Slow Cooker Rosemary Squash and Cannellini Bean Stew

Name: Slow Cooker Rosemary Squash and Cannellini Bean Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 300 min
Total time: 320 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 carrots, peeled and sliced; 2 sticks celery, sliced; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon tomato purée; 700 g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 3 cm chunks; 500 g passata; 500 ml low-salt vegetable stock; 2 sprigs fresh rosemary; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 2 x 400 g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 100 g baby spinach; 100 g crème fraîche; 1 lemon, finely grated zest and 1 tablespoon juice; ½ teaspoon fine salt, or to taste; ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Tender butternut squash and creamy cannellini beans simmer with rosemary, tomato and vegetables in this comforting meat-free slow cooker stew. A spoonful of crème fraîche and a squeeze of lemon at the end make the sauce rich and fresh without making it heavy.

Slow Cooker Rosemary Squash and Cannellini Bean Stew recipe photograph

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery for 5 minutes until beginning to soften, then add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute more.
Tip the softened vegetables into a 3.5 litre slow cooker. Add the butternut squash, passata, vegetable stock, rosemary and oregano, then stir well.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender but still holds its shape.
Stir in the drained cannellini beans, cover again and cook for a further 30 minutes on low, until the beans are hot.
Remove the rosemary sprigs. Stir through the spinach, crème fraîche, lemon zest and lemon juice, then season with the salt and black pepper. Replace the lid for 5 minutes so the spinach wilts, and serve piping hot.

Equipment needed

Recommended slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Frying pan
Wooden spoon
Sharp knife
Ladle

Swaps and substitutions

Cannellini beans → Butter beans or haricot beans
Use the same drained weight and rinse before adding.
Crème fraîche → Full-fat Greek-style yoghurt or dairy-free plain yoghurt
Stir in off the heat to reduce the chance of splitting.

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Slow cooker

Tags: Slow cooker, Vegetarian, Vegan adaptable, Family meals, One-pot meals, Butternut squash, Cannellini beans, Freezer friendly

Slow Cooker Rosemary Squash and Cannellini Bean Stew

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 5 hrs
Total: 5 hr 20 min
Servings: 4

Equipment

Slow-cooker size: 3.5 litre

3.5 litre slow cooker
Frying pan
Wooden spoon
Sharp knife
Ladle

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 sticks celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato purée
700 g butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 3 cm chunks
500 g passata
500 ml low-salt vegetable stock
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 x 400 g tins cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
100 g baby spinach
100 g crème fraîche
1 lemon, finely grated zest and 1 tablespoon juice
½ teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Substitutions

Cannellini beans → Butter beans or haricot beans (Use the same drained weight and rinse before adding.)
Crème fraîche → Full-fat Greek-style yoghurt or dairy-free plain yoghurt (Stir in off the heat to reduce the chance of splitting.)
Baby spinach → Shredded kale (Add kale with the beans so it has longer to soften.)

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery for 5 minutes until beginning to soften, then add the garlic and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute more.
Tip the softened vegetables into a 3.5 litre slow cooker. Add the butternut squash, passata, vegetable stock, rosemary and oregano, then stir well.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender but still holds its shape.
Stir in the drained cannellini beans, cover again and cook for a further 30 minutes on low, until the beans are hot.
Remove the rosemary sprigs. Stir through the spinach, crème fraîche, lemon zest and lemon juice, then season with the salt and black pepper. Replace the lid for 5 minutes so the spinach wilts, and serve piping hot.

Storage and leftovers

Freezer friendly: Yes

Suitable for batch cooking

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered container within two hours. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Defrost: Freeze the stew before adding the crème fraîche, spinach and lemon if possible. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat in a saucepan until piping hot, adding the spinach, crème fraîche and lemon at the end. If already frozen with the crème fraîche, thaw slowly in the fridge and stir well while reheating.

Reheat gently in a saucepan over a medium heat or in the microwave, stirring once or twice, until piping hot throughout. Add a splash of water or stock if the stew has thickened. Do not reheat more than once.

Spoon leftovers over baked potatoes, or loosen with extra stock and serve as a thick soup with crusty bread.

Allergen information

Contains milk if made with crème fraîche. Check the vegetable stock and any dairy-free alternatives for other allergens. Use a dairy-free yoghurt and suitable stock for a dairy-free version.

Always check ingredient packaging and labels if you or someone you are cooking for has an allergy.

Slow Cooker Rosemary Squash and Cannellini Bean Stew

Instructions

Equipment needed

Swaps and substitutions

Slow Cooker Rosemary Squash and Cannellini Bean Stew

Equipment

Ingredients

Substitutions

Instructions

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

Storage and leftovers

Allergen information

My private notes

Community comments

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