Stewed White Beans with Fresh Tomatoes

Here's a simple and tasty stewed bean dish for late summer or early fall. Use yellow summer squash or delicata in late summer, or butternut squash in early fall. Tomatoes and white beans are a companionable pair. Serve with crusty bread and a big colorful salad.

Serves: 6 to 8

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow summer squash or delicata squash, diced
(peel and seed the delicata)
3 to 3 ½ cups cooked navy or cannellini beans
(or two 15-to 16-ounce cans, drained and rinsed)
2 pounds ripe flavorful tomatoes, diced
(use some halved cherry tomatoes in the mix, if you'd like)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika, or a combination of sweet and smoked paprika
Dried hot red pepper flakes to taste
1 ½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried
2 links vegan sausage, thinly sliced, optional
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Chopped fresh herbs of your choice for garnish

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Add the carrots and garlic and continue to sauté until all are golden.

Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and seasonings. Add ½ cup water. Bring to a simmer, then covered and cook over very low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

If you're using the vegan sausage, sauté the slices in a separate, lightly oiled skillet until golden on most sides, stirring occasionally.

Stir the optional sausage slices into the stew, then season with salt and pepper. The stewed beans should have a thick, stew-like consistency, not soupy, but if you'd like a bit more liquid in the dish, stir in a bit more water. Serve in shallow bowls.

Variations:

Use a combination of red and white beans, as shown in the photo.
In late fall, use butternut or acorn squash in place of the yellow squash or delicata. See tips on how to more easily cut and peel hard squashes in this post on winter squashes.