Bean Mash With Roasted Squash And Onion-Chilli-Herb Salsa

Bring on the flavours - this butter/lima bean mash with roasted squash and a tangy onion-chilli-herb salsa is a super-delicious vegetarian dish which I'm sure would go down a storm with most people.

Butter/lima beans are low in both calories and fat. These beans are also highly nutritious and rich in both fibre and protein.

Fibre-rich foods helps to control blood sugar levels, is good for digestion and makes you feel fuller.

The high protein content in the beans also helps to increase your feeling of fullness. This is a protein source that comes with the added high nutrient content of the beans.

I'm using butternut squash for this dish, another fibre and protein-rich vegetable. It's also loaded with different vitamins (very rich in vitamins A, C) and minerals.

The salsa is border-line addictive! It is so tasty and adds so much flavour while also being really nutritious.

Tip. I am adding cilantro/coriander to the salsa. If you don't like it, use parsley instead.

Recipe For Bean Mash With Roasted Squash

For 4 people:

1 butternut squash - peeled, halved, de-seeded and cut into chunks

1 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and black pepper

For the mash:

1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large red onion - peeled and sliced (the other half is added to the salsa)

2 garlic cloves - minced/crushed

2 tins/cans with butter/lima beans - empty over a sieve to remove the water they are in

zest of 1 lemon (the juice is added to the salsa)

150ml, 5fl oz, vegetable stock

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the salsa:

1/2 large red onion - finely chopped

2 spring onions/scallions- finely sliced

1 large handful fresh coriander/cilantro - chopped

leaves from 3 sprigs of fresh mint - finely sliced

2 large red chillies - de-seeded and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Juice of 1 lemon

Start by heating up your oven to 220C/Fan 200C/425F. Cover a baking tray with parchment/baking paper, add the diced butternut squash and toss with the olive oil. Spread out the diced squash on the tray and season with some sea salt and quite generously with black pepper. Place the tray in the oven and roast for about 35 minutes, until the squash is soft. Check with a knife.
While the the squash is roasting, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the sliced onion to a medium-sized pot and cook over a low heat for 5 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further minute before adding the beans, lemon zest, vegetable stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
Use a stick blender in the pot to make the mash. If it's too thick, which it probably will be, add some hot water to the pot, enough hot water to give you a smooth mash. Taste and check the seasoning.
Add all the ingredients for the salsa to a glass or ceramic bowl and mix together.

Divide the mash between 4 plates, top with the diced squash first and then the salsa.

“So long as you have food in your mouth, you have solved all questions for the time being.” Franz Kafka

Get delicious and nutritious tips and tidbits in my monthly Newsletter. You will get time-saving cooking tips, ideas for how to make your diet more nutritious and flavourful recipes.

Subscribe today and you will get an instant download to my Ebook “A Tasty Way to Salsa, Dips & Sauces”.

Click on Tasty & Healthy Nuggets to subscribe..

New Comments! Have your say about what you just read! Leave me a comment in the box below.