Black Bean & Butternut Squash Stew

This black bean & butternut squash stew is smoky with a taste of sweet coming from a special hit of cinnamon. Easy and perfect for meal prep and naturally gluten free!

Why you’ll love this black bean & butternut squash stew

• It’s smoky thanks to the fire roast tomatoes and toned down with a little bit of natural sweet from the cinnamon. The perfect harmony for ingredients like black beans and butternut squash.
• All vegan and gluten free with no funky ingredients.
• Extra boost of plant protein thanks to the combination of black beans and red lentils.

Key Ingredients

• Garlic: I’m starting at 6, but if you are a garlic lover, go to town!
• Cumin, Sweet Paprika, and Coriander: Delicious savory spices to help compliment the black beans and fire roasted tomatoes
• Cinnamon: The perfect compliment to the butternut squash and helps tone down the acidic flavors
• Butternut Squash: A starchy addition that helps add more body to the stew
• Black Beans: Our main protein source and a great source of iron
• Red Lentils: Our thickening agent that happens to add more protein
• Fire Roasted Tomatoes: For that smoky and extra hit of umami

How to make this recipe

1. Cook down your onions and celery in a large pot until they soften.
2. Layer in your flavor starting with the garlic and then working your way up to the spices.
3. Stir in your tomatoes, beans, lentils, butternut squash and vegetable broth.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes or until the red lentils have disintegrated into the stew.
5. Remove pot from heat and allow to cool and thicken for a few minutes before serving.

Tips for making Black Bean & Butternut Squash Stew

• If you don’t have fire roasted tomatoes, make sure you use smoked paprika or a splash of liquid smoke to achieve the smokiness that you desire. If you’d prefer this not to be smoky, feel free to use the same amount of crushed tomatoes along with the sweet paprika.
• As the red lentils cook, they will start to breakdown in the stew. This will help the stew thicken, so after the allotted cooking time, stir well and allow to cool for a few minutes minutes to allow the natural fibers in the lentils and beans to swell and thicken.
• If stew is still not thick after waiting for it to thicken, use the back of your cooking spoon to mash some of the black beans in the pot. This will also allow the stew to thicken and to your desired texture. Just make sure to give a good stir.
• To help absorb some of the iron rich components of this dish, feel free to add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice overtop when serving.
• This stew stores well in the fridge for 4-5 days, and can be frozen easily into small containers for up to 3 months. Just thaw and heat up before serving.

More stews to try

• Coconut Spiced Red Lentils
• Chipotle Red Lentil Chili
• Cannellini Tahini Stew
• Chipotle Stewed Pinto Beans
• Cozy Eggplant and Tomato Stew

Black Bean & Butternut Squash Stew

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This black bean & butternut squash stew is smoky with a taste of sweet coming from a special hit of cinnamon. Easy and perfect for meal prep.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tsp olive oil OR 2 tbsp vegetable broth for sautéing
• 1 small red onion (diced)
• 1 rib celery (diced)
• 6 large cloves of garlic (minced)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 1/2 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp dry basil
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups diced butternut squash or sweet potato
• 2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1/3 cup red lentils
• 1 15 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth

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Instructions

1. Bring a large pot up to medium heat on the stove top and add in oil or vegetable broth, onions and celery then sprinkle vegetables with a pinch of salt and cook them down until onion have softened.
2. Add in garlic and stir well for a minute, allowing to become fragrant.
3. Stir in cumin, coriander, paprika, basil, cinnamon and salt with the vegetables in the pot, allowing seasonings to become fragrant.
4. To the pot, add in butternut squash, black beans, canned tomatoes and rinsed red lentils then give the mixture a good stir.
5. Pour in your vegetable broth and bring mixture up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes while stirring on occasion. As the red lentils cook, they will start to breakdown in the stew. This will help the stew thicken, so after cooking time, stir well and wait a few minutes for it to thicken before serving.

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Notes

If stew is still not thick after waiting on it for a few minutes, use the back of your cooking spoon to mash some of the black beans well and stir.

You can enjoy this stew with some brown rice, avocado and some extra veggies as desired. 

Keywords: black beans, butternut squash, stew

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★ Catherine