Spicy Squash, Butter bean and Chickpea Slow Cooker Stew

by Sarah

I love coming home from my evening  walk to the delicious smell of food cooking away in the slow cooker and  reception it gave Jit yesterday was fantastic!  This spicy squash, butter bean and chickpea slow cooker stew is just the ticket for coming home after a brisk winter walk.

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We are avid Fitbit-ers and with me working from home (and loving food) I have to make sure I get out and about at least once a day for a walk, some fresh air and a change of scenery.  Yesterday as the weather was so lovely – picture blue skies dotted with light white clouds and a gorgeous orange glow spreading ad the sun began to set in the winter sky – that I decided to walk to town to meet Jit rather than taking the bus. I did walk the day before in the rain so this was a nice alternative!

Anyway, it was quite biting with the clear sky, but after a while you soon warm up.  I was keeping my hands warm by moving them about while I was counting to 10 in Hindi, so that helped too (It is one of my goals for the year, not counting to 10 but learning Hindi as I’d love to be able to learn some family recipes from Jit’s Mum and Aunties)

So yeah, getting the food on in the morning was a real bonus as I was able to get loads done on this blog and my Your Happy Life pages as well as have a relaxed evening – WIN!

Spicy Squash, Butterbean and Chickpea Slow Cooker Stew

Spicy Squash, Butterbean and Chickpea Slow Cooker Stew

Ingredients:

1/2 butternut squash, cut into 2 cm cubes (I don’t peel the squash as the skin is thin and cooks well, especially when slow cooked all day)

2 red onions, cut cut into wedges

400g tin or tetrapack of chopped tomatoes in chilli

450 ml vegetable stock (I use Kallo)

400g tin of butterbeans

400g tin of chickpeas

6 spring onions (basically a bunch!)

2 tsp smoked Paprika

1 tbsp olive oil

1.5 cups of polenta grains

Spicy Squash, Butterbean and Chickpea Slow Cooker Stew

Spicy Squash, Butterbean and Chickpea Slow Cooker Stew_2

Spicy Squash, Butterbean and Chickpea Slow Cooker Stew

 

Method:

Heat the oil in a large frying pan until very hot

Add the squash, spring onions, onion wedges and paprika and stir thoroughly to coat the vegetables in oil and spice

Cook over a medium to hi heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until the vegetables start to brown lightly

Pour the vegetables into the slow cooker dish

Boil the water for the stock

Pour the tomatoes, chickpeas and butterbeans into the dish with the vegetables

Mix up the stock and pour over the vegetables and beans

Stir thoroughly to combine

Pop the lid on the cooker and set to low

Cook for 6-8 hours (although, the great thing about this is you can leave it for up to 15 hours – great for when you are returning from a long day out)

Just before you are ready to serve, pour the polenta into the slow cooker and mix thoroughly (this will thicken the sauce and add your grains) return the lid and cook for 10 minutes

Place some spinach in your serving dishes and serve the stew on top

I know it is kind of unconventional, but I also served these with some poppadums for that bit of added crunch!

(If you want, you can add the spinach to the mixture prior to adding the polenta to be a one dish kind of serving thing)

Spicy Squash, Butterbean and Chickpea Slow Cooker Stew_6

…and that is how to make a Spicy Squash, Butter bean and Chickpea Slow Cooker Stew!

Here’s to more warming dishes while the weather is cold!

Enjoy!

Sarah sig

 

 

 

 

label (22)

Spicy Squash, Butterbean and Chickpea Slow Cooker Stew
Recipe Type: Stew
Author: Sarah Irving | Susty Meals
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
A warmign winter stew that you can prep in the morning and enjoy for a relaxed evening by the fire!
Ingredients
  • 1/2 butternut squash, cut into 2 cm cudes
  • 2 red onions, cut cut into wedges
  • 400g tin or tetrapack of chopped tomatoes in chilli
  • 450 ml vegetable stock (I use Kallo)
  • 400g tin of butterbeans
  • 400g tin of chickpeas
  • 6 spring onions (basically a bunch!)
  • 2 tsp smoked Paprika
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 cups of polenta grains
Instructions
  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan until very hot
  2. Add the squash, spring onions, onion wedges and paprika and stir thoroughly to coat the vegetables in oil and spice
  3. Cook over a medium to hi heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until the vegetables start to brown lightly
  4. Pour the vegetables into the slow cooker dish
  5. Boil the water for the stock
  6. Pour the tomatoes, chickpeas and butterbeans into the dish with the vegetables
  7. Mix up the stock and pour over the vegetables and beans
  8. Stir thoroughly to combine
  9. Pop the lid on the cooker and set to low
  10. Cook for 6-8 hours (although, the great thing about this is you can leave it for up to 15 hours – great for when you are returning from a long day out)
  11. Just before you are ready to serve, pour the polenta into the slow cooker and mix thoroughly (this will thicken the sauce and add your grains) return the lid and cook for 10 minutes
  12. Place some spinach in your serving dishes and serve the stew on top
  13. (If you want, you can add the spinach to the mixture prior to adding the polenta to be a one dish kind of serving thing)

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