Sausage and White Bean Stew in Pumpkin Bowls

This recipe has such a mild, unassuming flavor that it’s perfect for even the more picky people in the family.  Besides, who doesn’t love eating out of a cute little pumpkin bowl? 🙂

1 cup dried navy beans

6 small baking pumpkins (about 2 lbs each)

1/8 cup olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 dried bay leaf

1 sprig fresh thyme

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

2.5 cups chicken stock

1 medium onion

1.5 tablespoons butter

1 large leek, white and pale green parts, thinly sliced and washed thoroughly

2 medium carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

1 celery stalk, diced

18 red or white pearl onions, peeled

6 oz small fingerling or new potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

1/2 lb to 1 lb turkey sausage, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup baby peas

4-6oz white button mushrooms, quartered (I used shiitake mushrooms and they gave it a nice “woodsy” flavor)

1/8 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon fresh sage, coarsely chopped

Pick over the dried beans, discarding any stones or broken beans, and rinse.  Place them in a large saucepan, cover with cold water by 2 inches, and bring to a strong boil over high heat.  Cover and remove from the heat; let stand 1 hour.  Drain the beans, set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line two baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.  Cut a lid into the top of the pumpkins.  Remove the seeds.  Rub the inside of each pumpkin with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place the pumpkins right side up on the baking sheets and bake for 30 minutes.  Turn pumpkins over and make until they are tender but firm, about 30 minutes more.  Set aside.

Tie bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns in to a piece of cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni.  Set aside.  Place beans in a medium stockpot.  Add the chicken stock, onion, and bouquet garni.  Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 30-45 minutes.  Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.  Discard the bouquet garni.

In a large stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the leeks, carrots, celery, pearl onions, and potatoes.  Cook until softened, about 15-30 minutes.  Add the sausage, and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the peas and mushrooms.  Sprinkle in the flour, and cook 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium, stir in the milk and reserved cooking liquid, and stir the stew often until it thickens, about 20 minutes.   Stir in the beans and sage.  Divide the stew among the pumpkins, and return the baking sheets to the oven; bake until the pumpkins are soft and the stew is heated through, about 15 minutes. 

This recipe serves 6, but it’s just as easy to double it and serve half of it for dinner and eat the other half in regular bowls later in the week.  I made the doubled version and gave it to some of my friends.  It seemed to go over quite well!