Ingredients
Wet
- 4 cup vegetable broth (low-sodium)
- 13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk (1 can, shaken)
- 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (drained and roughly chopped)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Dry
- 1 lb dry Great Northern beans (rinsed and sorted; or cannellini beans)
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely diced)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 0.25 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1.5 tsp fine sea salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper (freshly cracked)
Other
- 4 cup fresh baby spinach (packed)
- 0.25 cup fresh basil leaves (chopped, for garnish)
Method
- 1. Combine the rinsed dry beans, chopped yellow onion, minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, dried oregano, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, and vegetable broth in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- 2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours (or HIGH for 4 to 5 hours) until the white beans are completely tender and creamy.
- 3. Stir in the full-fat coconut milk, nutritional yeast, sea salt, and black pepper. Use an immersion blender for a few quick pulses (or mash a cup of beans against the side of the pot with a fork) to thicken the stew.
- 4. Add the fresh baby spinach and lemon juice. Stir gently, replace the lid, and cook on LOW for another 10 to 15 minutes until the spinach is fully wilted.
- 5. Taste and adjust salt or acidity as desired. Ladle into warm bowls, top with freshly chopped basil, and serve with crusty artisan sourdough bread.
Chef's notes
To use canned beans instead of dried, swap in three 15-ounce cans of rinsed cannellini beans, reduce vegetable broth to 2.5 cups, and cook on LOW for 2.5 to 3 hours.