Thursday, March 24, 2011

Kale, Squash, & White Bean Stew

Posted by Erin Wilburn / 9 comments » / csa, soups/stews/chili, Stuff, vegetarian

Recently I was invited to participate in a health awareness campaign as a guest blogger.  March is Colon Cancer Awareness month, which I had no idea until I was asked to contribute a colon-friendly recipe!  Colon cancer is something I know very little about, so to prepare I checked out out the StopColonCancerNow website.

I discovered colon cancer is the second deadliest form of cancer in the US.  What’s even more shocking, unlike breast cancer, which often has a hereditary link, 80 percent of those who are diagnosed with colon cancer have no family history or symptoms.  So just because no one in your family has ever been affected, doesn’t mean you’re not at risk.

I’m hoping regular readers of my blog will notice most of the recipes I post (desserts aside!) focus on vegetables and healthy grains.  Part of the reason I eat these types of foods are because I enjoy them, but another major reason is I enjoy knowing that I am filling my body with plenty of nutrient packed foods that will not only make me feel good when I eat them, but continue to nourish my body.  So to discover that some of my favorite dishes, such as this Mediterranean Roasted Veggie Barley Salad already fulfill the “colon-friendly” checklist, that definitely makes me feel good!

Colon-Friendly Foods include:
• little or no animal foods
• whole grains
• fruits
• vegetables (like broccoli)
• mushrooms
• garlic, onions, leeks and chives
• black raspberries
• dry green tea leaves

The recipe I chose to contribute is this Kale, Squash, & White Bean Stew.  This recipe was originally called “Winter Vegetable Soup”, but I didn’t want to lead people to believe you can only eat this in the winter!  I actually used squash I still had from my last CSA box, and kale is still being sold at the local Farmer’s Market.  Even if you’re not a CSA/Farmer’s market kind of person, then this soup will still be easy to make, as you can get these veggies at a conventional supermarket.  This soup was delicious, & filling, and definitely not too heavy.  Kale is a super food I’ve grown to really love the past year or two.  It’s high in fiber & potassium, and low in sodium, which works great with your digestive system.  As I’ve mentioned many times before, I’m not a vegetarian, but I really enjoy eating meat-free meals.  This soup is another one I’m definitely adding to my repitoire.

To find out more about how you can prevent colon cancer pop on over to my post at Stop Colon Cancer Now!

Print

Kale, Squash, & White Bean Stew

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 small acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 bunch kale ( 3/4 pound), ribs cut away and discarded, leaves torn
5 1/2 cups (43.5 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed
3 sprigs thyme
Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Cook onion and garlic until fragrant, 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add squash and kale and cook until kale is wilted, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add broth, beans, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash and kale are tender, about 12 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan, if desired.

recipe adapted from Martha Stewart