Name: Mung Bean and Butternut Squash Stew
Yield: Serves 6-8
Ingredients: 1 cup split and hulled mung beans; 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil or organic ghee (Indian clarified butter); 1 onion, peeled and diced; 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced; 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced; 1 Serrano or other hot chile pepper (seeded for a less spicy stew); 6 cups homemade turkey, chicken or vegetable stock or water; 2 cups peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash (or peeled and diced white or sweet potato); 1-2 large carrots, chopped; 2 cups Swiss chard or collard greens, tough stems removed, and then chopped; 2-3 teaspoons jaggery or brown sugar; 2-3 teaspoons garam masala; 1/2 teaspoon tumeric; 1 can of organic unsweetened whole coconut milk- optional; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (the amount of salt needed will depend on how salty your stock is)

Recipes
Stew

Test Kitchen-Approved

Author Notes

In Ayurveda, recipes for mung bean stew like this one are recommended for restoring the health of the digestive tract. This soup takes advantage of nourishing homemade turkey stock as well as seasonally available butternut squash, but it is easily adapted to accommodate chicken or vegetable stock, as well as many other vegetables. - WinnieAb —WinnieAb

Test Kitchen Notes

Everything about this hearty stew is comforting. The texture is thick and creamy, the vegetables make it colorful, and the ginger and chile are very warming. Above all, it's delicious. What's great about this recipe is that it is very easy to prepare and holds up well in the fridge for a few days, so it's a great option to make ahead of time and know you have something healthful on hand in case of a busy day. - VanessaS —VanessaS

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 cup split and hulled mung beans
1 tablespoon organic coconut oil or organic ghee (Indian clarified butter)
1 onion, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 Serrano or other hot chile pepper (seeded for a less spicy stew)
6 cups homemade turkey, chicken or vegetable stock or water
2 cups peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash (or peeled and diced white or sweet potato)
1-2 large carrots, chopped
2 cups Swiss chard or collard greens, tough stems removed, and then chopped
2-3 teaspoons jaggery or brown sugar
2-3 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1 can of organic unsweetened whole coconut milk- optional
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (the amount of salt needed will depend on how salty your stock is)

In This Recipe

Tools

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Directions

Run cold water over mung beans in a colander. Drain and set aside.
Warm coconut oil or ghee in a large pot. Add onion, garlic, ginger and chile pepper and saute until fragrant. Add stock or water.
Add the mung beans and the squash, then add the rest of the vegetables and the spices. Stir well to combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally, and adding more liquid if it becomes too thick. Remove from heat when everything is soft and cooked through.
Add optional coconut milk and stir well to combine and heat through. Add salt, taste, and adjust seasonings before serving.

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Taylor Stanton
Douglas Boyce
Lee Anh
Tashipluto

Review

I grew up in a restaurant family (my parents owned the now closed Quilted Giraffe in NYC) and I've always loved to cook. My interest in the connection between food and health led me to pursue a graduate degree in naturopathic medicine. I don't practice medicine anymore; I have a blog called Healthy Green Kitchen that I started in May of 2009 and I wrote a book called One Simple Change that will be published in January, 2014. I live in upstate New York with my family and many pets.

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5 Reviews

Taylor S. September 19, 2017

This is wonderful, hot or cold! It's my first fall soup and I couldn't have picked a better one to make. Since I do not have garam masala I just substituted curry powder and coriander. I also used low-fat coconut milk. DELISH.

Douglas B. November 3, 2014

Since I found this recipe it has become a monthly staple in my home.
DIVINITY in a bowl !

Lee A. April 30, 2013

I blended in a block of tofu at the end to increase the protein content and give a creamier texture. I also cooked it in a pressure cooker in about 20 mins. Easy and delicious.

Tashipluto February 15, 2013

I made this tonight -- delicious! I used kabocha squash because that's what I had. I also subbed cayenne pepper, added with the other spices, because I was out of peppers. I started with half tsp and added another half because we like our food spicy. Also added a tbsp of lime juice because I thought it was too sweet -- probably because of the different squash. Then I decided to use my immersion blender at the end to make it more dal-like and less soup-like. I knew my kids would be leery of the floating chunks of squash and chard, but once it all blended up they gobbled it down. A definite keeper, my daughter even "put it on her list"!

Elena J. December 28, 2011

So tasty! I used whole mung beans (soaked overnight) instead of the split beans and subbed a sweet green pepper and some celery for the chopped greens, and it was delicious. Very warming for the winter, but not overly-rich. So, basically perfect for this time of year, when I'm trying to repent from all the Christmas-time indulgences! Thank you for the great recipe!

One-Pot Wonders

Mung Bean and Butternut Squash Stew