White Bean Vegetable Stew

White Bean Vegetable Stew

2 cans of cannellini or Great Northern beans, drained & rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 pound turkey or chicken sausage, mild or spicy, casing removed
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup water 
1  bunch kale, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped
2 ½ pounds butternut squash, peeled, cut into ½ inch pieces (about 6 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat and sauté the onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the sausage, garlic and thyme and sauté until evenly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and water, stir to blend. Add the beans, stirring to combine. Bring the stew to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the kale leaves.  Simmer for 10 minutes or until the kale is tender.  If needed, add additional water or broth a ½ cup at a time, until the desired consistency is achieved.

To Prepare the Butternut Squash:

Preheat the oven to 375.
Place the butternut squash in a large bowl, dizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat.
Arrange the butternut squash on a large, rimmed nonstick baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.
Set aside.


To Serve the Stew:

Fold in cooked butternut squash, salt and pepper.
Taste and correct the seasonings.
Serve hot.

This recipe is from Whole Foods Market.  Whole Foods has a wonderful selection of recipes on their website:  www.wholefoodsmarket.com.