Habichuelas (Puerto Rican Bean Stew)

A Puerto Rican acquaintance mentioned his mother making this dish, and it piqued my interest. Beans with squash? I just had to try it. Some Internet searching gave me several different recipes, each one very different. Apparently, this dish is kind of like potato salad. Very common, but everybody makes it their own way.

So, I decided to do what every other habichuelas-maker does, and made my own version based off the various recipes I found. It's great. Like most hot bean dishes, it's very warming and filling inside. While this version uses some meat, it could easily be turned into a vegetarian dish. It works great as a side dish or as a main course, served over white rice.

Ingredients:

1 lb dried pink beans or pinto beans
1 large onion, diced.
1 bell pepper, diced.
4 cloves of garlic, minced.
2-3 ounces of ham. Just a small bit, chopped into bits.
3 slices of bacon, also cut into small bits.
1 tblsp. olive oil.
Jalapenos, seeded and diced. How much you add depends on how spicy you want it. I like a very slight kick with this particular recipe, so I only use one.
Roughly 4-6 cups of chicken broth.
1 tsp. oregano
1 can diced tomatoes or 3-4 fresh, diced.
1-2 lbs of yellow-fleshed winter squash, such as butternut, acorn or pumpkin. I think one good-sized butternut squash is perfect. Cut it into 1-inch pieces.
3 medium-sized potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
A handful of chopped cilantro.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Soak the beans, either overnight or by the quick soak method (you can find it on my black-eyed-pea gumbo recipe). Rinse and drain them, then set aside.

Put a large pot on medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Saute the bell pepper, onion, garlic, jalapenos, ham and bacon until the onions are translucent and the peppers are tender. Put the beans in the pot and add enough chicken broth to cover them with 1 inch of liquid. Season with the oregano and salt and pepper, and turn the heat down to low or medium-low. Simmer until the beans are as tender as you like them, maybe 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. I like my beans very soft and creamy, so I simmer for at least two hours. Add more chicken broth or water as needed, if you see the liquid getting too low.

When the beans are tender, turn the heat up to medium. Add the squash, tomatoes, potatoes and cilantro, and simmer until they're tender. It should take maybe 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust your seasonings as necessary, then serve.