Bean stew is enjoyed worldwide, and it is high in protein and carbohydrates. Few dishes satisfy like beans cooked African style. They’re an all-time favorite comfort food in many families.
All kinds of beans are a staple food throughout Africa because they’re versatile, packed with protein and fiber, and loaded with flavor. This versatile stew can be enjoyed on its own or as a side to meatier dishes.
Here, we explore a range of African bean stew recipes, from hearty vegetarian options to those enriched with meat and unique flavor combinations.
Vegan Black-Eyed Bean Stew (Red-Red)
Vegan black-eyed bean stew has been a staple in many households. In Ghana, they call black-eyed bean stew red-red. It’s a common street food that is typically made with meat, fish and ripe fried plantains.
In this recipe, we use dry beans sourced from our bulk foods store. We do this to limit our plastic waste. We typically have this stew served on a bed of white rice. You can easily cook the bean stew in bulk and freeze it to eat later. This stew is fantastic to take to work with some rice.
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Ingredients:
- Dry black-eyed beans
- Onion
- Water
Instructions:
- Soak the beans overnight, rinse and cook with water, just covering the beans for 30 minutes. They should be a little bit undercooked as you will continue the cooking process in the stew.
- In a large saucepan on medium heat, add the oil and onion.
- Add in beans and stir well, followed by 1½ cups / 370ml water.
West African Flavor Profile
Flavor - Onion, chopped tomatoes, ginger, garlic, paprika, and bouillon powder sauteed in palm oil delivers the classic West African flavor profile.
Meat - Smoked chicken and dried ground crayfish add delicious, smoky goodness. Crayfish should be dried and ground. This common West African ingredient adds a unique, seafood-like depth to the dish. Add stock (or water) as needed to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
Ingredients:
- Black Beans - Canned and dried both work fine.
- Onion, chopped tomatoes, ginger, garlic, paprika, and bouillon powder
- Smoked chicken and dried ground crayfish
Instructions:
- Rinse dried beans, picking through and discarding any foreign objects.
- Add them to a large pot, covering them with 3-4 inches of cold water.
- Drain the soaked beans, rinse them, and place them in a Dutch oven or pressure cooker (following the pressure cooker instructions).
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium until hot.
- Toss in the smoked meat and crayfish and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Finally, add the beans and the remaining stock and bring to a boil.
Beans cooked to their ideal consistency are a bit firm yet tender and meaty. This soul-satisfying stew tastes even better the next day. It also freezes well for 3-4 months when stored correctly in an airtight freezer container. Enjoy this main dish with starchy food like bread, yams, and boiled or fried plantains.
30-Minute African Bean Stew
This African Bean Stew is an easy, comforting, and filling 30-minute meal! Warm spices are simmered together with kidney beans, plantain, okra, and hearty vegetables in just one pot. Just like my Brazilian beef stew, this African Bean Stew is filled with comforting, rich, and hearty flavors. Both of these one-pot dishes are packed with colorful veggies and fun international spices to make every spoonful a unique experience.
One of the best things about this vegetarian stew recipe is that it feeds 4 people but can easily be doubled to feed a large crowd. All you need is a large Dutch oven or soup pot to throw it together.
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Beans Stew Recipe | How to Make Beans Stew | Simple Beans Stew Recipe | Infoods
Ingredients:
- Kidney beans - Precooked or canned beans are the easiest.
- Vegetables - Onion, garlic, celery, carrots, tomatoes, and tomato paste are combined to create a flavorful stew base.
- Plantain - Also known as a cooking banana, this banana-looking green fruit is very starchy and becomes sweeter once it’s cooked.
- Okra - This fuzzy green vegetable has an earthy and sweet flavor.
Instructions:
- Start by heating up the oil in a soup pot or dutch oven.
- Add onion, garlic, carrots and celery and sauté the veggies stirring often until they have softened (about 8 minutews)
- Add in tomatoes and tomato paste along with all seasoning and spices, and stir.
- Add the broth, beans, okra and plantains.
- Stir well, cover and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- When done garnish with fresh coriander or cilantro and serve.
This 30-minute stew is simple to make, packed with nutritious veggies, and is a delicious one-pot dinner! You’ll know the African bean stew is done when all of the individual ingredients have been warmed through. This vegetarian stew is really hearty and comforting, which is why I recommend you eat it alongside some lighter sides.
You can easily make this African bean stew recipe your own by including your favorite veggies or toppings, just like most other vegetarian soups and stews. To store, allow the leftovers to cool before transferring them to an airtight container. To freeze, place the cooled soup into an airtight container or ziploc bag.
African Bean Stew - Enriched with Tomato and Peanut Butter
Peanuts are used widely in West African cuisine as demonstrated in my recipes for Senegalese Black Eyed Pea Salad, Palaver Chicken and Peanut Soup.
Ingredients:
- Onion, jalapeno, and cauliflower
- Tomatoes, red lentils, nut butter, ginger, coriander, and garlic granules
- Collards and bean
- Peas or corn, and the bell pepper
Instructions:
- In a large pot over medium heat, add onion, jalapeno, and cauliflower.
- Cover with a lid to keep the moisture released from the veggies inside the pot.
- Add the tomatoes, red lentils, nut butter, ginger, coriander, and garlic granules.
- Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to medium.
- Add the collards and bean.
- Let the collards soften for a couple of minutes and then stir in the peas or corn, and the bell pepper.
Middle Eastern-Inspired Bean Stew
This warming, highly spiced stew is rich in beans, grains and chunks of sweet winter squash. Feel free to substitute other grains for the barley. Farro works particularly well. If you’d prefer something soupier, thin it with a little broth or water before serving.
Ingredients:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Leeks, diced
- Cilantro, leaves and stems separated
- Fennel, diced
- Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- Baharat
- Cinnamon stick
- Tomato paste
- Chicken or vegetable broth
- Pearled barley
- Kosher salt
- Saffron, crumbled (optional)
- Cooked beans or chickpeas
- Peeled and diced butternut squash
- Peeled and diced turnip
- Red lentils
- Plain yogurt, for serving
- Aleppo pepper or hot paprika, for serving
Instructions:
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil and cook leeks until they begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Finely chop cilantro stems. Stir into pot, along with diced fennel and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in baharat, cinnamon and tomato paste, and cook until paste begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in broth, 3 cups water, the barley and the salt. Bring to a gentle boil, stir in saffron, if using, and reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered for 40 minutes.
- Stir in beans, squash, turnip and lentils; cook until barley is tender, about another 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Remove cinnamon stick.
- Ladle stew into bowls. Spoon a dollop of yogurt on top and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with cilantro leaves, fennel fronds and Aleppo pepper or paprika.
Chakalaka: A South African Bean Stew
One day, I found a RAINBOW mix of beans and legumes containing white, brown, and green chickpeas; red and black beans; and yellow, green, and black-eyed peas. It made me think of this bean stew I once saw on a cooking show named Chakalaka, which sounded funny to say, but delicious to eat.
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Chakalaka is a bean stew of South African origins and is called a vegetable relish. It's like a party in your mouth because it's spicy, savory, and flavorful! This colorful rainbow stew contains fresh ingredients like tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, carrots, and chili.
Fun fact: The word "Chakalaka" actually means "put all together" in the Zulu language. It's the perfect name because all the ingredients are combined in one pot to make a delicious meal. It's so popular in South Africa that it's considered a staple food, especially at braais (barbeques).
So, the next time you're in the mood for beans with an explosion of flavor and a rainbow approach, please give Chakalaka a try! Eat it with your choice of protein, like tofu, grilled chicken, tempeh, or other BBQ meats.
Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Here is an example of nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings) for one version of African Bean Stew:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 442 |
| Fat | 9 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 71 grams |
| Protein | 24 grams |
| Sodium | 562 milligrams |
