A simple, comforting bean stew made with warm spices, creamy coconut milk, and a few basic pantry ingredients. This quick fava bean stew is made in about 15 minutes and pairs nicely with rice for an easy, nourishing meal.
A Simple Approach to Everyday Cooking
Lately, I’ve been revisiting some of my older recipes and simplifying them. In doing so, I’m reminded that simplicity does not necessarily mean something becomes bland.
Similar to creative design, ideas are often refined until what matters remains. This often reminds me of a quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
Similarly, in cooking, I find that much can be trimmed down without losing the soul of the dish or its flavour. Instead, it is the simplicity and ease with which a dish comes together that allows it to shine.
A Mauritian-Inspired Bean Stew
This fava bean stew draws inspiration from the Mauritian daube, which in turn comes from the French daube Provençale. The Mauritian version here takes a simpler approach, with everyday cooking in mind, while still resulting in a heartwarming dish that carries the familiarity of home.
If you enjoy this style of cooking, you might also like:
- Borlotti Beans and Butternut Squash Daube
- Chickpea and Eggplant Daube
- Tofu and Potato Stew
Another Mauritian stew is the Kat-Kat Manioc, which is a deeply flavourful cassava stew with roots in African cuisine.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Fava beans (or red kidney beans, or pinto beans)
- Zucchini, mushrooms, or spinach
- Paprika, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne
- Coconut milk or other plant-based milk
- Nutritional yeast or vegan cheese powder
- Fresh herbs: parsley, cilantro, thyme
The beauty of this creamy fava bean stew lies in both its ease and speed, as well as its layered flavours of earthy beans, gentle warmth from spices, and freshness from herbs. It’s an easy bean stew that comes together quickly, yet still feels complete.
Why This Recipe Works
- Quick to prepare: Ready in about 15 minutes
- Flexible: Works with different beans and vegetables
- Balanced: Creamy, lightly spiced, and fresh
- Meal-prep friendly: Keeps well for leftovers
This dish is made in about 15 minutes, using ingredients that are easy to keep on hand. It’s flexible too, so you can use whatever beans or vegetables you have available.
The base is creamy and lightly spiced, with a balance of warmth and freshness.
Zucchini ribbons work especially well in this dish, while spinach and mushrooms are easy additions for extra texture and nutrition.
A little coconut milk helps bind everything together, and nutritional yeast elevates the dish further without extra effort.
It also keeps well, which makes it a practical option for leftovers or batch cooking.
How to Make the Bean Stew
Use pre-cooked beans for speed. I often keep boiled beans in the freezer, portioned and ready to use.
Canned beans also work well. Just make sure to drain and rinse them before adding.
- Start cooking the rice first so it’s ready alongside the stew.
- Heat the base ingredients and spices.
- Add the beans and vegetables.
- Stir in coconut milk and nutritional yeast.
- Simmer briefly until everything is heated through.
This quick fava bean stew comes together in about 15 minutes, making it a practical option for busy days.
Watch the Video
The video walks you through the easy process, with a little reflection at the end about cooking with more intention.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this creamy bean stew over rice for a simple, satisfying meal.
For contrast, pair it with a refreshing cucumber mint raita. The freshness balances the warmth of the spices. The fresh mint also helps with digestion.
Coriander chutney is also a nice accompaniment to this meal.
Storage and Leftovers
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
- Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave
- Great for batch cooking and next-day meals
Creamy Fava Beans Stew
A creamy fava bean stew made with warm spices, coconut milk, and simple ingredients. This quick, one-pan dish comes together in about 15 minutes and pairs well with rice for an easy, comforting meal. Flexible and easy to adapt with different beans or vegetables, it’s well suited for both weeknight cooking and batch preparation.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
- 660 g (2 cans drained) cooked fava beans
- 160 g (about 20–24, 1 cup) cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1 zucchini, sliced into ribbons
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Water, as needed for sauce
- Salt to taste
Aromatics
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 small onion (optional), finely chopped or sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic (optional), finely chopped
Spices
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili powder, optional
Garnish
- 50 g (5 – 6 stems) parsley or coriander (cilantro)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet on medium heat.
- Add the ginger, garlic and onions (if using).
- Cook for 2–3 minutes.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes.
- Add the zucchini.
- Then add the spices: paprika, cinnamon and ground cumin.
- Add the beans, thyme, salt to taste.
- Stir the cornstarch into the coconut milk, and it in followed by one cup of water.
- Cover and simmer on medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes.
- Then garnish with parsley or coriander leaves (cilantro). Turn off the heat.
- Serve accompanied with rice, assorted chutneys or a cucumber raita.
Notes
Serving Suggestions
Serve this creamy bean stew over rice for a simple, satisfying meal.
For contrast, pair it with a refreshing cucumber mint raita.
Coriander chutney is also a nice accompaniment.
Discover more from Veganlovlie: Scrumptious Vegan Recipes
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This looks delicious. It says in the method to add zucchini but no zucchini is listed in the ingredients. In the photos, it looks like pumpkin. Please clarify. Thanks.
Thank you for letting me know. 🫶 I’ve fixed this now. Zucchini is in the ingredients. You can also watch the video in the recipe card for the visual process. 🌼