, so I’d start those first and let them get close to done before adding in things that take less time. Those veggies include potatoes, carrots, beets, and other root vegetables.
- Note 3: You could also throw in the stems from your kale (or chard or other thick stemmed green) with these harder veggies, and let them soften up. Great way to get extra nutrients and fight food waste! I save the stems and give them to my dog throughout the week, though. She loves kale.
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: American, Italian
Barbara
I am making the Vegan Tuscan Butter Bean Ragout this week and have a question, not a comment. Should I drain and rinse the beans before adding to the pot or not? I will certainly provide a rating after Wednesday.
Please do not add me to your email list a this time. I do not want to receive recipes or updates at this time. An answer to my question is just fine right now. Thank you.
💚 Liz
Yes you should drain the beans before adding them to the pot.
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