This porotos granados recipe is my variation of traditional vegan Chilean beans stew with pinto beans, green beans, sweet potatoes, corn kernels, and oregano for a simple, clean-eating dinner.
Porotos granados is a celebration of veggie stews like chunky vegetable stew, Ethiopian green bean stew, or chickpea stew with vegan dumplings.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple, fresh ingredients are the heart of this traditional Chilean countryside stew.
- A light and refreshing stew, low in fat with no added oil.
- The word poroto means beans, and this recipe has 2 kinds - pinto and fresh green beans.
- This is a great recipe using fresh corn (although you can use frozen).
Ingredients, Notes, and Substitutions
Pinto beans. Make this recipe with pinto beans, cranberry (borlotti) beans, black beans, or cannellini beans.
Sweet potatoes. I prefer sweet potatoes, but the original recipe uses butternut squash which is a perfect substitute. Pumpkin is another option.
Green Beans. Use fresh beans if you can, but frozen beans will also work.
Corn. Two corn cobs are plenty of corn. That's about 1 - 1 ½ cups if you use frozen or canned corn.
Oregano. I don't use fresh oregano often, but I encourage you to use it here. Fresh marjoram is the best fresh herb substitute. Use 2 teaspoons of dry oregano if you don't have fresh. You may need more after tasting.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Recipe Variations
Add lima beans to this bean stew for more fiber and protein. And because this is a recipe from South America, consider adding ½ a cup of quinoa. This will thicken the soup, keeping it gluten-free and protein-rich.
Some recipes use chopped fresh basil. This is a delicate herb, so add it at the end of cooking.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook them for 2-3 minutes. Then add minced garlic cloves, paprika, and 1 tablespoon of oregano.
Stir in the beans, sweet potatoes, bay leaf, and vegetable broth. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the fresh green beans and corn kernels.
Cover and continue simmering for 5-10 minutes. Stir in the remaining oregano.
Pro Tips
- Heat the pot first to keep the onions from sticking without adding oil. Keep the onions moving. If they do stick, add a tablespoon of water. The added water will brown the onions.
- For a thicker stew, mash a few sweet potatoes against the side of the pot.
- Add salt and black pepper after cooking. Some vegetable broths contain high levels of sodium.
Serving Suggestions
A side of whole wheat vegan bread to soak up the piping hot broth of bean stew. Seriously, that's all you need. I prefer to stick to simple green side salads with vegan honey mustard dressing, avocado green goddess, or tahini mustard dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover porotos granados in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat in a large saucepan on the stove or in the microwave. You can freeze Chilean bean stew for up to 3 months.
The easiest way to make stew thicker is to simmer it for longer. As the sweet potatoes break down, they will naturally thicken the stew. Another trick is to puree ⅓ a cup of beans with the liquid from the can. This makes a powerful thickening agent.
More Easy Vegan Dinner Recipes
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Porotos Granados Recipe (Vegan Chilean Bean Stew)
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Ingredients
- 1 medium onion - chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano - chopped (2 teaspoons dried oregano)
- 3 medium sweet potatoes - peeled and diced into small cubes (1 ½ pounds)
- 3 cups pinto beans - 2 15-ounce cans rinsed and drained (see notes for substitutions)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 medium bay leaf
- 8 ounces green beans - trimmed and snapped in half (about 2 cups)
- 2 cobs corn - kernels (about 1 ½ cups)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim the corn kernels from the cobs. Set aside.
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions soften. Add a tablespoon of water if the onions start to stick.
- Stir in the garlic, paprika, and 1 tablespoon of fresh oregano. Mix with the onions.
- Add the beans, sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, and bay leaf. Adjust the heat so the ingredients are simmering. Stir the bottom of the pot to remove any ingredients.
- Cover the pot and simmer for 15 minutes. If the stew is too thin, mash a few of the sweet potato cubes against the side of the pot.
- Add the green beans and corn, cover, and cook for an additional 5 - 10 minutes until the corn and beans are tender.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining oregano. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Pinto beans can be substituted with borlotti (cranberry), black beans, or cannellini beans.
- I prefer sweet potatoes, but the original recipe uses butternut squash which is a perfect substitute. Pumpkin is another option.
- Heat the pot first to keep the onions from sticking without adding oil. Keep the onions moving. If they do stick, add a tablespoon of water.
- The longer you simmer the stew, the thicker it gets. Mashing a few of the sweet potatoes and beans also helps.
- Store leftover porotos granados in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat in a large saucepan on the stove or in the microwave. You can freeze Chilean bean stew for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
James Strange
At the agro market in Iquique I remember vendors setup to sale slices of pumpkin. The soups the ladies made with that pumpkin were so good.
Wendy
This recipe is delicious, and gives amounts to my mother-in-law’s oral Chilean recipe. Thank you so much!!
Denise
Yahoo! So happy to hear you enjoyed this. I hope you'll try more of my recipes, and please let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see. Your feedback is much appreciated. 🙂