few ingredients

5-Ingredient Tomato and White Bean Stew

Name: 5-Ingredient Tomato and White Bean Stew
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 3 unit garlic cloves; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 unit can crushed tomatoes; 2 unit cans white beans; 2 cup vegetable broth; 3 cup baby spinach; 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 tsp kosher salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper

Five pantry ingredients, one pot, zero decisions — dinner in 25 minutes.

Total: 25 min
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 20 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: easy
Calories: 78
Cost: $/serving

It's one of those nights where you're staring into the pantry hoping something will volunteer itself. Good news: this stew does exactly that. Canned tomatoes, white beans, garlic, broth, and a handful of spinach come together in a single pot in about 25 minutes. It's thick, savory, and genuinely filling — not a sad consolation dinner, but the kind of thing you'll actually be glad you made. Expect a rich, slightly chunky broth with creamy beans and bright tomato. No chopping beyond garlic, no babysitting required.

Ingredients

3 unit garlic cloves — thinly sliced or minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 unit can crushed tomatoes — 28 oz
2 unit cans white beans — 15 oz each, cannellini or great northern, drained and rinsed
2 cup vegetable broth
3 cup baby spinach — loosely packed; can use frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
0.5 tsp red pepper flakes — optional, adjust to taste
1 tsp kosher salt — plus more to taste
0.25 tsp black pepper

Method

1 Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook, stirring frequently, for 1–2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden. Don't let it burn.
2 Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine with the garlic. Let it simmer for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes deepen slightly in color and smell jammy.
3 Add the drained white beans and vegetable broth. Stir everything together, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a gentle boil.
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4 Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use the back of a spoon or a fork to lightly mash a few beans against the side of the pot — this thickens the stew naturally without any extra steps.
5 Stir in the baby spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes until wilted. Season with salt and black pepper, taste, and adjust.
6 Ladle into bowls and serve as-is, or with crusty bread for dunking.

Variations

Add a Parmesan rind — Drop a Parmesan rind into the pot when you add the broth and fish it out before serving — it adds a deep, savory richness with zero extra effort. Note: this makes the dish vegetarian but no longer vegan.
Make it heartier with kale — Swap baby spinach for 2 cups of chopped lacinato (dinosaur) kale. Add it with the beans and broth so it has more time to soften — about 12–15 minutes total simmer time.
Faster version with pre-minced garlic — Use 1.5 tsp of jarred minced garlic instead of fresh cloves — skip straight to step 2 after 30 seconds of cooking. Shaves off a couple minutes and zero judgment.

Notes

The stew thickens as it sits — if reheating leftovers, add a splash of broth or water to loosen it up. A drizzle of good olive oil on top before serving makes it feel restaurant-worthy. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat beautifully.