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Instant Pot Tuscan Kale & Butternut Squash Stew

Brenna May
This recipe is a warm and comforting one. It is filling and nutritious and versatile in that it is Paleo and Vegan but can easily be expanded by adding a can of cannellini beans or even sausage, for those who prefer the stew in its classic form: tuscan kale & sausage stew. It is done entirely in the instant pot, which is a boon as far as I'm concerned.
Prep Time 45 mins

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium onion finely diced (so that little people miss them entirely)
  • 3-4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil extra virgin olive oil, or ghee
  • 1 small butternut squash peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
  • 6-8 carrots peeled and sliced
  • 1 head cauliflower broken apart into florets or 1 bag frozen
  • 1 pouch petite diced or crushed tomatoes or 2-3 fresh ones, diced
  • 1 bunch curly kale rinsed and chopped
  • 1 can cannellini or another white bean variety soaked, cooked, drained and rinsed (optional, NOT paleo)
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 small handful chopped oregano or 1 Tbsp dried oregano
  • 3-4 tsp kosher salt to taste
  • 2-4 cups water depending on whether you prefer soup or stew
  • black pepper to taste I leave it out as my kids find it spicy

Instructions
 

  • Spray the bottom of your instant pot with coconut oil (I use Sally’s Organics bottles filled with liquid coconut oil). Alternatively, you can use a tablespoon of coconut oil or ghee. I tend not to use olive oil when heating to high temperatures but if you have a high quality unrefined extra virgin olive oil it should have a sufficiently high smoke point and be safe for use.
  • Add the diced onion and garlic and set the Instant Pot to sauté. If you are using a standard pot just sauté the onions before adding the other ingredients. If you are using a crock pot or slow cooker you can either do this step first and then add all the ingredients to the crock or you can just chuck it all in together. I find sautéing caramelizes the onions and makes them more palatable to little people and husbands who are not fond of strong flavors. Also, this is similar to how french onion soup is made so sautéing first negates the need for vegetable broth.
  • Here’s where you decide whether you are going for soup or stew. For the former, add the butternut squash and then cover with water, about 2 cups. For the latter add the squash and carrots and then cover with water, which will be 3-4 cups. Don’t worry, you can always add more later.
  • Add the kale, tomatoes and cauliflower. If you’re going for the vegan super soup, add the beans but if you are on a Paleo diet, leave them out.
  • Lock the lid of your instant pot in place and set to “Soup/Stew” for 4 minutes. It will take longer than this to heat up, but draw the timer down to 3 or 4 minutes so as not to overcook your vegetables. If I am cooking with sausage I will cook them separately and let people add them individually, but some would prefer to add them in to the pot, in which case I would leave it at the default soup setting. On this note, if you are on a keto diet the inclusion of butternut squash will depend on your particular carbohydrate restrictions.
  • While your Instant Pot is doing its thing, you can whip up a batch of grain free “cornbread” made with coconut flour.
  • I hope you enjoy this! We certainly did. It’s a great “clean” meal to offset all the Paleo and Keto treats I’ve been testing and altogether enjoying in abundance. Your tum and bum will thank you.