This kabocha squash, coconut, and wild rice stew is the perfect dish for deep winter. It is hearty, filling, and plant based. It’s really great thing to serve to your favorite people.
Awhile back, I got an email asking if I might want to participate in a blogger promotion that All-Clad was running in order to spread the word about their new line of NS1 Nonstick Induction cookware. They would send me the NS1 Chef’s Pan so that I could play with it, develop a dish in it, and then share both my thoughts and the recipe with my readers. Of course I said yes. Who says no to All-Clad?
This line of All-Clad is made from anodized aluminum, has a sturdy three-layer PFOA-free nonstick interior, and is induction-compatible thanks to steel base that also helps prevent warping. The chef’s pan has high sides and broad cooking surface that makes it great for simmering, sautéing, and steaming.
This pan become my favorite for wilting and braising greens (something I do A LOT in the winter), because it has a bit more vertical real estate than a frying pan, and the tight-fitting lid keeps the moisture in the pan. I also like it for one of my favorite weird breakfasts – sauteed cabbage with a couple of eggs scrambled in once the cabbage wilts and browns (a simple version of the dish Joy explains here).
The nonstick surface has proved itself to be among the most sturdy and easy to clean that I’ve tried in my cooking career, It still looks pristine after a month of regular use. I haven’t taken particular care to baby it, either. I wash it and set it in my dish drainer, same as all my other cookware (this pan is dishwasher safe, but it just doesn’t seem necessary, given how easily it cleans up with a quick swipe of the sponge).
Now, let’s chat about the kabocha squash, coconut, and wild rice stew I created. It’s a medley of squash (I used kabocha, but any sweet, dense winter squash would do), braised greens (a combination of kale and baby spinach), wild rice, red lentils, and coconut milk. It’s loosely based on a recipe in Liana Krissoff’s brillian book Whole Grains for a New Generation, and is delicious, filling, and just happens to be vegan.
I love making easy stews like this one in this chef’s pan, because the flared shape helps the moisture evaporate out, concentrating the flavors in the pan. It also has plenty of room for the eight cups of chopped greens that finishes the dish.
Disclosure: All-Clad sent me the pan you see pictured above and they provided a giveaway unit, both at no cost to me. No additional compensation was provided.
Kabocha Squash, Coconut, and Wild Rice Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 large onion sliced into thin half moons
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup wild rice
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 4 cups water
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 pounds cubed kabocha squash or any other winter squash (about 4 cups)
- 8 cups chopped mixed greens a combination of kale, spinach, chard, mustard, or anything else you have that needs to be used
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a chef’s pan (or a similarly sized soup pot) over medium-high heat. Add the onion slivers and cook until they soften and brown, about ten minutes.
- Add the ginger, cumin, coriander, and salt and stir them into the onions. Cook for less than a minute, just to toast the spices a bit.
- Add the wild rice, red lentils, and water and stir. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pan and cook for 45 minutes.
- Once the rice is tender and the lentils have mostly dissolved, add the coconut milk, honey, rice wine vinegar and cubed squash.
- Cook for about ten minutes, until the squash is mostly tender.
- Heap the greens into the pan and cover. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the greens are wilted enough to tuck into the stew. Add a splash of water if it seems too thick.
- Cook until the greens are tender. Once the greens are tender and the squash is soft, the stew is ready to eat!
Everything! This would be my go to pan for just about anything. The sauce for my mother’s fabulous lasagna, my favorite beef stew with winter vegetables, sauteed greens with red onions, garlic and balsamic…. I’ve recently moved back into a home after living in an RV for 5 years! I have to rebuild my cooking tools collection – May I have this pan please?!!!
Garlicky collards, for our monthly friends’ potluck.
Would cook lamb and preserved lemon stew!
I’d cook meatballs in tomato sauce in this pan!
I would make kale in this pan!
I’d make yummy eggplant curry with most of the veggies coming from my garden!
Looking forward to trying this stew too with butternut squash we grew.
Thanks!
This is my favorite style of pan for making all manner of pasta accompaniments: for fall, cubes of squash, tuscan kale and mushrooms sauteed together with a splash of pasta cooking water to make it saucy…
The first thing I’d make would be this recipe!
I’d love to make a chicken curry in this!
It would be a great pan for cooking up a big mess of chard…or sauce…I can definately see that as a go to daily pan.
Lasagna soup!
I’m definitely trying this stew. I just tried Kabocha squash a couple of weeks ago and we loved it. I made a curry dish with sweet potatoes and chickpeas. I use my large all-clad deep skillet weekly. I would love to try the non stick cookware.
It’s getting cold outside – I would make soups and stews.
Greens, lots of greens. Maybe some holiday appropriate creamed spinach..
I’m thinking a big pot of chili.
Deconstructed Italian stuffed peppers.
I could really use a great pan like that. I would make a nice soup in it
I might make a one-pan Italian dish of chicken, zucchini, vegetables, sauce and pasta.
What a great pan! A nice pot of stew would be perfect.
I would make coconut curry chicken.
Could be perfect for upcoming soup nights…
I would make shakshuka in this pan!
I think most anything would cook up well in this lovely pan!
I would love to make butternut squash risotto in this pan!
This gorgeous pan would be perfect for making braised chicken thighs in herbed tomato sauce, which is a favorite dinner here, good with rice or pasta.
I would absolutely cook eggs in this pan! I have a pet parrot, and because birds are sensitive to PFOAs that can be released from regular nonstick cookware when cooking at high temps, I only have one ceramic non-stick skillet that is admittedly not very non-stick. Would love to have another safe nonstick cooking surface around, will have to look into these!
I’d probably cook that squash coconut stew, it looks delicious!
I’d make turkey Bolognese over spaghetti squash. yum!
A nice orzo pasta with fresh spinach, lemon, sundried tomatoes and a sprinkle of feta!
I would find many, many uses for this pan – one skillet meals, sauteeing a large amount of vegetables, etc. I have an induction cooktop which I love. I never replaced a similar pan like this I had (didn’t work on induction) when I had a regular cooktop
I am always searching for the perfect non stick skillet. please pick me!
If I had this pan, I’d make oh so many lovely things. I’ve already made this recipe here and it’s delicious!
Swiss chard probably, since it’s going strong in the garden.
That pan would be perfect for some Mexican chilequiles!
I would do either Ful Mudammas (Egyptian favas) or wilted greens with poached eggs.