A thick vegan stew of sweet winter squash and creamy butter beans in a tomato and rosemary sauce.
Serves 4 | Preparation: 20 minutes | Cooking: 45 minutes | Total: 65 minutes
Times include the chilling, soaking or resting stated in the method. Cooking times are a guide: check tenderness and doneness before serving.
Ingredients
700 g prepared pumpkin or winter squash flesh, in 2 cm cubes
2 × 400 g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed
200 g onions, chopped
25 ml olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
400 ml low-salt vegetable stock
2 rosemary sprigs
150 g kale, tough stems removed, shredded
15 ml lemon juice
Salt and black pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a large pan. Cook the onions gently for 10 minutes, then add garlic for 1 minute.
Add squash, tomatoes, stock and rosemary. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the drained butter beans and kale. Simmer uncovered for 12–15 minutes until the squash is tender and the sauce thickens.
Remove the rosemary stems. Crush a few squash pieces into the sauce if you prefer a thicker stew.
Add lemon juice and seasoning, then divide into four bowls. Bread or cooked grains can be served separately.
Variations and substitutions
Cannellini beans work instead of butter beans. Replace kale with spinach, adding it for the final 3 minutes. Add a pinch of chilli flakes with the garlic for gentle heat. Use tinned or separately fully cooked beans, not raw dried beans.
Homegrown and seasonal produce
Sound, cured winter squash stores well and can be cut as needed. Weigh after peeling and removing seeds; use homegrown kale leaves while young and tender.
Storage and freezing
Cool promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or below. Eat within 48 hours. Freeze in labelled portions for up to 3 months for best quality. Defrost in the fridge, use within 24 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.
Find more ideas in the complete recipe menu. Explore our growing guide finder and From Garden to Kitchen guide, or plan your next harvest with Your Growing Companion.
Stock photograph illustrating ingredients or a serving idea. These recipes are practical ideas to try; they are not presented as all having been tested in my kitchen.
