Rinse the beans, then pour into a large bowl or container with a tight-fitting lid. Cover with water, at least 5 to 6 inches above the beans, so they can expand. Let beans soak for at least four hours, or overnight in refrigerator. Drain beans when ready to cook.

In a 3-quart sauce pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and half the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant with a slight color. Deglaze with the white wine. Add drained beans, vegetable stock, thyme and 2 tablespoons salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until beans are tender, about an hour. Don’t boil the beans as they will break apart. Drain beans and set aside in a large bowl.

While beans are cooking, peel the butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds and guts. Dice squash and reserve peelings, seeds and guts. Set aside.

In a sauce pot, add reserved peelings mixture and cover with water. Gently simmer for 45 minutes to make a stock. Remove from heat, strain through a fine mesh strainer and reserve liquid. (Seeds can be roasted in a 400° oven for 10 to 15 minutes.)

In a sauté pan over medium to medium-low heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once heated, add onions. Caramelize the onions for 45 minutes to 1 hour, taking care to not let them burn. They will turn golden brown and become sweet. Turn the heat down if they are cooking too fast.

Preheat oven to 350°.

In separate bowls, coat butternut squash, carrots, beets and parsnips with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread evenly on cookie sheets and roast. Each tray of vegetables will cook for different lengths of time. Set timer for 20 minutes and check for doneness every 7 to 10 minutes thereafter until vegetables are fork-tender. (Vegetables can also be roasted the day before.)

Clean kale, remove from stems and tear leaves into bite-size pieces.

To serve: In a large sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-heat. Add remaining 3 cloves of minced garlic, caramelized onions and beans. Stir to combine, then add butternut squash stock and kale pieces. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until stock has reduced and beans look creamy, 15 to 20 minutes.

Ladle beans in individual bowls. Arrange roasted vegetables on top and garnish with pomegranate seeds.