Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Stew

Put some seasonal squash to good use in this hearty, healthy stew! In the pantry, we had some pumpkin puree from our previous fall treat recipes, so we decided to use it in a savory application. This stew can be vegetarian, or not, depending on preference - we used ground turkey breast. As the weather cools, it's time to break out the soups and stews! Let’s start the season off with this simple recipe.

For your stew, you’ll need:

1 can pumpkin puree

1 can pinto beans

1 sweet potato

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 lb ground turkey (optional)

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp chili powder

Salt to taste

Tasty Topping Options:

Diced avocado

Shredded cheddar

Hot sauce

Plain yogurt

Diced red onion

Start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees. Place the entire sweet potato on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven for about 45-55 minutes- we’ll come back to this later! Next, heat a little oil over medium heat in a large pot or saucepan. While the pot heats, dice bell peppers into small pieces. Add diced pepper to the hot oil and stir for about 5 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add ground turkey (if you are using meat), and stir until cooked- about 5 minutes. 

Once the peppers are soft and the meat is cooked through, add pumpkin puree, pinto beans, canned tomato and all spices. Stir until incorporated and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Let stew simmer for about 20-25 minutes. If stew is too thick, feel free to stir in a cup of water to thin out the texture.

Around this time the sweet potato should be ready to come out of the oven. Carefully peel the skin off - be careful, it's hot! Cube the sweet potato into bite size pieces and stir into the stew. 

Now it's time to taste! Add salt to taste and add extra chili powder if you like it spicy. Let the pot simmer until it's time to serve. When serving, add your favorite toppings, including (but not limited to), diced avocado, plain greek yogurt, cheese, red onion and hot sauce. 

Leftovers can last in a tupperware in the fridge for up to a week or frozen in the freezer for up to a month!