Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa is packed with protein and healthy vegetables. The mouthwatering flavors will bring you back for more.
Quinoa is as filling as it is versatile, and lately I’ve been having fun putting it in everything from salads, to mini breakfast bites, to mac & cheese – and now soup. Er, rather – stew.
Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa, to be exact!
Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa is one of the most unique dishes to ever come out of my kitchen. Sweet butternut squash is paired with salty kalamata olives, shredded chicken, and fluffy quinoa, all swirled in a savory chicken broth. It is hearty, full-flavored and so satisfying.
It is a perfect cold-weather dish too, and makes plenty for leftovers.
Start the stew by peeling, seeding and chopping a butternut squash.
I use a vegetable peeler to get the outer peel off, then a big, sharp knife to cut the top, straight half off the bottom half.
Chop the squash into 1/2″ pieces then place it in a microwave safe bowl with a splash of water. Put a lid on top then microwave for 5-6 minutes or until the squash is just barely tender. Remove half, set it aside, and continue microwaving the other half until it’s very soft, about 3-4 additional minutes.
Drain, then mash the squash that was microwaved the longest with a fork or potato masher.
Squash = done! Set aside for the moment.
Next, place two frozen or thawed chicken breasts in a large soup pot or Dutch oven on the stove over high heat.
Add in rich chicken broth to cover, then bring it to a boil and place a lid on top.
Let the chicken breasts poach in the broth for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked all the way through. Remove the chicken to a plate and shred when it’s cool. Pour the broth into a separate bowl and set aside.
Return the pot to the stove and add in olive oil and minced onion. Saute the onion until it’s soft, then add in fragrant garlic and earthy dried oregano, and cook for another minute.
Next add in a can of petite diced tomatoes (I’m a freak about chunks, so I zipped mine through my mini food processor first) as well as the cubed and mashed butternut squash.
Pour the reserved chicken broth back in, plus rinsed uncooked quinoa, and let the whole thing simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the quinoa is cooked and puffed.
Finally, add the shredded chicken, pitted & quartered kalamata olives,
and fresh parsley into the mix, then stir to combine.
Season with additional salt & pepper, if necessary, and off you go!
Like I said – this stew is so incredibly unique. I love how the cubed butternut squash is creamy, the mashed squash is silky, and that the quinoa lends a little poppy bite to each spoonful.
Don’t even get me started on the flavor contrast between the salty olives and sweet squash. It is sooo good!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 3-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 chicken breasts, ~1lb
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
- 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 3/4 cup pitted & quartered kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Directions
- Place the butternut squash and a splash of water in a large bowl with a lid in the microwave, and cook until barely tender, about 6-7 minutes. Remove half of the squash and set it aside. Cook the remaining squash an additional 3-4 minutes or until it is very tender. Drain, then mash this squash with the back of a fork and also set aside.
- Add the chicken broth and chicken breasts to a large soup pot on the stove, and bring to a boil. Place a lid on top, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove chicken to a plate to cool, and pour chicken broth into a separate bowl.
- Return the pot to the stove over medium-low heat, and add in the olive oil. Add onion, salt, and pepper and saute until the onion is soft and brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring constantly, for another minute.
- Add tomatoes and all the butternut squash to the pot. Stir to combine. Pour in reserved chicken broth and quinoa, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then place a lid on top, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes or until quinoa is tender and cooked.
- Meanwhile, shred the chicken. When quinoa is cooked, stir in chicken, olives and parsley. Cook until chicken is hot, season with additional salt & pepper if necessary, then ladle into bowls.
Notes
- Keep extra chicken broth on hand for reheating as the quinoa will soak up some of the broth.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I have squash and quinoa all packed for lunch tomorrow!
I used to be very obsessed with quinoa but these days I’m all about barley!
I made your mom’s macaroni and cheese tonight and it was a big success at our house. I used the panko & parsley ingredients from another mac & cheese recipe on your blog and put it on top of half of it. This was a compromise for my kids :0) Very yummy!
I’m hooked on quinoa, too. My favorite as of late is quinoa for breakfast with some unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze and some toasted unsweetened coconut. THE BOMB!!! So much better than oatmeal…..
I’ve only tried Quinoa once, but this looks like a great way to make it again!
I just looked up the Nature Value spoof on pinterest – you are right, it is very funny :-) And kind of true!
I would have to say Tofu and canned pumpkin, but not together. But I bet that would make a great pie if it was pureed together!
I’m on a quinoa kick as well! Everything and anything I can cook with quinoa I am ON IT. Made your delicious mini ham & cheese quiona cups last night. The family LOVED them! I’d love to see you post some more quiona recipes. Thank you for sharing! XO
Trader Joe’s has a Quinoa with Veggies that I love mixing with more mixed veggie’s. I’ve been looking for some other combinations for it. Thanks for sharing!!
Do you use photo editing software? I can’t get my pictures side by side like that in my posts. My pictures aren’t as nice as your either. Nicely done! Recipe looks good too!
I just size each photo to half the width of the post area and place them side by side. :)
On a less healthy note, have you ever tried the banana cream pie blizzard at DQ? It’s my favorite, it tastes like the real thing!
YES! Now I’m craving one… ;)
HAHA, I have seen that hilarious wrapper on Pinterest. I legit LOL’ed the first time I saw it!
Recipe looks delicious.
I have been wanting to try Quinoa for some time now, but I could not for the life of me find it at our grocery store. Also my husband still loves those cheese filled hot dogs! :)
Adding olives is so unique. I’ve never seen a stew with them. Enjoy your evening!
this stew looks fantastic! right now i can’t get enough egg salad. avocado egg salad, to be precise. yum!