Vegetarian Stew with Quinoa, Butternut Squash & Coconut Milk Recipe

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This easy vegetarian stew is rich in flavors, thanks to coconut milk, butternut squash and fresh ginger. The leftovers heat up well for lunch the next day.
This easy vegetarian stew is rich in flavors, thanks to coconut milk, butternut squash and fresh ginger. The leftovers heat up well for lunch the next day. #vegetarianrecipes #stew #butternutsquash

Monday was time for a serious detox. I spent the weekend at the Joshua Creek Ranch for Georgia Pellegrini‘s Girl Hunter (more on that in a future post), and happily feasted on venison, smoked turkey, wild game gumbo and maybe a glass of wine or two (or three). Monday was a return to a Meatless Monday meal of Crockpot Gingered Chickpea & Spicy Tomato Stew. With a chunk of ginger sitting in my fridge, an extra can of chickpeas and butternut squash left over from my recent obsession with Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa (I’ve made it three times in the past two week), I set to work on a light vegetarian stew.

One of the first recipes on my blog paired coconut milk and jalapenos with cauliflower and brown rice (here’s the recipe) and knew it was a good match. This time, since I’m now a little more health conscious, I switched to lite coconut milk and replaced part of the coconut milk with diced tomatoes. The sweet butternut squash provides a great foil for the heat of the jalapeno and the coconut milk and tomato sauce soaks into the quinoa. Piled into a bowl and garnished with green onions, it makes for a comforting and satisfying dish.

ButternutCoconutStew1

The vegetarian stew recipe:
In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water, and place over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Remove the quinoa from the heat, fluff with a fork and re-cover to keep warm.

In a medium or large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the cubed butternut squash. Cook until the squash is just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until the onions are turning brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add ginger and minced jalapeño and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic. Cook for 1 more minute, stirring.

Butternut Coconut Stew Collage

Add the lite coconut milk, diced tomatoes with juices, chickpeas and cooked butternut squash. Turn the mixture to medium-high and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the butternut squash is tender, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.

Divide the quinoa between bowls and ladle the stew over top. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve.

ButternutCoconutStew4

More vegetarian stews:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Vegetarian Mushroom & Cannellini Bean Ragout
Cookin’ Canuck’s Crockpot Chickpea Stew with Balsamic Caramelized Onions
Herbivoracious’ Persian-Italian Eggplant Stew
Sailu’s Kitchen’s Tangy Shallot Stew
The Skinny Gourmet Andreae’s Vegetarian Moroccan Stew

Vegetarian Stew with Quinoa, Butternut Squash & Coconut Milk

This easy vegetarian stew is rich in flavors, thanks to coconut milk, butternut squash and fresh ginger. The leftovers heat up well for lunch the next day.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Entrees
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 341kcal
Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/3 cup water
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 cups diced 1/2-inch butternut squash
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1/2 large jalapeno pepper seeds & membranes removed, minced
  • 2 large cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup lite coconut milk stirred
  • 1 14 ounce can petite diced tomatoes (with juices)
  • 1 14 ounce can of chickpeas, drained & rinsed
  • 2 green onions thinly sliced

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water, and place over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until all of the water is absorbed. Remove the quinoa from the heat, fluff with a fork and re-cover to keep warm.
  • In a medium or large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the cubed butternut squash. Cook until the squash is just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
  • In a large frying pan, heat olive oil oil over medium heat. Add onion and kosher salt and cook until the onions are turning brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Add ginger and minced jalapeno and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add garlic. Cook for 1 more minute, stirring.
  • Add the lite coconut milk, diced tomatoes with juices, chickpeas and cooked butternut squash. Turn the mixture to medium-high and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the butternut squash is tender, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.
  • Divide the quinoa between bowls and ladle the stew over top. Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25of Recipe | Calories: 341kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 1470mg | Potassium: 664mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 305IU | Vitamin C: 14.9mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 4.3mg
Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

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Comments

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Thanks, Katrina. I love the rich flavor of coconut milk, too. It really does add something special.

      Reply

  3. Chris @ TheKeenanCookBook says

    I am certainly more the meat and potatoes stew kind of guy, but I will be honest, I like all the flavors and ingredients you’ve got going on here and I could see myself really digging into this dish. Especially to detox (though my weekend was a cookie binge – darn holiday baking)

    Thanks for yet another delicious looking and healthy share. We can use more of these 🙂

    Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Thanks, Chris. That holiday baking will do it to you every time! This is a great dish to keep things light at dinner so you can finish the meal with a little treat.

      Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Thank you, Belinda. And boy, did I ever need to detox – but it was so worth it.

      Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Thanks, Maria. Comforting and healthy is definitely a good combination in my books.

      Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Everyone was certain I was making Thai food. That actually sounds really good, too – I might have to do that next.

      Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      You’re right – eating light on Monday is a great way to set the stage for a week of healthy eating.

      Reply

  12. Eric @ Eatwell101 says

    Looks so nice! That’ s a very good mix, especially quinoa with butternut squash. But what about the lovely chick-peas I see on pictures? maybe I’m missing something but I cannot find where you mention it?
    Cheers,
    Eric

    Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Thanks so much for the heads-up, Eric. I fixed the recipe to include those little chickpeas.

      Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Thanks, Jamie. I cook with both of those ingredients a lot and particularly enjoy chickpeas when they have a chance to soak up the flavors from a simple sauce like this.

      Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Thanks, Natalie. It’s a meal that satisfies but doesn’t make you feel stuffed.

      Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Thanks, Ewa. The coconut milk, while not an obvious in this, adds a nice depth of flavor.

      Reply

  19. Aggie says

    Dara, this looks SO good. And so good for you. I mean, really, it’s perfect for a nice detox from some good eating! Your weekend sounded wonderful!! Hope you are well! 🙂

    Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Thanks, Aggie! It was indeed a wonderful weekend. It would have been wonderful to have you there with us. I miss you!

      Reply

  20. Marly says

    This looks delicious. And perfect timing – I think I’m ready for detoxing…and we still have a long stretch of holiday eating to go!

    Reply

  21. Katie says

    Just the title of this recipe had me hooked like a fish on a pole! This looks incredibly easy to make with simple, flavorful foods. I’m sure it’s a crowd favorite. Thanks for sharing!

    xo,
    Katie

    Reply

  22. Marla says

    Dara, I too went meatless the days after our amazing weekend. I had mostly veggies, lentils and nuts. Wish I had this recipe though. Looks wonderful!

    Reply

  26. JenE says

    This was awesome. The nutty flavor of the quinoa was a perfect complement to the stew….

    Any tips on what to do w/ the rest of the coconut milk? I have more squash too, I will probably make another batch of this for my lunches here at home w/ the kids…

    Reply

  27. A says

    I made this tonight for dinner and it was a great way to use up some leftover coconut milk (other half was in a curry). I ended up tossing everything in the pot all at once, so I don’t lose any of the butternut squash goodness and so flavours would be more integrated. Also added a cup of veg broth to thin out the consistency. Next time I may add some spicyness, since coconut milk seem to beg for it.

    Reply

    • Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says

      Thanks for letting me know. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I always love to hear the changes that other make to suit their taste buds.

      Reply

  28. Anneli Faiers (@Delicieux_fr) says

    I have a vegetarian coming to live with me for the next 3 weeks and this immediately caught my eye. Anything with coconut is a winner for me and I love chickpeas too so I shall be making this asap. Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply

  29. Colleen says

    I made this last night for my family and wanted to let you know what a hit it was. Even the 6 and 4 year olds cleared their plate, which isn’t always the case. Thank you for a keeper.

    Reply

  30. Kelly says

    This is absolutely delicious! Best detox stew after all the Christmas glutany! Do you have any idea what the nutritional values are? Thank you for this recipe

    Reply

  31. Alex says

    I just made this !

    Its awesome and not very long to make (quite messy though… two different saucepans and a frying pan—ugh)

    I would suggest making a little more quinoa as I felt there was too much sauce for the grain (don’t double it though.. just maybe 1 cup instead of 2/3rds)

    Thanks !

    Reply

  32. David Star says

    Recipe nice enough, just bland. Maybe my jalapeno’s were not hot enough.
    Added minced Sage to go with the butternut squash, Oregano to go with the chickpeas, and lots of black pepper. Did not have quinoa on hand so made brown rice. Served stew/rice with broiled pacific salmon. Will look at other herbs in the future. Will make this again, but will add cumin or curry spices.

    Reply

  34. Kris says

    I LOVE this recipe. I do mine a little differently though. I always double it so I can use the whole can of coconut milk – I like it to be like more of a chili consistency rather than what the picture shows. I also add cinnamon and nutmeg to mine. It makes it hot and sweet at the same time! I also just mix the quinoa in with the stew – I end up mixing it all up anyway!

    Reply

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