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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
This sounds insanely delicious. Coconut milk makes my world go ’round.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Katrina. I love the rich flavor of coconut milk, too. It really does add something special.
Bev Weidner says
This is soooooooo-o-o-o-o-o my type of stew. Holy gosh.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Bev. It’s perfect for a light, but comforting meal.
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 🙂
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.
Belinda @zomppa says
Oo sounds like a fun weekend, but get your need to detox a bit. This is such a beautiful way to do it.
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thank you, Belinda. And boy, did I ever need to detox – but it was so worth it.
Maria says
Comforting and healthy! Love this stew!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Maria. Comforting and healthy is definitely a good combination in my books.
Sarah @ The Cyclist's Wife says
I was wondering what you made yesterday after I saw your Tweet!
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.
Rebecca says
Hey,
I am SO going to put this on next weeks recipe line-up. It looks delish 🙂
Thanks!
Becca
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Becca. I hope you enjoy it!
Priya (Yallapantula) Mitharwal says
wow, that looks simply amazing !!!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Priya. It’s a very satisfying dish.
Alison @ Ingredients Inc says
Breathtaking
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thank you, Alison.
Yuri - Chef Pandita says
I always detox on Mondays, great way to start the week 🙂 this looks and sounds amazing, I’ve never thought of using coconut milk in veggie stews. Yum!
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.
Magic of Spice says
What a lovely stew…will want to try this 🙂
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thank you. I hope you get a chance to try it.
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
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks so much for the heads-up, Eric. I fixed the recipe to include those little chickpeas.
Jamie says
Yum! Quinoa and chickpeas are two of my favorite things!
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.
Lori @ RecipeGirl says
Looks like a wonderful, healthy, unique dinner idea!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Lori. It’s an easy one for busy weeknights.
Rachel @ Not Rachael Ray says
This looks so healthy and delicious. I need to make this next time hubs is gone 😉
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Or just add a little chicken or beef to his portion.
Jeanette says
Love this healthy vegetable stew, nice combination of flavors and nutrient rich foods. We all need a little detox right now!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Yes, we do, Jeanette. The treats are already starting to pile up around here.
Natalie says
Yumm! This looks amazing and I love that it’s healthy!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Natalie. It’s a meal that satisfies but doesn’t make you feel stuffed.
Delishhh says
With coconut milk – this sounds awesome!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Thanks, Ewa. The coconut milk, while not an obvious in this, adds a nice depth of flavor.
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! 🙂
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!
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!
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
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!
Heather | Farmgirl Gourmet says
Wonderful recipe Dara! I am bookmarking this for sure. I still have a bounty of homegrown butternuts waiting for their delicious demise in my basement. 🙂 Great inspiration!
[email protected] ReadySetFeast says
Looks looks almost too good to eat! I just started using coconut milk in cooking and it makes such a nice difference!
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) says
I just made this for dinner and it’s so delicious! It also feels good to eat because I know it’s healthy!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
I’m so glad, Kelli. Thanks so much for letting me know.
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…
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.
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.
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 🙂
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.
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
Dara (Cookin' Canuck) says
Kelly, I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this. I’m sorry – I haven’t figured out the nutritional data for this one, but here is a site that will help you do so: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp I hope that helps! I do plan to start including nutritional information for future recipes very soon.
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 !
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.
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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!
MEAl5 says
SO good. And so good for you