Heritage Tuscan Bean Stew
A rich, slow-cooked stew featuring cannellini beans, pancetta, and aromatic herbs, perfect for cold evenings. This Italian-inspired soup recipe (vegetarian), ready in about 100 minutes, pairs cannellini beans, pancetta, onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried cannellini beans
- 100g diced pancetta
- 1 large, diced onion
- 3 cloves, minced garlic
- 400g canned, crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp fresh, chopped rosemary
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- to taste salt
The Dutch oven we’d braise this in → Best Dutch Ovens for 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook for 5 minutes until crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Step 2: Add onion and garlic to the pot, sauté for 4 minutes until softened. Stir in tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and 1 tsp salt. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Step 3: Add cannellini beans and 1 litre water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Step 4: Return pancetta to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes longer until beans are tender and flavours meld. Adjust salt before serving.
