January’s frosty plunging temperatures call for a deeply flavourful and hearty stew. This plant-based meal relies on stewed tomatoes and oven roasted squash to make a next level broth. Organic local kale, a sprinkling of basmati and a couple handfuls of quality penne noodles (from our Italian fine food shop) add the heartiness. Protein comes in the form of elegant white beans, and the vegan soup staple, red (or you can use green) lentils.
Stewed Fresh Tomatoes
Fresh tomatoes stewed on the stove start this stew off right. Sure, you can use canned stewed tomatoes from your grocery store (in which case you should choose a quality brand like Mutti). But, the taste of homemade Stewed Tomatoes is much better, and will add a depth to your stew. Another plus of doing homeade is when you make your own, you can control the sodium and eliminate the use of chemicals and preservatives found in some store-bought varieties. It’s incredibly simple to stew your own tomatoes and well worth the extra time. Wash and chop your ripe tomatoes, throw them in a pan with quality olive oil, 1 onion, and salt (dash of sugar optional). Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, et voilà!
Roasted Butternut Squash
Winter squashes are uniquely beautiful with ribbed or bumpy skins, irregular shapes, and vibrant colours ranging from yellow to orange to dark green or even multi-toned. Compared to their summertime cousins, winter squashes have a denser texture and nutty flavour with firm flesh that holds up well in hearty soups, stews, casseroles, breads, and even desserts.
The chic, fawn-hued, Butternut Squash is a favourite for roasting. It’s bold orange interior gets tinged with a caramel taste after bathing in the heat of your oven. Look for squash with a nice beige-ish skin. Surface scratches and imperfections are normal, but deep scratching, cuts, or soft spots are not. Look for butternut squash that is heavy for its size. It doesn’t need to be the largest, but one that is solid and heavy is a must. Pick up a couple in your hands at the market and see how their weight compares.
In a rush you can use boiled or frozen squash, but a roasted squash will increase that flavour depth we’ve been talking about.
Navy Beans & Lentils
Lentils are the workhorse of a homeade plant-based soup. They transform your broth from watery thin to a lightly thickened and creamy base. Red lentils work best for this soup, as they cook quickly but not too quickly, and they break down a bit in the broth, adding to the soup’s texture. If you don’t have red lentils on hand, green lentils are a wonderful substitute, but take a few more minutes of cooking. Lentils are low in calories, rich in iron and folate, and an excellent source of plant protein.
Navy beans, with their soft, velvety texture and slightly nutty taste add a certain elegance to a dish. Here, they mix exceptionally well with the chopped kale in your Roasted Squash & Tomato stew. Also known as haricot beans, are a great source of fibre, B vitamins and minerals like folate, iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Both of these lovely legumes will keep you full, which is what a big hearty winter stew should do!
Making your Roasted Squash & Tomato Stew
Winter Roasted Squash & Tomato Stew
Ingredients
Stewed Tomatoes
- 7-8 ripe tomatoes
- 1 onion
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- cayenne pepper (optional)
Roasted Butternut Squash
- 1 butternut squash
- 2 tsp olive oil
- pinch salt
Stew
- 6 cups vegetable broth (I use GoBIO Vegetable Cubes)
- 1/4 cup red lentils
- 1 can white beans
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 1/8 cup uncooked white rice
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 cup uncooked penne
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Stewed Tomatoes
- Wash and chop your ripe tomatoes
- Throw your tomatoes in a pan with quality olive oil, 1 onion, and salt (dash of sugar optional).
- Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Making your Roasted Squash
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Using a large, sturdy knife, cut your butternut squash in half lengthwise.
- Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits from each half and discard (or save for roasting).
- Transfer the butternut squash, cut-side up into a baking dish and brush with olive oil.
- Season with salt.
- Roast in the oven for approximately 40 minutes until fork-tender but not mush (as it will cook a bit more in your stew).
- Remove skin and cut squash into cubes.
Making your Stew
- Add your 6 cups of vegetable broth to a large pot
- Add your stewed tomatoes.
- Add in your cubed roasted squash.
- Rinse your lentils and add to pot.
- Rinse and chop kale, add to pot.
- Rinse canned white beans, add to pot.
- Add in your spices.
- Add your rice and penne.
- Taste and add extra spice, salt & pepper to taste!
- Simmer on medium low heat for 20 minutes, then serve!
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