Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics & Base
- 30 ml olive oil, cold
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic, minced
Root Vegetables & Greens
- 300 g butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 300 g sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 150 g swiss chard, chopped, stems and leaves separated
Liquids & Bulk
- 800 ml vegetable broth
- 400 g canned diced tomatoes, undrained
- 240 g canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
Seasonings
- 3 g smoked paprika
- 2 g dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf, whole
- salt
- black pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Prepare all vegetables. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and peel and cut the butternut squash and sweet potato into uniform 2cm pieces. Chop the Swiss chard, keeping the tough stems separated from the tender leaves.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, and chopped Swiss chard stems. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions are translucent and the stems begin to soften.
Stir in the cubed butternut squash, sweet potato, smoked paprika, and dried thyme. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently to toast the spices and coat the root vegetables in the aromatics.
Pour in the vegetable broth and the diced tomatoes with their juices. Add the whole bay leaf. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil at 100°C/212°F, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover and let simmer gently at 90°C/195°F for 20 minutes.
Remove the lid and fold in the drained cannellini beans and chopped Swiss chard leaves. Continue to simmer uncovered for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chard leaves are completely wilted and the squash and potatoes are fork-tender.
Remove the pot from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Taste the stew and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed. Let the stew rest for 5 minutes before ladling into bowls to allow the broth to slightly thicken.
Chef's Notes
- Uniform knife work is crucial here. Cutting the butternut squash and sweet potato to the exact same size guarantees they finish cooking at the same time.
- Swiss chard stems are often discarded, but they pack immense flavor and great texture. Treating them like celery and sautéing them early in the cooking process builds a fantastic base.
- For an even richer broth, you can add a piece of parmesan rind along with the bay leaf, though this will remove the vegan dietary flag.
- Stews like this benefit heavily from resting. If you have the time, making this a day in advance allows the starches to settle and the smoky flavors to fully permeate the vegetables.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container. Flavors will marry and deepen overnight, making this excellent for leftovers.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in individual portions. Root vegetables may become slightly softer upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat until bubbling, or in the microwave in 1-minute intervals.
