The Speedy Bean Stew You’ll Make on Repeat

Julia Turshen's easy tomato, white bean, and fennel stew will more than warm your soul.

A bowl of tomato, white bean, and fennel stew on a kitchen counter — Simply Recipes / Photo by Andrew Bui / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

A simple combination of fresh fennel, canned beans, and canned tomatoes, this stew can be turned into a complete meal by serving it with pasta, rice, polenta, or garlic bread. It can also be the base for a simple fish or shellfish meal. Just put a few white fish fillets or a pound of shrimp, clams, or mussels on top of the stew when it has just about finished cooking, cover, and simmer until cooked through. Lovely!

Two bowls of tomato, white bean, and fennel stew on a kitchen counter with side bowls of salt and pepper and fennel fronds — Simply Recipes / Photo by Andrew Bui / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne

Prepare the fennel:

If your fennel has the fronds and long stalks attached, cut them off, roughly chop the fronds, and reserve them for garnish. Thinly slice the long stalks (as if each were a celery stalk) and thinly slice the fennel bulb. Reserve.

Cook the vegetables:

Place the oil in a large heavy pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and fennel seeds and cook, stirring, just until super fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the sliced fennel stems and bulb and stir to coat with the garlicky oil.

Add the beans and tomatoes:

Add the beans, tomatoes, vegetable broth, and a large pinch of salt. Turn the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Immediately turn the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar, to let some steam escape, and cook, stirring now and then, until the fennel has softened and all the flavors have melded, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt.