Thanksgiving Blue Hubbard Squash Recipe with White Beans & Sage - Blend of Bites (2024)

A member of the large family, including squashes, pumpkins, and gourds, Blue Hubbard squash catches the eye with its color and size. It has a distinctive blue-gray or bluish-green skin. It’s a type of winter squash and can be found from September to March in grocery stores and farmers' markets. Blue Hubbard squash’s size ranges from 10 to 30 pounds or even larger.

Blue Hubbard squash grows in many places across the US and Canada. It’s a nutritious vegetable and is a good source of nutrients, including vitamins A and C, dietary fibers, potassium, and antioxidants such as beta-carotene.

In contrast to the outer shell, the flesh of the Blue Hubbard squash is orange. Like the other squash family members, its inner texture is dense and sweet. The rich taste of Blue Hubbard squash makes it versatile in the kitchen. You can cook soups, casseroles, omelets, bake pies, and other pastries with it. This Blue Hubbard squash recipe gives you everything you need to know to turn this autumn specialty into a fulfilling stew.

Ingredients

Base ingredients

• Blue Hubbard squash — 3 pounds, peeled, deseeded, chopped into inch-sized cubes
• Celery stalk — 2 pieces, chopped into small cubes
• Carrots — 2 medium, chopped into small cubes
• Olive oil — 3 tbsp.
• Onion — 1 large, chopped into small cubes
• Garlic — 2 cloves, minced
• Canned tomatoes — 14 oz can, diced, undrained
• Vegetable broth — 3 cups
• White beans — 1 cup, cooked and drained
• Paprika — ½ tsp.
• Dried thyme — ½ tsp.
• Dried rosemary— ½ tsp.
• Garam masala — ½ tsp.
• Ground cumin— ½ tsp.
• Salt— 1 tsp.
• Ground black pepper — ½ tsp.

Serving ingredients

• Raw pumpkin seeds — 3 tbsp.
• Fresh sage leaves — 3 tbsp., coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. Put olive oil in a large pot and heat on medium on the stovetop.

2. Add the diced onions and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the vegetables to the pot. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened.

4. Pour in the vegetable broth and canned diced tomatoes (with the tomato juice).

5. Add the beans, all the spices, and salt to the pot. When the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat to low. Close the pot lid and leave the stew to simmer for about 25-30 minutes. You can check the doneness by the tenderness of the squash.

6. Serve the Blue Hubbard squash stew hot, garnished with pumpkin seeds and sage leaves.

Substitutions

• White beans — This recipe for Hubbard squash uses white beans, but other legumes work well, too. You can replace white beans in this Blue Hubbard squash recipe with the same amount of cooked chickpeas or kidney beans. Peas also work well.

• Olive oil — You can substitute olive oil with vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, or canola.

Variations

• Make it meaty — As you may have noticed, this Blue Hubbard squash recipe is plant-based. If you want to enrich the flavors more, you can use chicken or beef broth instead. It is not recommended to use actual meat pieces since it will affect the texture and balance of the stew.

Equipment

• Measuring spoons and cups

• Chopping board

• Knife

• Pot

• Stove

Storage

• To store the stew in the fridge, allow it to cool to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. You can store the stew for about four days.

• You can store the stew in the freezer for about 2-3 months. Cool it to room temperature and transfer it into freezer-safe containers or resealable bags.Be careful with the thawing and reheating steps.

Pro Tips

• Since Blue Hubbard squash is a rather giant vegetable for one customer to buy, grocery stores and farmers' markets sell it in pieces. This is more convenient, of course. But you should be careful when picking sliced Blue Hubbard squash. Ensure that there is no discoloration or spot-like appearance on the pieces.

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