Pumpkin, Kale, & Black Bean Stew

I’ve definitely been slacking on the pumpkin front this fall. I’ve made several batches of my favorite pumpkin chocolate chip muffins…. a few breakfasts of pumpkin pie baked oatmeal… and a few other treats that I’ll share about soon. But all in all, I’m not sure what my deal is: I still love pumpkin and still have been using it in recipes, but I just haven’t been blogging about it. How weird!

Well, that’s going to change. This week. Right now, in fact.

A couple weeks ago, I didn’t feel like the dinner I had planned on my weekly menu plan [this happens semi-often…], so I just started pulling things out of the fridge and pantry and put together this quick Pumpkin, Kale, & Black Bean Stew. I wasn’t sure if it would be blog-worthy, but once I took a bite, I was smitten!

This thick stew’s pumpkin base is the perfect canvas for flavorful, healthy black beans, stewed tomatoes, and kale. For non-pumpkin lovers, the pumpkin flavor simply serves as a base for hearty ingredients. But for pumpkin lovers, just a pinch of pumpkin pie spice[!!!] is the secret ingredient to lasting pumpkin love! And boy, do I love pumpkin. This stew comes together in a flash, and is so flavorful that it doesn’t need any typical soup toppings [cheese, sour cream, etc.]. However, to make it a little more indulgent, I stirred in a bit of half and half at the very end. Great decision! And an even better decision on my part [and yours!] would be to make this stew again asap. It is that good. 🙂 Enjoy!!

Pumpkin, Kale, & Black Bean Stew
click to print

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 [15 ounce] can stewed tomatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 leaves kale, chopped [about 2 loosely packed cups]
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, minced
• 2 tablespoons half and half

Directions:

In a stock pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and season with black pepper. Saute for about 5-6 minutes or until soft and translucent. Next, add chicken broth, pumpkin, black beans, tomatoes, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until combined, then cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Lastly, add kale and sage, and cook for another minute or two. Stir in half and half and serve immediately.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 4-6 servings.