Give me a “One Pot Wonder” any day of the week and I’m a happy cook! I love a meal that offers all the nutrients I need in one plate, or bowl as the case may be. This butternut squash and black bean stew fits the bill. And bonus – it freezes really well, so make a double portion and save some for later!
I believe it’s imperative to give credit where due and have searched everywhere for the source of this recipe. Unfortunately I’ve come up empty handed and have concluded that I created the recipe based on a number of inspiration sources, which I often do. If I find the source at a later date, I will update this post.
Butternut Squash & Black Bean Stew
I love a meal that offers all the nutrients I need in one plate, or bowl as the case may be. This butternut squash and black bean stew fits the bill. And bonus – it freezes really well, so make a double portion and save some for later!
Ingredients
- 2 cups onion chopped
- 1 1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 4 green onions chopped
- 4 cups butternut squash skin removed, cut into 1/2" cubes
- 4 cups black beans (or 3 cans) drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups veggie broth
- 2 + 1/2 cups coconut milk
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup jasmine or basmati rice
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and green onions; cook 1 minute.
- Add remaining ingredients except spinach. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add spinach and cook for 4 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves.
- Serve as-is or use an immersion blender for a portion or the entire soup, if you prefer. I like to blend just a small portion to create a thicker sauce but retain the bean and veggie chunks.
Notes
I always use homemade veggie broth, which is easy to make and uses vegetable scraps.
I like to double this recipe so I can freeze a bunch. I’ve found that doubling the recipe actually makes it a bit easier with regards to ingredient portions because a whole butternut squash is often around 8 cups! I use 3 cans of coconut milk.
View other Make Ahead Freezer Meals
In case you need it, these instructions by Gimme Some Oven on how to peel and cut a butternut squash are very good!
