Note: this piece first appeared as the November 2005 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.
Serves 2 to 3
The unusual combination of thyme and cinnamon lends an interesting and tasty twist to this colorful dish. You’ll find aduki beans (also called adzuki beans, red dragon beans, or red wonder) in natural food stores. Cooking the aduki beans with kombu, a seaweed available dried in the macrobiotic/Asian section of natural food stores, helps stave off digestive distress from the beans. Leafy greens add flavor, nutrition, and a beautiful touch of color.
3/4 cup dry aduki beans
water for soaking
1 3-inch piece of kombu seaweed
2–3 cups water
1 winter squash (butternut, acorn, delicata, etc.), peeled and cut into pieces
small handful chopped greens, such as arugula or kale, plus more for garnish (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Sea salt
Sort and rinse the aduki beans, then soak them in water overnight. Drain and rinse. Add beans to a medium-sized soup pot along with the water and kombu. Bring to a boil; skim off foam if necessary. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25–30 minutes.
Add the squash to the pot and boil another 15–20 minutes or until squash and beans are just tender. Stir in greens, if using, and season with thyme, cinnamon, and sea salt. Garnish individual servings with extra chopped greens, if desired.
See step-by-step photos of this dish!
Aduki Squash Stew
