I don't ask for much in order to have a perfect winter evening. A fire going in the fireplace. Sweats, warm socks, and slippers on my feet.
A nice hearty stew or thick, velvety soup. Some sort of warm, crusty bread to go with said stew or soup.
A good movie, perhaps, or just some nice music. And most importantly, my husband by my side. When Samantha curls up and goes to sleep next to the fire, well, that's just icing on the cake.
Most recently, the healthy, hearty stew that's been putting the finishing touch on my perfect winter evenings has been this sweet potato butternut stew, filled with white beans, mushrooms, and chard.
This stew, though awfully tasty on the first day, only gets better and better with time. It actually provided us with four dinners, the final dinner being the absolute best! The sweet potato and butternut get really soft and almost mushy, giving the stew a slightly sweet base. With carrots, celery, cremini mushrooms and little bunapi mushrooms floating around and pieces of chard throughout, each bite is filled with vegetable goodness. I also added a combo of navy beans and great northern beans which made the stew super filling. The best part, aside from it being extremely delicious, is how easily it comes together, once you've chopped up your veggies. Then you just let the stove (slow-cooker, if you prefer) do all of the work.
This stew is also perfect when scooped up with some freshly baked bread. The night I made it, I also made an incredible rosemary olive bread, and the saltiness of the olives was perfect with the slight sweetness of the stew. A few days later, when I baked my soft pretzel bread, I decided to dip some in my soup and was floored by how perfectly paired the two were. I highly recommend making both. You can thank me once you incorporate them into your perfect winter evening.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup bunapi mushrooms, separated from their base
- 2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2-3 stalks of celery, sliced
- 1 bunch of chard stems cleaned, sliced and reserved
- 1 small/medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried, ground sage
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 15oz. can navy beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15oz can great northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 bunch of chard (stems removed and used earlier), roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Add both types of mushrooms and sauté for about three minutes. Add the carrots, celery, and chard stems and sauté for about five minutes. Add the herbs and spices and about 1 tablespoon of water to help the spices keep from clumping. Mix in well. Add the beans, the butternut squash, and the sweet potato and mix to combine. Sauté for about 3-4 minutes before adding the vegetable broth, water, and bay leaf. Stir well, cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, crack the pot and lower the heat to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for about 30 minutes, or until sweet potato and squash are both tender.
- Add in the nutritional yeast and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the chard and cook until the chard just starts to wilt. Remove the bay leaf. Remove the stew from heat and serve with some crusty french bread.
Photography by Chris Miller
Annie
Just added this to my menu for the week!
keepinitkind
Yay! Enjoy!
CJ at Food Stories
This soup looks so inviting and delicious (and healthy) - had to pin for later 🙂
keepinitkind
Wonderful! I hope you like it! 🙂
Cadry
This does sound like the perfect winter evening - fire in the fireplace, cozy clothes, your love by your side, and a companion animal to snuggle. And of course, a hot, steamy bowl of soup! I love it that the soup gets better as the days pass - less work for more flavor! Paired together with homemade bread, and you've definitely got me craving a bowlful. By the way, I love your napkins too! They look French.
keepinitkind
Thank you! It really is the perfect way to end a winter day. And the napkins, well, they're
just scrap fabrics from the discount bin at the fabric storedefinitely French. 🙂Richa`
i have been banned from picking up any more napkins and scraps until i have used all in pictures atleast 10 times :))
i love all the veggies and beans in this stew.. i agree.. the spices get picked up by the different components so well after a day!
keepinitkind
Thank you, Richa! And that's a really good rule to follow! My napkin/fabric stockpile is getting pretty full. 🙂
Caitlin
what a comforting stew. the color of the broth is gorgeous and i can imagine it tasting incredible with both the sweet potatoes and squash in there. a bowl of this would make a perfect evening, for sure!
keepinitkind
Thank you- it is definitely my new favorite stew. 🙂
Gabby @ the veggie nook
This soup looks and sounds so beautiful Kristy! I love your description of the perfect winter evening- mine matches up pretty perfectly 🙂
keepinitkind
Thank you, Gabby- it really is a great way to end a winter day. 🙂
janet @ the taste space
This looks absolutely delicious. Yum! 🙂
keepinitkind
Thank you, Janet! 🙂
Richa`
agree with Janet.. thats a lot of deliciousness in one bowl!
keepinitkind
Well, I agree with both of you. Wait, I mean, thank you! 🙂
Jennifer
I made this and opted not to use the full amount of dried herbs, thinking it would be too strong. Should have followed the directions- it was good but needed more flavor from what I omitted.
keepinitkind
Thanks, Jennifer. Yeah, I didn't use as many herbs initially, but at the end, when I taste-tested it, I had to add quite a bit more. It's avery mild-flavored soup otherwise. 🙂
Courtney Jones
This looks fantastic! I definitely need to make this this week. It's currently -30'C here...which is...about -25'F. It's bloody freezing!!!!! This stew would make things a lot more tolerable 🙂 Love all of the hearty ingredients in this stew! Yum!
keepinitkind
Good lord, lady! I can't even begin to imagine what -30 feels like! I wish I could bring you some hot soup right now. And a warm blanket. ANd a fireplace. Geez! Get warm! xo
Bex @ Vegan Sparkles
Ohhh the colours are heavenly and I love the idea of making such a large pot and not having to cook again for days! 🙂 Bookmarking for winter! xx
keepinitkind
Leftovers are definitely one of my favorite things. 😉 I hope you're having a lovely summer!
heather
Any night that I can cozy up in my yoga pants, slipper and hoodie with Justin and a big bowl of soup is an amazing night in my book, I am sure I will be making this soup sooner rather than later! xo
keepinitkind
Those nights are my favorite! Be sure to make some of your rosemary olive peasant bread to eat it with- it's a great combo! 🙂