I’ve never done just veg and beans. 4 hours would do it I’d say in order for the flavours to go into the beans.
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Only if they swallow.
(Sorry)
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I don’t know about slow cooking but I can really recommend the quite simple and very tasty Jamie Oliver’s Veggie Stroganoff with, I note, whisky 
Let’s just pretend it’s Ukrainian and not Russian 
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Have you ever tried adding a small piece of hard cheese rind?
When I first added parmesan crust to a stew, I was astonished how little was needed to deepen the flavour, but any hard cheese rind seems to do a similar job… Also if OH is not averse to eating tuna, you could from time to time add a couple of anchovies to the mix. And or course nori’s another way to go.
I also use dried, smoked bonito acquired on our Spanish forays, it keeps for months and adds a different type of deep umami
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What’s bonito Mark? Totally agree about adding a parmesan rind and recently eyed up an old bit of something else but wasn’t brave enough, next time I will!
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Its an isla,
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A variety of tuna. Very nice.
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We keep all our crusts - parmesan in particular - in a bag in the freezer. And add them to stocks and stews. We rarely add salt in cooking and find this gets a good salt balance.
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Don’t really like Wikip, but this is a clear explanation:-
Bonito - Wikipedia
We’re closer to the Med than the Atlantic, so bonito’s not seen locally, but dried bonito flakes are used in some Spanish regional cooking and they’re also used in Japan but I don’t know what they’re called there, maybe @JaneJones or @vero might know
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And friendly and sweet and companionable. Dear little hens.
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Katsuobushi, very delicious sprinkled on things eg takoyaki etc
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I would have thought much less than that, but I will be experimenting because if I get it right one carefully mixed pot will give me several days without cooking at all. 
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To beans and veg I’d add some good chorizo, or maybe some pounded anchovies, which I would expect to give the same sort of umaminess as the bonito flakes.
Or seaweed.
Hi Badger, I went vegan 20 years at the age of 50 and its the best thing I have done! Lost 4 1/2 stone in first couple of years, arthritic knee pain for many years completely went after a couple of years too! I never missed dairy because I knew of the suffering involved to produce milk same goes for egg production and all meat products! Well done for being vegan!
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You can get the umami from tamari or miso (or both) as well.
I have a jar of miso in the cupboard, but don’t really know how to use it.
I suppose a bit like Marmite?
A mushroom risotto is excellent too. No need to add that lost bit of butter.
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Campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom soup, remember that ? (Not the Warhol!) Not sure what may substitute here in France but……
With an added tin of tuna, voilá! A brilliant pasta sauce. I used bow tie pasta because more of an artist than a chef but any will do.
For anyone who actually enjoys cooking, this is an excellent recipe
https://www.thefrenchcookingacademy.com/recipes/cream-of-mushroom-soup?format=amp
Please note, the shallots may not be the only things that sweat 
Thanks.
The final push from vegetarian to vegan was, for me, the cruelty of the diary industry. We are within earshot of the cries of mother cows when their calves are taken away form them, & it’s not a happy sound
Equally the human consumption of baby cow massive growth fluid is not a good thing. Our bodies are not designed for it - we don’t even drink our own mother’s milk past a very young age.
I too lost a bit of weight through changing, not that I needed to, but a bit less weight on my various dodgy joints is no bad thing.
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Not sure these will be in David’s cupboard?