Description

Beans simmered in a butternut squash and miso infused broth. All the flavors of fall in one cozy pot that will make getting your fiber in a lot more enjoyable.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Squash Puree

1 shallot, peeled and cut in half
1 butternut squash or honeynut squash (~450g or 1 pound), cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed ***
1 garlic bulb
2 tbsp yellow miso paste

For the Beans

1 pound dry white beans (cannellini beans, navy beans, or butter beans)
3-4 tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 ancho chili, stem trimmed and seeds removed
12 stems of fresh thyme
1 large bay leaf
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Fresh parsley leaves for serving
Lemon wedges for serving
Candied jalapeños for serving (optional)

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Instructions

Spread the dry beans out on a flat surface and remove any rocks or debris. Rinse the beans well, then drain. Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with fresh filtered water, ensuring the water is about 3 inches above the beans (about 2 quarts of water). Cover and soak overnight (or at least 2 hours if you forgot to soak, but note that your cooking time will likely be longer).
Preheat the oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots with a pinch of salt and sauté for about 5-8 minutes, or until the shallots start to lightly brown. Add the crushed garlic and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
Drain the beans and add them to the pot along with the ancho chili, 9 cups of water, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, 2 tsp of salt, and 1 tbsp more olive oil on top. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Partially cover the pot with a lid and cook for 1 to 2 hours. After an hour, check the beans about every 30 minutes, stirring briefly and adding more water if the beans are no longer fully submerged. To ensure the beans are fully cooked, test out at least 3 beans from different parts of the pot and press them to see if they have softened. If not, cook further and check again every 30 minutes or so for doneness.
While the beans are cooking, roast your veggies. Place both shallot halves and one of the squash halves on the baking tray. Drizzle with 1-2 tsp of oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then place cut side down on the baking sheet. Drizzle the garlic bulb with 1 tsp of oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Wrap the bulb in foil and place on the baking tray. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. At this point, remove the shallot when it has caramelized on the bottom. Return the squash and garlic to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes or until the squash is cooked all the way through. Allow to cool.
Once the squash has cooled, scoop the flesh out into a blender cup, squeeze in the garlic from the bulb, add the miso paste, and 1 1/2 cups of water. Blend on high until smooth.
Discard the ancho chili, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf from the pot of beans. Pour in the blended squash and stir well to combine. Remove from heat, then taste the broth. Stir in additional salt to taste.
To serve, spoon the beans and broth into serving bowls. You can top your bowl with some candied jalapeños and finish with a few cracks of black pepper, minced parsley, and a squeeze of lemon (the vitamin C from the lemon will help you absorb the iron from the beans). Enjoy along side some toasted bread or a bowl of rice.

Notes

Maintain the probiotic benefits. To take advantage of the beneficial probiotics from the miso paste, make sure to stir in the blended squash and miso mixture at the end of cooking while the beans are simmering on low. Once added, give the beans a good stir then remove the beans from heat.

Adjust the balance of flavors. If your beans are tasting bland, you likely need to add more salt to help bring out more of those sweet and savory flavors. This is why I season with salt throughout the cooking process. If you are worried they will toughen your beans, please note this has been tested and debunked by America’s Test Kitchen.

Save time by using canned beans. When you get to step 4, replace the soaked beans for 2 cans of drained and rinsed beans, use 1 tsp of salt, and add only 4 cups of water along with the other ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook covered for 40 minutes. Taste and adjust flavors as desired.

Check the age of your beans. Most times, the cause for tough beans that take forever to cook is not adding salt too early, it’s the age of your beans. Check the best by day and avoid using beans that have been sitting in the back of your pantry for over 2 years.