Autumnal squash and sweet potato stew

I remember my mother once describing her Italian mother-in-law: she would simply walk in unannounced and take over the whole place. That’s exactly how I feel about autumn. It arrives without asking, bringing crisp air, fresh mornings, and the sudden urge to pull a blazer out of the closet.

I put on the blazer and suddenly feel like I have my entire life under control. The truth is, a few clothes ended up on the floor in the process, but there’s no point thinking about unfinished things in the morning. There’s always time to tidy up later.

There’s something special about autumn mornings – the crisp air and that feeling of a fresh start. And I find myself craving the same sense of clarity in the kitchen. This stew is exactly that: the sweetness of butternut squash and sweet potato, deepened by roasting in the oven, with soft, roasted garlic bringing everything together.

Recipe

For the roasting tray

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika

For the pot:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp curry powder
½ tbsp sea salt
1 can (400 g) crushed tomatoes
1 can (400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
500 ml good-quality vegetable stock
1 tbsp white miso paste, mixed into the vegetable stock
1 tbsp gochujang paste, mixed into the vegetable stock
1 can butter beans, well rinsed and drained
1 can chickpeas, well rinsed and drained

To finish
Juice of ½ lime
Salt to taste, or 1 tsp maple syrup if needed to balance the acidity

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Spread the butternut squash, sweet potato and whole garlic cloves on a baking tray. Toss with the olive oil and season with salt, smoked paprika, Herbes de Provence and cayenne pepper. Mix well. Roast for about 30–35 minutes, until the edges of the vegetables are deeply browned and caramelized.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the mustard and coriander seeds and cook, stirring, until they begin to pop. Add the chopped onion and cook over medium heat until softened. Add a splash of water if the onion starts to stick to the bottom of the pot. Add the tomato paste, grated ginger, cumin, curry powder and sea salt. Stir and let the spices toast in the oil for a few seconds to release their aromas. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, chickpeas, butter beans and the vegetable stock mixed with the miso and gochujang. Let the stew simmer gently over low heat for about 10 minutes. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins directly into the stew. Add the roasted butternut squahs and sweet potato as well. Let everything heat through.

Finish with the juice of ½ lime. Taste and add a little more salt if needed, or a splash of maple syrup.