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- Makes 8 cups stew
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There isn’t a more autumnal veggie stew than this! Packed full of seasonal produce and warming spices, you’ll love how this hearty recipe fills you up on a chilly evening. Cubes of tender kabocha squash are roasted alongside carrots, mushrooms, and fennel to draw out their natural sweetness while store-bought veggie broth gets an upgrade with lots of Italian herbs. Each serving of stew is spooned over a base of chewy farro that’s flecked with fresh basil and pine nuts, adding a little extra oomph to each bite. Crack a little black pepper over the top, and you’ve got the green light to dig in!
Tip: Kabocha squash looks like a little green pumpkin. For easier peeling, cut it in half, lay it cut side down on a cutting board, and use a chef’s knife to shave off the peel.
For more kabocha squash recipes, check out these tasty ideas:
Ingredients
- 4 cups cubed peeled kabocha squash (¾-inch cubes)
- 4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thickly sliced (2 cups)
- 8 oz. fresh cremini mushrooms, halved
- 1 medium fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and cut into ¼-inch wedges
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
- 4 cups shredded fresh Swiss chard
- Sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups hot cooked farro
- ½ cup slivered fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two large shallow baking pans with parchment paper or foil. Arrange squash and carrots in one baking pan and mushrooms and fennel in the other baking pan. Sprinkle all vegetables with vinegar. Roast 30 minutes or until just tender and lightly browned, stirring once.
- In a 4- to 6-quart pot cook onion in 2 tablespoons water over medium 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally and adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Add roasted vegetables, broth, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chard until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir together farro, basil, and pine nuts. Spoon into bowls. Top with stew.
Comments (1)
(5 from 1 vote)This has been one of my top 3 FOK soups since it came out in the magazine a few years ago. Over the years, I've simplified a few things. Instead of roasting the veggies, I just add them to the soup once the onion and garlic are sauteed. I don't add the vinegar either. The soup does require a lot of prep time to hack through the tough skin of the kabocha and slice the fennel. However, I love the combination of the flavors and textures.