Cold weather always makes me want to sit inside with comfort food and go into a Netflix coma. Only problem is, when you live in a place where it’s cold a big portion of the year, you may form a permanent “winter layer”—not so desirable. This stew gives the best of both worlds by being a delicious comfort food while also being healthy and nutritious.

For most stews, I would say that they are better the day after you make them because the flavours develop and become stronger. For this one, I’d say day-of is best only because the texture of the okra changes the longer it sits. I honestly can’t explain why because I haven’t done much cooking with okra; the first day it was tender and soft, mixed well with everything. Further on in the week it felt chewier and like it had become a little harder…not quite as pleasant as before.

For those of you that have never tried buttercup squash before, I’d recommend it. The flavours aren’t as strong as a butternut squash and once cooked, the texture can be compared to cooked potatoes. It absorbs flavours really well in soups, stews and curries, so it was perfect for this dish.

I adapted this recipe from Amateur Vegan Chef.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp. vegetable oil
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 1 whole tomato chopped
• 2 pods fresh okra, scrubbed and sliced
• 1 (425g) can of white beans—do not drain
• 1 medium-sized buttercup squash, peeled, seeded and diced
• 3 drops extreme hot sauce
• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. cajun seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
• Salt to taste
• A dash of cayenne pepper

Method

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, carrot and celery and heat until the onions are translucent. Add in the tomato, okra, beans and squash. Do not rinse the beans. Fill the empty can with water twice and add that to the pot.

Add in all seasoning. Simmer, covered, on medium-low until the squash can be easily pierced with a fork. Serve hot with rice and you’re set for a healthy, filling meal.