One-Pot Bean Stew With Tofu for Cozy Weeknight Dinner

Cooking different dishes every day can sometimes seem like such a chore. After a long day, you want an easy dinner that requires minimal work from start to finish, including preparation and cleanup. If you are anything like me in this regard, my one-pot vegan bean stew can be your go-to weekend dinner recipe. Although this bean stew with tofu recipe is easy, it is in no way quick. It takes somewhere between an hour to 3 hours, depending on how you are cooking.

If you are new here, let me tell you that we only have one rule: do not use canned beans. For this recipe, I have therefore used dried beans. I soaked them in hot water for at least 10-12 hours before cooking. Interestingly, ingredients can be switched to favor your palate, so you can use any type of beans and mushrooms for that matter.

The cooking process involves simply throwing the ingredients into a Dutch oven and letting everything slow-cook for 2-3 hours. It does seem like a lot of time, especially for a weeknight dinner, so you can use a rice cooker if you have one to speed up the cooking process; it’ll take half the time.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 2 Hours and 30 Minutes

Total Time: 2 Hours and 45 Minutes

Difficulty Level:  Easy

Yield: 2 Servings

Ingredients:

• 150 g beans of your choice
• 50 g peas
• 100 g baby potatoes
• 2 carrots cut into half moons
• 1 large onion, diced
• 50 g mushrooms of your choice
• 80 g tofu, hand-shredded into bite-sized pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• ½ tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 green chilies
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Vegetable stock
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions:

• Mix the Aromatics: Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven or the rice cooker. Once the oil is heated, add diced onion and chilies to the oil, let them cook for two minutes, occasionally stirring, and then add the garlic and ginger. Then add the turmeric and paprika powders
• Add the Vegetables: Once the aromatics are cooked, add in the chopped vegetables, starting with potatoes and ending with the beans, and mix everything nicely
• Pour Stock and Cook: Pour the stock over the vegetables and beans, and simmer and let it cook for at least 2 hours. If you are using a Dutch oven, stir it every 20-30 minutes. Once the beans are 95 percent cooked, add in the tofu chunks and let them soak up all the flavors
• Season and Serve: When the beans are cooked thoroughly, mash in a couple of random spots with a potato masher to create a thick gravy, season with salt and pepper, and serve hot with either rice or bread

I serve the bean and tofu stew with crusty garlic bread or butter naan. You can sprinkle a fancy sprinkle of coriander or parsley to garnish the stew.