Pumpkin Stew

Adapted from A Beautiful Bowl of Soup
See more recipes here.

Besides a lack of crowds, the other reason why I love cold weather is an excuse to eat soups and stews.  Don’t get me wrong, I like soup all year round; but I feel a little less crazy eating it at this time of year.  My friend Logan introduced me to A Beautiful Bowl of Soup, which is made up of completely vegetarian recipes.  I’m a tweaker — rarely do I cook a recipe as is, and this book’s recipes are no exception, but I love them because they provide a great starting off point and only need minor adjustments to suit our tastes.

I made this on Thursday when we took dinner to Jess’ house and it was a big hit.  It was also one that Nora enjoyed helping to make (her main job being to scoop the seeds and goop out of the pumpkin), so I knew I had to share it.  It would make a great healthy meal for after Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving leftovers.

By the way, I don’t want to post three times today, so cake will be coming tomorrow, and here’s a quick rundown of what I’m thankful for today: getting a chance to be creative in the kitchen, Nora’s surprisingly long nap time, and A Prairie Home Companion.

Ingredients

•  2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 24oz canned crushed tomatoes (I used one of my quart jars)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and coarsely chopped
• 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into a 1/2” dice (about 2 cups)
• 1 sweet  potato, peeled and cut into a 1/2” dice (about 2 cups)
• 1 medium cooking apple, such as Granny Smith,  peeled and cut into a 1/2” dice
• 2 cups vegetable stock, plus more if needed
• 1 pie pumpkin, sugar or Long Island cheese variety (8-10 lbs)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus additional as desired
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, plus additional as desired
• 2 cups (or 1 can) cooked white beans
• 1/4 cup sherry