Pumpkin Stew With Borlotti Beans And Cavolo Nero
A hearty Italian inspired pumpkin stew with cavolo nero, borlotti beans and barley. It's an easy one pot plant-based meal which is perfect for colder autumn days and nights. Make it once and welcome a new staple to your table. Eat with crusty bread.
Servings: 2 people
Calories: 535kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 stick celery rinsed
- 1 carrot scrubbed but not peeled
- 30 g pot barley soaked overnight, washed and drained
- 2 clove garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 4 sprig fresh thyme leaves removed and twigs discarded
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 200 g winter squash peeled and deseeded weight (I used half a small uchiki kuri squash originally weighing 700g)
- 400 g cooking tomatoes roughly chopped
- 400g g tinned borlotti beans 240g drained weight - rinsed and drained
- 100 ml red wine (make sure it's vegan friendly if needed)
- 200 ml water
- 200 g cavolo nero (black kale) washed and drained
Instructions
- Peel the onion and finely dice it. Trim the carrot and celery and finely dice those too. This is to make soffritto.1 onion, 1 stick celery, 1 carrot
- Warm the oil over a medium low heat in a heavy bottomed pan with a lid. I use my cast iron casserole.2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Add the onion, celery and carrot to the pan and fry, stirring occasionally for about fifteen minutes. The veg should be cooked, but not browned.
- Throw in the pot barley, herbs and a splash of water. Cover the pan and leave to simmer gently for five minutes.30 g pot barley, 2 clove garlic, 4 sprig fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf
- Cut the squash into chunky pieces and add to the pan along with the salt and a little more water. Cover the pan again and simmer for a further ten minutes.1 tsp sea salt, 200 g winter squash
- Add the tomatoes and garlic followed by the beans, wine and remaining water. Cover the pan and simmer gently for a further ten minutes.400 g cooking tomatoes, 400g g tinned borlotti beans, 100 ml red wine, 200 ml water
- Finally, shred the cavolo nero finely and add to the pan. Simmer for a further ten minutes.200 g cavolo nero (black kale)
- Stick a knife in the squash to check if it's tender. If you think a bit more cooking is required, carry on for a bit longer. We quite like a bit of chew to our kale, but if you don't you might want to continue cooking for a few more minutes.
- Check for seasoning. If you think it needs more salt, add some and give it a good stir. I like a bit of ground black pepper too.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with some crusty bread.
Notes
Swap the pot barley for farro, other wheat berries or even pearl barley. If you need a gluten-free grain, go with short grain brown rice.
You can use a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes instead of fresh.
Try twelve finely chopped sage leaves instead of the thyme.
Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.
Nutrition
Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1248mg | Potassium: 2109mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 25377IU | Vitamin C: 166mg | Calcium: 301mg | Iron: 7mg