This chicken stew recipe is packed with fantastic flavor and health benefits, thanks to the butternut squash and quinoa. Comfort in a bowl! 330 calories and 5 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
I was patting myself on the back for this hearty chicken stew recipe all day long. Tasty? Oh my, yes. Healthy? You better believe it. Aroma? I'd say it gets a "15" on a scale of 1 to 10. This recipe formed in my head slowly, starting with some chicken thighs sitting in the fridge. Then I picked up a butternut squash at the grocery store, with the thought of making soup. Instead, I cubed and steamed the squash, mashing half of it to help thicken the stew. In went the quinoa, one of my favorite grains, for an extra punch of protein and fiber. The topper was a kick of briny flavor from some kalamata olives and a burst of freshness from a handful of chopped parsley.
While low in calories and fat, a bowlful of this chicken stew recipe easily satisfied my craving for comfort food. Also, butternut squash is high in Vitamins A and C, as well as fiber, so I knew I was getting a well-rounded meal to keep my body healthy for my daily workouts. One can not keep up with a high-energy "power pump" instructor without some decent fuel from which to draw. Seriously, this woman makes the Energizer bunny look like a total slacker. And she has about a dozen grandkids! Inspirational? Yeah, I'd say so.
This stew can be made in advance, but you may need to add a little more chicken broth before serving because the quinoa will expand as it sits. Either way, the flavors and textures are fantastic and it is sure to become a cold-weather favorite.
Printable Recipe
Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded & chopped into ½-inch pieces
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 14 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- â…” cup uncooked quinoa
- ¾ cup pitted & quartered kalamata olives
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.
- Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
- Add chicken thighs, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and allow to cool. Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.
- Return the saucepan to the stovetop and lower heat to medium. Add olive oil.
- Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the salt, minced garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.
- To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.
- Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
- Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.
- Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in parsley and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Other healthy stew recipes:
Left to right: Italian Split Pea Stew with Cauliflower, Spiced Mushroom, Chickpea & Tomato Stew, and Curry Red Lentil Stew with Tomatoes
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Angela
I made this stew last week and it was so delicious!! My husband loved it too! Does this stew freeze and reheat well?
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Angela, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, it does freeze well. I often make a double batch and freeze it.
Kim
I just made this recipe and swapped out regular quinoa for red quinoa. Gives is a slightly nuttier flavor. It was absolutely delicious 🙂
kei
Looks so delicious.
I would like to cook this soon.
Beautiful photo, too.
Linda J
I love hearty soups in the winter and tried this tonight. I had to take liberties with the ingredients since I didn't have the same as you. I used pumpkin, not the round kind but the oblong type. I also used fresh Romano tomatoes due to lack of canned ones in the pantry. It was very good!!!! Seconds were asked for and given!
Katie
Do you think it would be possible to make this in the crockpot? This looks delicious!
Greta Landis
I also love soups, and can't get enough quinoa. I cannot wait to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
Judy
This soup is a double whammy...not only does it taste delicious, but it is even healthy!
Morgan
Made this tonight and it was delicious! The only thing I can recommend is perhaps start out with about 1/2-1 cup more chicken broth, it becomes very thick quickly while cooling, and more broth might make it more soup-y. The flavors are wonderful, this is probably one of the best butternut squash recipes I've tried!
Allison
Can I put this all in a crockpot to cook during the day?
Jean
I'd like to know, too! Can this recipe be adjusted for a slow cooker/crockpot? If so, how? Thanks!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Hi Jean, please see my response for the comment above.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Hi Allison, I haven't made this using a slow cooker, but a few readers have tried it with success. Here are their comments on the matter:
"You absolutely could, I do! I don’t fry off anything- literally chuck it all in on high for 3-4 hours. You may need to add more water/stock."
"I tried this recipe over the weekend. I didn’t have quinoa on hand, but I had rice. I just threw everything into my slow cooker and added the rice in the last 20 minutes of cooking. Fantastic soup and super easy to make!"
I hope that helps!
Karin
This soup is soooo good! Thank you for sharing it.......perfect for the cool, rainy Autumn day here in upstate NY. Soothes the soul & the body.