Sesame Miso Beans with Kabocha Squash Chips
These sesame miso beans are loaded with umami flavor and topped with baked kabocha squash chips. Easy to make for a satisfying weeknight meal.
As far as I’m concerned, with enough bread on hand any soup or stew can become a dip. No spoon needed. And, as you can imagine, that’s exactly how I classify these sesame miso beans. The base is creamy making it perfectly dippable and it’s loaded with savory flavors from the miso. Then for some texture, topped with toasted sesame seeds and baked squash chips.
Why You’ll Love These Sesame Miso Beans
- Budget friendly. Beans are the ultimate budget friendly ingredient. A great source of protein and when flavored right, absolutely delicious. Cheap doesn’t have to be flavorless.
- Easy to make. The base soup is very simple to make and comes together in just 25 minutes. Everything else can be made while the soup is cooking, which makes this a great weeknight soup.
- High fiber. One of the major benefits of beans is their ability to provide both protein and fiber. When it comes to fiber, butter beans can provide up to 5-6 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup serving. Including fiber is a great option for helping to support a healthy gut and improve your heart health.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Squash: I used kabocha squash, but you can also use delicata squash, acorn squash, butternut squash, or sweet potato. Use your favorite, slice it thin and should have very similar cooking times.
- Beans: I used butter beans. They are incredibly creamy, which naturally helps to thicken the broth. You can also use cannellini beans as well.
- Miso: I recommend yellow or white miso paste for this. If you are unable to use miso paste, another way you can infuse some umami flavor is to add some dried shitake mushrooms to the boiling broth and add additional salt as needed.
- Aromatics: I used a combination of garlic, scallions and shallots. If you don’t have shallots on hand, regular yellow onions work too.
- Sesame Oil: I recommend a toasted sesame oil to add some flavor at the end. You can also swap for some chili oil.
- Parsley: Fresh herbs are ideal. You can also use chives or cilantro as well.
- Vegetable Broth: I like to use Better than Bouillon’s vegetable base. The flavor works so well if you are not in the mood to make your own broth.
- Sesame Seeds: A great addition for some crunch to your soup. This can also be swapped for toast pumpkin seeds.
- Thyme: Used to flavor the soup and squash. Feel free to use dry or fresh thyme, I prefer fresh.
How to Make Sesame Miso Beans with Kabocha Squash Chips
Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the thinly sliced kabocha on a baking tray with the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, and seasonings. Drizzle the tray with enough oil to coat (I used about 1 1/2 tbsp) then toss to coat. Spread the squash on the tray in an even layer then bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip the pieces and roast on the bottom rack for 10 more minutes until the edges are crisp. While hot, sprinkle with salt then set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium low heat with oil. Once hot add the shallots and spring onions with a pinch of salt then sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened.
Stir in the garlic and thyme, sauteing until fragrant. Then, add in the beans, vegetable broth, vinegar, and bay leaf then stir to combine.
Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
To a small bowl, add the miso paste and 1/4 cup hot water. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth. Once the beans are done simmering, stir in the miso paste, sesame oil and white pepper. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes then remove from heat. Remove the bay leaf then taste the broth and adjust the salt to preference.
In a separate bowl add the parsley, zest, pepper, sesame seeds, oil and kosher salt then stir together.
To assemble your bowl, portion your soup and top with some of the sesame herbs, kabocha squash, and some leftover scallions then enjoy with some crusty bread.
Expert Tips
- Add the miso at the end. Do not simmer the miso with the soup as it will destroy the gut healthy aspects of the miso and also make the soup taste more bitter. Just dissolve your miso in some hot water then stir it in with the soup just at the end of cooking.
- Change up the toppings. I love how the kabocha squash adds a subtle sweetness to each bite of the soup. However, feel free to change the type of topping you use. You can top with toasted pumpkin seeds, a simple sesame slaw and enjoy it that way instead.
- Add some heat. If you love spicy soups like I do, cook the soup with a diced fresno chili pepper and add some chili crisp oil at the end.
- Add more broth or water as needed. If you want your broth to be thinner, just add more liquid. Do note that the beans will continue to thicken as they sit in the fridge. To readjust their consistency after cooling, just add a splash of liquid when reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Allow the beans to cool then store the beans, squash, and sesame parsley mix in separate storage containers. You can reheat the beans on the stove top with a splash of broth and place the squash in the toaster oven for 3-5 minutes to crisp the squash back up then serve and enjoy.
Minus the bread to serve, this recipe is naturally gluten-free. Feel free to serve with a gluten-free bread or leave that out entirely and enjoy the beans as is.
If you are looking to start adding beans, but are concerned about your tolerance of beans, I highly recommend working with an appropriate gut health dietitian that may be able to provide guidance when it comes to incorporating them in your diet safely. If this is not possible for you at this time, try this broth paired with some orzo instead. I would recommend 1 cup dry orzo in place of the beans or cook up 4 servings of your favorite pasta then add it to the simmered broth. You can then serve this with your favorite protein like some baked tofu instead.
How to Serve
This soup is best served with some crusty bread. And if you want to add to the gut health benefit, try this specifically with some sourdough bread or whole grain bread of your choice.
More Bean Recipes to Try
- Peanut Lime Charred Cabbage Salad
- Lemon Glazed Carrots and Rice Salad
- Sticky Lemon Chickpea Pita Wrap
- Buffalo Chickpea Salad
- Honey Squash Red Lentil Soup
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
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Sesame Miso Beans with Kabocha Squash Chips
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These sesame miso beans are loaded with umami flavor and topped with baked kabocha squash chips. Easy to make for a satisfying weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Kabocha Squash Chips
- 1 lb kabocha squash, thinly sliced into 2-in pieces
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- Oil for roasting
Sesame Miso Soup
- 1 tbsp avocado oil or vegan butter
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 2 spring onions, sliced (reserve the green ends)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme (about 1 tsp)
- 2, 15 oz cans butter beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp yellow or white miso paste
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- Kosher salt to taste
- Crusty bread for dipping
Sesame Herbs
- 1/3 cup parsley, finely minced
- Zest of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1–2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F. Place the thinly sliced kabocha on a baking tray with the cornstarch, nutritional yeast, and seasonings. Drizzle the tray with enough oil to coat (I used about 1 1/2 tbsp) then toss to coat. Spread the squash on the tray in an even layer then bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip the pieces and roast on the bottom rack for 10 more minutes until the edges are crisp. While hot, sprinkle with salt then set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium low heat with oil. Once hot add the shallots and spring onions with a pinch of salt then sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and thyme, sauteing until fragrant. Then, add in the beans, vegetable broth, vinegar, and bay leaf then stir to combine.
- Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- To a small bowl, add the miso paste and 1/4 cup hot water. Whisk together until the mixture is smooth. Once the beans are done simmering, stir in the miso paste, sesame oil and white pepper. Continue to simmer for 2 minutes then remove from heat. Remove the bay leaf then taste the broth and adjust the salt to preference.
- In a separate bowl add the parsley, zest, pepper, sesame seeds, oil and kosher salt then stir together.
- To assemble your bowl, portion your soup and top with some of the sesame herbs, kabocha squash, and some leftover scallions then enjoy with some crusty bread.
Notes
Add the miso at the end. Do not simmer the miso with the soup as it will destroy the gut healthy aspects of the miso and also make the soup taste more bitter. Just dissolve your miso in some hot water then stir it in with the soup just at the end of cooking.
Change up the toppings. I love how the kabocha squash adds a subtle sweetness to each bite of the soup. However, feel free to change the type of topping you use. You can top with toasted pumpkin seeds, a simple sesame slaw and enjoy it that way instead.
Add some heat. If you love spicy soups like I do, cook the soup with a diced fresno chili pepper and add some chili crisp oil at the end.
Add more broth or water as needed. If you want your broth to be thinner, just add more liquid. Do note that the beans will continue to thicken as they sit in the fridge. To readjust their consistency after cooling, just add a splash of liquid when reheating.
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