This hearty, Greek Island Longevity Stew is a traditional vegetable and bean dish from the tiny island of Ikaria. Ikaria is an island renowned for its culinary tradition of healthy, nourishing dishes, and its focus on wholesome foods, mostly plant-based meals, and sustainability.
This delicious one-pot stew combines some favorite seasonal green vegetables, high-protein beans, lots of fresh herbs, and a good amount of extra virgin olive oil. After a short simmer on the stove, all the flavors come together into a deeply satisfying and flavorful stew that is perfect for a weeknight meal during the cold months.
This dish exemplifies the simplicity of the Mediterranean diet, using wholesome ingredients and un-fussy cooking methods. The Greek Island Longevity Stew is often mentioned in discussions about the longevity of Ikarians, their nutrition, and their way of life. There are various versions of this stew, which often depend on the season and what is available. This is my version of the famous Blue Zone recipe!
What are the Blue Zones?
Blue Zones are six geographical areas where researchers have found that people live longer, healthier lives than the rest of the world (sometimes much longer and much healthier than the rest of the world). These are areas where people tend to favor plant-based diets, have active lifestyles, and enjoy strong family and social connections.
Two of these Blue Zones are in the Mediterranean; one is the Italian island of Sardinia and the second is the tiny Greek island of Ikaria. The healthy eating practices associated with the Ikarian lifestyle are being extensively studied in an effort to better understand the connection of food and long healthy lives.
Ingredients for the Greek Island Longevity Stew
- Black Eyed Beans: add a healthy, plant-based protein which is full of nutrients. Despite their name, they are not peas but beans, with a little dot in the middle. You can substitute with your favorite bean
- Fennel: a mild anise flavor and a great anti-inflammatory ingredient, it becomes very sweet when cooked
- Swiss Chard: or, you can substitute baby kale or spinach leaves
- Leek, Shallot and Garlic: add great depth of flavor to any dish as they caramelize
- Tomatoes: fresh and grated, or, good quality canned crushed tomatoes
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: we use it to sauté the vegetables, but also raw, at the end of the cooking to finish the dish
- Vegetable stock: if you have it, or, use just water
- Fresh herbs: here I use dill, parsley and fennel fronds
- Bay Leaves: a great addition to any stew
Prep ahead of time
This recipe is perfect for meal prepping ahead of time. If you can chop the vegetables and store them in the fridge, then the soup only takes minutes to cook which makes it ideal for a busy weeknight meal.
How to serve and How to store it
I always like to squeeze a little lemon on almost everything and this stew is no exception. A little dish of Greek olives and some hearty homemade bread or Greek pita bread are great accompaniments to this dish. This dish will keep in your fridge for up to four days and in the freezer for at least two months.
- 1 - 15oz. can of black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed
- 1 med. leek, chopped
- 1 sm. fennel, chopped, (tender fronds reserved)
- 3 med. Swiss chard leaves, stems removed
- 1 med. shallot, minced
- 3 med. garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 3 --- bay leaves
- 1½ cup vegetable stock (or more if you prefer a looser consistency)
- 3 TBSP. fresh dill
- 2 TBSP. fresh parsley
- --- --- tender fennel fronds for topping
- 3 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil for topping
- Wash thoroughly, drain and prepare all the vegetables. Chop the fennel bulb and the leek and tear the Swiss chard leaves into bite-sized pieces. Mince the shallot and the garlic and set everything aside.
- In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the fennel, leek, and shallot. Season with the salt and pepper and cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for one more minute.
- Next, stir in the black-eyed peas and toss well to coat them with the olive oil. Add the crushed tomatoes and the vegetable stock. Bring the pot to a boil and mix in the Swiss chard leaves and the bay leaves.
- Cover the pot loosely, reduce to a simmer, then cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the fresh dill and parsley and, if you like, some chopped fennel fronds. Continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaves and turn off the heat. Check the consistency of the stew. If you prefer it more like a soup, add some more hot stock. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. To serve, divide among warm plates and drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Top with some fennel fronds and serve.
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Marilena,
This looks delicious–and perfect for those cold days that are creeping up on us!
I can’t wait to try it!
As always, thank you.
Thank you so much, it is such a comforting recipe, I hope you get to make it!
Yassou Merilena.. Bravo Sou!1
Thank you Estelle!
This is very reminiscent of the bean soups my grandparents, parents and I make – we are from the northeast region of Ikaria. Your version looks delicious, and I shall try it. Thank you for posting it.
P.S. One odd thing about the Ikarians I’d like to add – we rarely eat bread with our meals, but we do have it for tourists. I think this is why we also do not have inflammatory issues so prevalent among those who do eat bread regularly.
Thank you Eleni, I am so glad you are going to give it a try! Such a wholesome bean soup!
Today I made your longevity stew following your detailed instructions, and it turned out absolutely delicious! I even boiled my own fresh black-eyed beans—such a quick process since they don’t need pre-soaking—while preparing the vegetables. The fennel adds a wonderful depth of flavor to the stew! I used baby spinach leaves instead of chard and substituted the leek (which I didn’t have on hand) with sweet red Florina peppers. They not only worked beautifully but also added a lovely splash of color. Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe! As a fan of plant-based eating, I’ll definitely be keeping it in my regular rotation.
Wow! It means so much to receive this great review for my Greek friend Marianna, who is not only a great cook but also an expert in plant based Greek recipes! The substitutions sound great and it is good to know that you were able to use fresh black eyed peas without adding too much to the cooking time!