A comforting and hearty pinto bean stew full of smoky, garlicky, and savory flavors. Perfect for weeknights dinners or barbecue style spreads, this one pot dish is also vegetarian friendly.
I love the nutty taste of pinto beans. They are delicious on their own and become even more flavorful when simmered with chopped tomatoes and a sprinkle of smoked paprika. Made with simple pantry ingredients, this hearty stew proves that beans can be every bit as satisfying as meat-based dishes when treated with love and seasoned properly.
This pinto bean stew reminds me of a recipe I made for a vegetarian chili, with a very similar flavor profile – savory, earthy, smoky, and bright. This recipe takes about 50 minutes to make from start to finish.
Table of contents
Hearty Pinto Bean Stew Ingredients
- Pinto beans: Canned or fresh pinto beans. If you are using dried pinto beans, please rehydrate them overnight and cook them (or slow cook them following this recipe) before following the steps of this recipe.
- Diced tomatoes: Diced canned tomatoes or whole tomatoes for some fruitiness and acidity. You can use fresh tomatoes but keep in mind that the skin will peel during the cooking process and can have an unpleasant texture.
- Vegetables: An onion and a bell pepper for some sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Spices: A mix of garlic powder, smoked paprika, and bay leaves.
- Broth: I like to use vegetable broth to keep this pinto bean stew vegetarian, but feel free to use chicken broth if you prefer the taste.
- Apple cider vinegar: Adding a little apple cider vinegar brightens out the stew and helps to balance the overall taste.
- Honey: A touch of honey for a little sweetness and to bring down the acidity of the tomatoes.
How To Make Hearty Pinto Bean Stew
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe.
- Prep your cooking station. Chop all the vegetables and measure all of the ingredients. It’s much easier to follow the steps of a recipe when everything is ready to use and at your fingertips.
- Cook the vegetables. Heat up the olive oil and cook the onion and bell pepper until they begin to soften.
- Season and simmer. Add the seasonings and pinto beans and stir to combine. Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, apple cider vinegar and honey, and stir. Bring the stew to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 25 minutes.
- Serve. Season with salt and pepper and serve the stew with bread or rice.
Recipe Tips
Vegan: To make this stew vegan use pure maple syrup instead of honey.
Spicy: Start with ยผ teaspoon cayenne pepper and add more for spicier. It’s better to start with a little and adjust the heat as you taste the stew. Sriracha sauce is also delicious with this recipe!
Creamy: Blend a third of the stew to give it a creamy texture.
Storage and Freezing
Storing: Let the stew cool down to room temperature and transfer it to an airtight storage container. Close and refrigerate for up to 5 days. To reheat, use a microwave safe container and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes. Or, reheat in a pot over medium low heat until the stew is hot.
Freezing: Let the stew cool down to room temperature first. I recommend dividing the stew into individual portions as it’s easier to thaw. Transfer the stew to freezer bags or airtight storage containers and freeze for up to 4 months.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty pinto bean stew can be served on its own (it’s quite filling) or with a side of bread or rice. It’s also delicious as a dipping vehicle for nacho chips and crackers.
Other ways to serve this pinto bean stew:
- Topped with freshly made guacamole or shredded cheese.
- With a monte cristo sandwich or added to shrimp tacos or jackfruit bbq pulled pork sandwiches.
- With simple refreshing sides like an Italian celery salad, sesame cucumber salad, shaved carrot salad, or an avocado chopped salad.
Other delicious stews you might like to try: Spanish tomato bean stew, Japanese cream stew, comforting fish stew, kimchi stew, Japanese pinto bean stew, West African peanut stew, tori nikujaga (Japanese chicken & potato stew).
Did you like this pinto bean stew? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
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Hearty Pinto Bean Stew
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Stew
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A comforting and hearty pinto bean stew full of smoky, garlicky, and savory flavors.ย
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
- 2 15.5 ounces cans pinto beans
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 150ml vegetable broth
- 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the onion and bell pepper. In a small or medium size pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil and swirl it to coat the bottom surface. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 3 minutes, until the vegetables have begun to soften.
- Add the pinto beans and seasonings. Add the pinto beans, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and bay leaves, and stir.
- Let the stew simmer. Add the vegetable broth, canned tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Season and serve. Add the ground black pepper and stir. Taste the stew and season with salt if needed. Serve with bread or rice.
Notes
Storage: Once the stew has cooled down to room temperature, transfer it to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 10.3g
- Sodium: 234mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 72g
- Fiber: 22g
- Protein: 21.3
