Instant Pot Butternut Squash Black Bean Stew

Butternut Squash Black Bean Stew is a comfort food classic ! An easy, 20 minute, ultra delicious recipe you’ll eat all season long.

This hearty stew is bursting with buttery sweet squash,  earthy beans, zesty fresh veggies and creamy flavorful broth. This recipe is a winner all around !!

Come fall season, Panera Bread and other similar restaurants bring out Black Bean Butternut Squash Soup. Everyone including kids love that cozy comfy meal.

So I decided to base this recipe but instead of blending it into puree, I like the soft bite of stew. With necessary changes, this stew further enhances that hearty, savory taste with creamy comforting feel.

You will love this Butternut Squash Black Bean Stew Recipe because

• It’s gluten-free,  vegan, dairy free and soy free
• Soothingly spiced, hearty and comforting
• It has perfect balance of savory, sweet and earthy flavors.
• Perfect for weeknight meals and lunch preps
• Easy to make and filling and full of all “good for you” ingredients.

Eating nourishing and meatless food doesn’t have to be boring. Just look at this beautiful stew. It’s like a sunshine in the bowl. Isn’t it?

The contrasting colors in this stew are beautiful, vibrant and totally inviting. It’s all natural food with bright colors. So pleasing to the eyes and to the taste buds as well.

This stew is also full of vitamins, fiber, iron and plant protein. Everything is just too good and better for you. Plus it’s super affordable. 

It is one of my favorites recipe to cook during the busy autumn and winter months. It warms up your belly and spirits.

This vegan and gluten free stew is non tomato based. A lot of our readers are looking for avoiding tomato based recipes. This one fits their dietary needs too.

SOME ALTERNATE INGREDIENTS IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SWAPS:

Use chickpeas, cannellini or butter beans instead of black beans.

Sub sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots, parsnips, pumpkin or acorn for butternut squash.

Want to add more protein? You can add extra firm tofu, peanuts, tempeh or seitan.

Add grains ? use quinoa, barley or brown rice.

If you’d like to swap out the spinach, add in kale or collard greens or rainbow chard.

You can make this stew into chili or soup by adjusting the amount of liquid.

IS IT STEW,  CHILLI , SOUP OR BOWL ?

The stew is not quite soup consistency, but you can add extra broth to make it more soupy. You can also blend and puree it if you prefer slurpy soup.

To make it chunky chili texture,  reduce the liquid broth by 1/2 cup. It will thicken some more as it cools.

If you are into buddha bowl meals, you can use same stew, add in some more greens and veggies and serve it in bowl.

THE INGREDIENTS :

Butternut squash : I often buy pre cut butternut squash. It comes in handy and saves lots of efforts.

Black beans : I am using canned beans. Drain and rinse them in fresh water before using.

Aromatics  : A bay leaf,  twigs of fresh thyme, minced garlic,  21 seasoning salute ( it’s an all purpose seasoning mix ) and chili lime seasoning (substitute red pepper flakes and lemon juice) and cumin-coriander powder. 

Stew base : coconut milk and low sodium vegetable broth.

Veggies  : Onion, red pepper and fresh spinach

As always,  I am including instructions to make this recipe in electric pressure cooker like Instant Pot or in the cast iron skillet on the stove top. 

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH BLACK BEAN STEW

Step by step detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below. The basic recipe involves steps as described below:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bay leaf, onions and bell peppers. Sprinkle  some salt. Stir and cook until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute
2. Add butternut squash, black beans, seasonings,  thyme and stir to coat. Stir in coconut milk and vegetable broth. Let it come to a boil, then reduce heat, cover the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Stir in spinach. Adjust the seasoning and cook for about 4 minutes. Ladle in serving bowls and enjoy.
4. If you are using Instant pot, I recommend you pressure cook the stew in vegetable broth or water first and then add coconut milk after it’s done cooking. This ensures that coconut milk doesn’t separate or curdle and stew remains smooth creamy.

WANT MORE COMFORTING INSTANT POT RECIPES? CHECK THESE OUT

• ONE POT MINESTRONE SOUP
• WHITE BEAN AND SPINACH SOUP
• LENTIL QUINOA SOUP
• EASY BLACK BEAN SOUP
• CREAMY TOMATO BISQUE
• VEGAN SPLIT PEA SOUP 
• CREAMY GNOCCHI SOUP

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Instant Pot Butternut Squash Black Bean Stew Recipe

Prajakta Sukhatme

Butternut Squash Black Bean Stew is a comfort food classic ! An easy, 20 minute, ultra delicious recipe you’ll eat all season long. Vegan, gluten free recipe with Instantpot and stovetop instructions.

4.49 from 54 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Comfort Food

Cuisine American

Servings 9 cups

Calories 189 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 cups butternut squash diced into bite size pieces
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper diced
• 1 cup baby spinach chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice

Seasoning :

• 1 teaspoon coriander cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon 21 seasoning salute see notes
• 1/4 teaspoon Chili lime seasoning see notes
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dry thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper - adjust per taste

Instructions

 

STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS :

• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add bay leaf, onions and bell peppers. Sprinkle  some salt.  Stir and cook until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute
• Add butternut squash, black beans, seasonings and stir to coat. Stir in coconut milk and vegetable broth. Let it come to a boil, then reduce heat, cover the pot and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
• Stir in spinach. Adjust the seasoning and cook for about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice, ladle the stew in serving bowls and enjoy ..

INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS:

• Press SAUTE button on the Instant Pot and add oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add bay leaf, onions and bell pepper.  Sprinkle some salt.  Stir and cook the onions till they are soft, around 3 minutes.
• Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
• Add butternut squash, black beans, all ingredients listed under seasonings,  thyme and stir to coat. Stir in vegetable broth. Cook the spices for 30 seconds.
• Deglaze the pot by scrapping the bottom. There shouldn't be at burnt bits stuck at the bottom of the pot. Cancel SAUTE.
• Close the lid and set valve to sealing. Press the MANUAL / PRESSURE COOK button and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. 
• Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick pressure release by manually moving the pressure valve from sealing to venting position. Once the silver pin drops, open the lid. 
• Stir in spinach and coconut milk. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add lemon juice and serve butternut squash stew in the serving bowl and enjoy !

Notes

21 seasoning salute is all purpose seasoning mix . You can use your choice of all purpose seasoning blend/ mix.

Chili lime seasoning adds mild spicy kick. Use red pepper flakes or smoked paprika as a substitute.

To make this recipe WFPB oil free compliant, simply skip oil and use vegetable broth or water for sauteing.

Serve this stew garnished with fresh cilantro, onions and side of tortilla chips or potato chips.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gFiber: 6gSugar: 4g

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