Recipe Review: Butternut Squash White Bean Stew

Submitted By Amy Sercel MS RD CD

Edited By Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 c slivered onion

¾ c sliced celery

3 c mushrooms, halved

4 c butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 clove garlic, pressed

2 c water

2 T tomato paste

¾ tsp dried rosemary

½ tsp coarse salt

1 pinch black pepper

2 15-oz cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained

Chopped fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions:

1.     Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add onion, celery, and mushrooms.  Cook until vegetables start to brown, about 8 minutes.

2.     Stir in squash, tomatoes, garlic, water, tomato paste, rosemary, salt, and pepper and mix well.  Cover and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 25 minutes.

3.     Uncover, stir in beans and simmer until stew consistency, about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings (1 ½ cups each)

Nutrient Facts:

247 calories; 14 g protein; 42 g carbohydrate; 4 g fat; 11 g fiber

163 mg calcium; 1245 mg potassium; 338 mg sodium; 5 mg iron; 108 mg magnesium

388 mg vitamin A; 25 mg vitamin C; 3 mg vitamin E; 13 mcg vitamin K; 129 mcg folate

My family thought this stew was delicious – the flavors blended together and complemented each other nicely.  As an added bonus, you might already have some of the ingredients in your pantry, and can stock up on the canned items to keep on hand for those busy nights when you aren’t sure what to make for dinner.

While you will spend about 30 minutes chopping the vegetables, you will have plenty of time to clean up the kitchen, prepare side dishes, or just relax in the 35 minutes it will take for the stew to simmer.  The most time-consuming part was peeling and cutting the butternut squash.  If you want, you can avoid this step by using pre-cut butternut squash from the produce section of your grocery store.

One of the best things about this dish is the fact that you can easily customize it to your tastes.  I left out the celery because of a food allergy and used additional mushrooms instead.  I also used tomatoes canned with basil, which gave the stew some extra flavor, and might consider adding a few tablespoons of fresh basil next time.  If you like spicy dishes, you could add some paprika or a chopped jalapeño pepper for an extra kick.  You could also sprinkle a little cheese on top for a savory touch.

This recipe is so satisfying and flavorful that you might not notice it’s both gluten-free and vegan.  The high fiber content in the squash, mushrooms, and beans will keep you full for a long time after eating and could help reduce your cholesterol levels.  Great Northern beans contain a lot of iron, which you will absorb more easily because of the vitamin C in the butternut squash.  The soup also contains about 25% of your daily need for potassium, an electrolyte that most people don’t get enough of.  Having adequate potassium in your diet can help keep your heart healthy and reduce your blood pressure. 

I ate this with steamed broccoli and garlic bread, but it could also pair well with a green salad, baked chicken, or a sandwich.  No matter how you serve it, this stew is sure to please even the toughest critic!

Recipe Source: http://relish.com/recipes/butternut-squash-white-bean-stew/