This adzuki bean and squash stew is one of my favorite winter recipes. And since it just snowed last night, you can be sure this will be warming my belly after I shovel the driveway.
Something about the salty adzuki beans with the sweetness of the butternut squash: so hearty and filling.
I found this recipe a few years ago in Alicia Silverstone’s amazing book, The Kind Diet, which is a great book and incredible vegan resource for recipes and lifestyle alike.
This stew has been something I make all fall and winter long…and sometimes in the spring too, if I’m honest.
It’s literally beans and squash. But don’t let that fool you.
It’s a ninja stew that is all quiet and unassuming, but then it smacks you in the face with surprising flavor, and you’re like, Oh! Sorry! I didn’t realize.
You have to soak the beans and kombu in water overnight. And don’t be scared of the kombu. You won’t even taste it, but it is really good for you, so it’s a good way to sneak those sea veggie minerals into your body.
You can use this as a general recipe to make a bean and squash stew and change the ingredients up as you like.
I’ve made it with a variety of squashes, carrots, sweet potatoes, and other beans. Although, mostly I stick with the adzuki.
When it’s ready, blob some vegan sour cream on top, and dig in.
- 1 cup dried adzuki beans, soaked overnight
- 1 large piece of dried kombu, soaked overnight
- 1 medium butternut squash, cubed
- Tamari soy sauce to taste
- Soak adzuki beans and kombu in water overnight.
- Pour them in a colander and rinse with fresh cold water.
- Put beans into a pot.
- Cut the kombu into smaller pieces and put on top of beans.
- Fill with fresh water until the water is just covering the beans.
- Bring to a boil, and boil the beans for about 5 minutes.
- Use a spoon to scoop off the foam that collects on the surface.
- Lower the heat to a simmer and cover the pot.
- Simmer the beans for about 45 minutes, always making sure to stir the beans and add water when the water level drops below the surface of the beans.
- Add squash cubes in one layer across the top of the beans.
- Simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Check tenderness of squash with a fork.
- Stir squash into beans, and continue to simmer for as long as needed to achieve your ideal squash texture. (I like mine really soft.)
- When the squash is perfect to your liking, remove from heat.
- Add splashes of Tamari, continuing to stir and taste to your liking.
- Enjoy with a dollop of vegan sour cream for a cool contrast.
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