White Bean, Butternut Squash, Kale and Olive Stew

Cooking with canned beans makes this a quick and easy variation on a classic Mediterranean stew.

Recipe Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 large onions, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 (3 to 3 1/2-pounds) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
3 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 bunches large kale, stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into strips
1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
5 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

Cooking Directions:

1. Heat oil in heavy, large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add squash; sauté 10 minutes. Stir in bell peppers. Add broth; cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Mix kale and sage into stew. Cover and cook until kale wilts, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add beans and olives, and stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer stew to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle generously with grated Romano cheese, if desired.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe): 732 calories; 18 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 1,100 mg sodium; 120 g carbohydrate; 28 g fiber; 31 g protein.

Recipe provided courtesy of Canned Food Alliance.