Blue Zones Inspired Black Bean & Squash Stew

For those cold winter nights

If you’ve been here for a little while, you know I like to nerd out on all things Blue Zones. While salads and bean stews aren’t exactly synonymous with toddler/kid tastes, my baby truly does love beans (black beans and hummus, specifically). After flipping through the Blue Zones Kitchen, I thought it was worth a shot to riff on the Black Bean & Potato soup. We like to eat with a plant slant wherever we can, and I thought it was worth leaning into the love of beans to see if we can find some new favorite meals.

I made black beans from scratch which I know not everyone has time for. If you are so inclined, I do think they have great flavor, but there’s no shame in using canned! I do it all the time. The thing I love most about these types of stews is that they are endlessly customizable. You can use your favorite type of squash or potato, pepper and herbs. You could even add rice, tortilla strips or hominy if you wanted! It’s totally up to you.

Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, small dice
1 carrot, julienned (matchsticks)
2 peppers, color of your choice, julienned (matchsticks)
1 shallot, small dice
1 medium squash of your choice, small dice or cut into matchsticks (I used butternut)
1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped
3 cans black beans, drained
3 cups vegetable stock
Acovado, GF tortilla chips, lime and cilantro for garnish

*I used an immersion blender to thicken this stew, but you could also use a blender.

Instructions
Add garlic, onion, shallots and carrot to a large stock pot with ~2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté 5-7 minutes. Add the peppers, squash, cilantro, beans and stock and bring to a boil. Once stew has come to a boil, simmer for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more cilantro and salt if needed. Use your immersion blender, or transfer roughly half the soup to a blender to puree. Return to the pot. If you prefer the stew to be thicker, you can continue to simmer, or go ahead and serve with your garnish.

Enjoy!