Chicken and Butternut Squash Quinoa Stew

This chicken and butternut squash quinoa stew is absolutely lovely, both in taste and looks and is healthy to boot.

I know I said this soup was already my favorite of the season, but at the risk of sounding completely faithless, I have to argue that this quinoa stew is the new winner. It.Is.So.Good. (How’s that for profound? Man, I’m a regular philosopher today.)

But really, being So.Good. is a pretty fabulous review for a stew that is so stinking healthy.

I was skeptical my husband and kids would go for this one but just like these little quinoa patties, my family surprised me by their exuberance over this meal.

Not only did it fill the ten hollow legs I get to feed every night, but I didn’t even have to bribe them to try it.

I think we are officially becoming one with quinoa, meaning my kids don’t glare at the little kernels convinced I’m feeding them hatched frog eggs. And they are already used to me slyly sneaking butternut squash into soup thanks to this recipe and this one, so overall, this meal went over quite well. Phew.

I tweaked the original recipe (that has lots of stellar reviews) to work with one pot instead of dirtying up other dishes, and the finished stew is absolutely lovely, both in taste and looks.

Since I just moved to a climate that reportedly gets colder than 30 below in the winter (uh, is that healthy, by the way?), we are going to need some stick-to-your-bones meals and this will definitely be at the top of the list.

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Chicken and Butternut Squash Quinoa Stew

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

4.44 stars (32 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
• 1 (14-ounce) can petite or regular diced tomatoes
• 3 cups chopped butternut squash, about 1 medium squash, peeled and seeded
• ⅔ cup uncooked quinoa
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1-2 cups chopped fresh spinach

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Instructions 

• In a large 4 quart pot heat the olive oil until hot. Add the chopped onions, oregano, and garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is softened. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and boil until the chicken is cooked, 7-9 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
• Add the tomatoes, butternut squash, and quinoa. Simmer for 15 minutes until the squash is tender and quinoa is cooked. If desired, scoop out some of the squash, mash it and return it to the pot. Shred the cooked chicken and return to the pot. Add the salt and pepper, adding more salt to taste, if needed. Stir in the spinach. Cook 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Serve warm.

Author: Mel

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Method: Stovetop

Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 311kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 32g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 472mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g

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Recipe Source: adapted from Cookin’ Canuck

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