A hearty vegan Tuscan White Bean Stew flecked with sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms. The perfect recipe to warm the belly on cold winter nights.
I went to the doctor's the other day for my annual physical: something I hate to do and perhaps don't do often enough, certainly not annually. My doctor, a great guy otherwise, is -- not unlike many doctors -- absolutely uneducated on nutrition. In the past, making concessions for my veganism (a lifestyle he thoroughly disapproves of) his advice to me on warding off weight gain has been to drink a protein smoothie in the morning, eat a protein bar for lunch, and dine on processed meatless patties and salads for dinner.
I've tried doing things his way, and then, fed up, gone back to eating the more healthful, fresh foods I love, like beans and whole grains.
This time, when I gave him a rundown of my diet, he stopped me at "chickpeas."
"Do you know chickpeas are very high in calories?" he asked me. "They can cause weight gain."
I was a little dumbstruck, literally, because I had never expected chickpeas to be cast as unhealthy food. Not by a doctor, not even my doctor. Yes, chickpeas have calories, like every food you can possibly eat does, but I am not deep-frying them or smothering them in cheese or eating a bucketful at a sitting. And chickpeas, like all legumes, also have tons of fiber, and protein, and they are naturally fat free. I love them, and I can't imagine giving them up for chicken, as this doctor would have me do.
"I'm not giving them up," I told him out loud, and he shrugged. Well, that's your problem, he seemed to say. "Most vegan diets are too high in carbs," he repeated, even gloating to me that despite literature and arguments brought forth by me and other patients of his who are plant-based (numbering in the hundreds, he said), he hasn't been swayed. He then warned me to prepare for a lifetime of taking prescription medications.
My results came back the following day, and, not surprisingly, everything was just fine, no need for prescriptions. Thanks to my vegan diet, it was my turn to gloat this time. To which he went on to tell me how he could never go vegan and about the one whole day when he tried to be a vegetarian, because a relative convinced him to try it.
"I couldn't do it -- I dreamed of cheeseburgers all the time," he threw over his shoulder, before closing the door behind him.
No, I haven't yet dumped him, because, honestly, how many doctors are out there who are equipped to give you sound advice on nutrition? But isn't it common sense that doctors should be educated in nutrition so they can prescribe pills less often and focus instead on preventative, health-promoting advice, like eating a plant-based diet, at least mostly if not exclusively?
There is so much evidence around us today that eating more plants prevents some of the deadliest diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Even the latest U.S. dietary guidelines, released this week, talk about meat reduction and eating more plants, despite the heavy influence of meat and dairy lobbies on the way the guidelines are shaped.
Because I've never been able to get satisfactory answers about nutrition from a doctor, I have always tended to educate myself on food and what kind is good for the body -- important whether you're a vegan or not -- to make sure that my family and I are eating balanced, healthy meals that taste good to our tastebuds and feel good inside our bellies. Like this vegan Tuscan White Bean Stew with sun dried tomatoes.
Tuscan food appeals to me for many reasons, the chief ones being its frugality, freshness, and ease of making, especially in large quantities. The deliciousness, of course, goes without saying.
This vegan Tuscan White Bean vegetable stew, called a Ribollita, has it all. It's full of healthy proteins and sunshine-y vitamins to keep you looking and feeling good. The white beans are creamy and melt-in-the-mouth, the red pepper flakes and garlic add a fragrance to die for, and the sundried tomatoes-- well, they take an already delicious dish into sublime territory.
Try making this over the winter with some Rustic Tuscan Bread, and tell me if you don't think food like that is what we should all eat every day. Not just because it's good for us, but because it tastes so darn good.
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Vegan Tuscan White Bean Stew
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried white beans (like navy beans or cannellini beans or great northern beans. Soak for a few hours then pressure-cook or cook on the stovetop, covered with water, for an hour or as long as it takes to tenderize them. You can substitute with 3 cups canned white beans. Drain before using)
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion (finely minced)
- 1 large carrot (finely chopped)
- 2 sticks celery (finely chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms (or button mushrooms, sliced)
- 2 vegan Italian sausages (minced)
- 8-10 sun dried tomatoes (try to make sure you buy ones that are not oil-packed but are still quite juicy and tender. The dry, hard ones can be a little bitter)
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon oregano (if using dried oregano use 1 teaspoon)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the sundried tomatoes in a blender with the rosemary and oregano. Blend with ¼ cup of water into a coarse paste.
- Heat the olive oil and add the onions, celery and carrots. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
- Saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened but not turning color, about five minutes.
- Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and stir-fry for a minute.
- Add the mushrooms and saute about three to four minutes or until the mushrooms soften slightly.
- Add the cooked beans and the sundried tomato-herb paste. Stir well to mix. Add water or vegetable stock to thin out the stew if it's too thick.
- Bring the stew to a boil and let it simmer for about 10 minutes so all the flavors merge together.
- Stir in the lemon juice and oregano and turn off the heat. Serve hot with some crusty bread or couscous.
KM
Just made this tonight and it was so warming and perfect after a long day at work. Easy, too. Thank you!
Vaishali
So happy you enjoyed the stew! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Kat
Your doctor is afraid he'll go out of business! Get a new doctor! That behavior is abusive.
Heidi Schwartz
Thanks for modifying the recipe--now I feel inspired to try it again!
Heidi Schwartz
Sadly, I used dry oregano and it pretty much ruined the recipe. Wish I had read the comments beforehand. I usually do, but was using my phone and not my computer. 🙁
Vaishali
Yes, a tablespoon of dry oregano would be enough to destroy the recipe, because dry herbs have a far more concentrated flavor. Unless I specify that the herb should be dry, it's safe to assume that it is a fresh herb. I have clarified in the recipe for those who may not understand.
onesonicbite
Ugh. That doctor. I never like when people pull the "I tried going vegan for a day but bacon" Do you eat bacon and cheeseburgers all day? Every day? Then you are just being a giant baby. And geez, chickpeas being high calorie?! I don't know how people come up with this stuff.
But yeah doctors don't know much about nutrition. Even my Mother (nurse practitioner) keeps pleading for me to eat dairy until she found out that I've been keeping on top of this stuff. She is trying to eat less meat, and I keep having to reassure her that she should stop worrying about a lack of protein.
Laina
I finally made this tonight. I've never used Field Roast or any other brand of faux Italian sausages. I wasn't sure when to add the to the recipe so I simply chopped them in small pieces and added them at the end.
This stew was very flavorful and I enjoyed it, but I'd like to try it w/o the sausages next time and see how much they add to the flavor of the recipe.
I didn't have sundried tomatoes so I used cherubs instead and they gave it a nice flavor. I had a quarter of a small cabbage I needed to use so I chopped it up and added it in. I also added some frozen spinach at the end too.
Anyway, great recipe, Vaishali! I'll make it again - Yum!
BTW, How do you say your name? ?
Shobha Swamy
Hi Vaishali
Sorry to hear about your loss! Many prayers for Opie and for all your family members.
Must congratulate you on a wonderful blog with great recipes and wonderful stories!
About your doctor I just wanted to suggest to go and look up the doctors at PCRM. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in DC.Neal Barnard is a plant based doctor and is a wealth of information. Please do check them out.
thanks
Shobha
susanne
I'm living in the South West France and I'm lucky my doctor is very comprehensive, he even gives me herbal alternatives to pain killers as I suffer from advanced arthritis in my right hand, but since going completely raw/vegan and making your delicious recipes I suffer a lot less, And my blood tests are perfect. I am actually feeling much better. And chickpeas are a big part of my diet LOL, I couldn't live without them. Your delicious looking soup will be on the menu tonight.
Vaishali
Thanks, Susanne, your doctor sounds wonderful!
Catherine Hess
Following up to say that this is a delicious soup, especially for a gray January day like today. If there's anything in the world better than the broth from homemade soup, I don't know what it is.
Vaishali
Hi Catherine, so happy you tried it. Thanks for the feedback! Stay warm. 🙂
M
I'd drop Dr Cheeseburger were I you,
Vaishali
😀
Cozinhar Sem Lactose
Of course chickpeas have more carbs than chicken! But we need carbs, right? And it is a good thing they come from a healthy legume and not from the white bread on a cheeseburger... But you are right, doctors seldom know anything serious about nutrition. So I was amazed when my GO told me not to eat dairy products, because every medical research than is coming out lately is showing its connection to breast cancer. I told her I haven't eaten dairy products for years, since I'm lactose intolerant, and she replied, "in fact most people are, even if they aren't aware of it". I was very surprised! 🙂
Vaishali
So great your doctor actually keeps up with medical research and nutrition news. And that's interesting about most people being lactose intolerant.
NancyAnnK
This looks amazing; perfect for a cold, snowy day like we're expecting today here in Illinois.
I agree that doctors are ill informed on nutrition. My sister is a nurse and once told me that doctors receive about 10 minutes worth of nutritional education in their entire schooling.
Vaishali
Haha, I am so not surprised to hear that. Healing the body today -- for doctors-- is all about prescribing drugs and cutting you open, rather than asking you to just change your food habits.
Cat
Next time you visit, on your way out, ask him where he got his nutrition qualification. When he stumbles for an answer, ask him how the fat in your chickpeas compares to the fat in his cheeseburger.
Vaishali
😀 😀
Laina
Lifting hand to mouth, I laughed out loud at your Dr's comment! Of all the people who should know about nutrition, you'd think it would be the Dr's. But that's the way they're trained. So much for common sense. Sometimes our so-called knowledge is foolishness.
Anyway, I wanted to ask if the oregano is dried or ground?
Where do you purchase the vegan sausages. We have a Natural Grocers here, but not sure if they carry them. Maybe I'll need to try to make my own. ?
Hopefully some day you'll make a believer out of your Dr. ?
Vaishali
Hi Laina, I used fresh oregano, but if you use dry then reduce to 1 tsp since the flavors are more intense. I buy the Field Roast sausages at Whole Foods and sometimes the Trader Joe's chorizo.
Chrissy
Years ago I had a doctor who thought my vegan diet was not healthy because it was too extreme. She eased up a bit after we got back my blood test results and I had excellent cholesterol levels. It does seem that doctors unfortunately usually don't know very much about nutrition and how it effects our health, but you can probably improve upon your current doctor. Someone who thinks that chickpeas should be avoided because they are fattening sounds particularly uninformed.
I would love to make this soup but have to avoid tomato based soups, as my husband's stomach does not react too well to them. Maybe next time a friend visits. It looks delicious.
Vaishali
Hi Chrissy, my doctor tells my husband he's underweight because of a vegan diet and he tells me I put on weight because of a vegan diet-- so basically there's no winning with people who just don't have an open mind. I am seriously thinking about changing doctors.
Anonymous
This looks absolutely fantastic....I cannot wait to try it1 Thankyou!
Vaishali
Thanks, hope you try!
Catherine Hess
Vaishali, that's ridiculous. I heard the same thing about chickpeas from a nutritionist I saw once: I was not impressed. I was just thinking about making something like this for dinner, so I'm going to try your recipe (minus the sausage).
Vaishali
Hi Catherine, amazing how many people out there who should know about these things are so uninformed.
ann
Sorry, but your doctor sounds like a dolt. Where I live in the middle of France, the idea of going vegan is sacrilegious to most - this is a place of butter and cream and eggs and meat! But at least my doctor is wise enough to know that my diet - whilst not necessarily appetising to him personally - is very healthy and meets all my dietary needs. Chickpeas fattening? For crying out loud. At any rate, your recipes are gorgeous, healthy, and inspiring, and if this is what sustains your family, you're doing quite well by them. I strongly suggest rethinking that doctor, though. An anecdote: I remember the one time I had insurance as a US resident. I got this big book of what seemed like thousands of doctors from which I could choose. This was 1998. With nothing to go on and being a 19-year old vegan, I just started looking for Indian surnames! I called a few and the one who seemed the nicest got my visit. She turned out to be omni, and as American as I was, but had the cultural understanding of my diet I was looking for. It's a minefield out there, but I say don't let your medical professional spout nonsense to you about one of the most important aspects of your health.
Vaishali
Hi Ann, that's amazing that your doctor in France is understanding about your diet. I would have never expected it in France where, like you say, veganism is sacrilegious. Thanks for your kind words about the recipes, and for sharing that anecdote about your search for a vegetarian doctor-- although most Indian doctors would probably prescribe dairy products. 🙂