As the evenings draw in and temperatures take a dip, many of us are on the hunt for hearty dishes to complete our snug nights indoors.
Now’s the perfect time to turn to beans for a comforting weeknight feast – from black to butter beans, your choices are vast for whipping up something warming and straightforward. Food influencer Sarah Doig, known as Sarah’s Vegan Recipes on Instagram, has shared a mouth-watering squash and sage bean recipe that’s ideal for autumn munching.
Captioning her video, she writes: “It’s getting colder and it’s time for cosy recipes! Grab a big bowl of these squash and sage beans and cosy up on the sofa, with a big chunk of toasted sourdough to scoop it all up with is highly recommended.
“If you like, stir through some roughly chopped spinach or kale a few minutes before serving to get in some extra greens.”
Squash and Sage Beans
Ingredients (serves two):
- 450g butternut squash, cut into chunks
- 1/4 tsp salt
- One tbsp olive oil
- One tsp dried sage
- One tbsp olive oil
- Two shallots
- Two garlic cloves
- One x 700g jar of butter beans (or two x 400g tins), drained
- 200ml veg stock
- 100ml unsweetened soya milk (or oat)
- Two tbsp nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper
- Cashew parmesan
- Crispy sage leaves
- Roasted squash seeds
Method
Start by pre-heating your oven to 200C / 390F.
Scatter your chopped squash onto a baking tray, give it a good drizzle of olive oil, and season with a pinch of salt and dried sage. Give it a good mix until it’s well coated and pop it in to roast for about 25 minutes, or until tender.
While that’s cooking, finely chop the shallots and soften them in olive oil till they’re sweet and golden, then throw in the garlic. Let everything mellow for a bit more before you add in the drained butter beans. Season with a bit of salt and pepper and mix well.
Once the squash is done roasting in the oven, set it aside to cool down. Then, add it to a blender along with the milk, stock, nutritional yeast and a bit of salt and pepper. Blend until you achieve a smooth and creamy consistency.
Next, pour this sauce into the pan containing the beans and let it simmer for roughly 10 minutes. You’re looking for a thick, creamy texture and it should be piping hot.
Finally, take the pan off the heat and garnish with squash seeds, sage and cashew parmesan before serving.