Sometimes in life I find myself going through these crazy phases where I simply can’t get enough of a certain type of food.
When I was 6 it was cheese-filled hot dogs. (Umm, remember those?!)
12 year old me couldn’t get enough Nature Valley Granola Bars. (Please tell me you’ve seen the HIGHlarious fake Nature Valley wrapper floating around Pinterest?)
My sophomore year of high school? All Banana cream pie, all the time. (Don’t even get me started on the BCP club my friends and I had.)
Junior year of college was riddled with bags of salt & vinegar chips (I can still feel the tongue burns…)
And I can remember the first winter after college when I made a batch of sweet & spicy chili every Sunday, then ate the leftovers for lunch all week afterwards. This went on for MONTHS. (I couldn’t make that recipe again for years after I came to my senses!)
These days? Well, I’m simply stuck on quinoa. Simply struck, is more like it!
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 used 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!
free email bonus
Dinner Made EASY
5 days of simple yet flavorful recipes that take the stress out of dinnertime!
Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa
Description
Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa is packed with vegetables and enlightening flavors. Gluten-free, too!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
- 3-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 14oz 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
- If making ahead of time, you'll need extra chicken broth when re-heating as the quinoa soaks up some of the broth as it cools.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
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!
February Wrap-Up | Life In Simplicity 02.28.2012
[…] new recipes each month. SUCCESS. Done! And it was delicious. I made Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa from Iowa Girl Eats. I didn’t have enough quinoa for the recipe so I substituted some […]
AbbieD 02.28.2012
IGE…what the heck IS quinoa?! I’ve never had it and I just can’t even figure out what it is with the variety of uses you’ve posted. I know you call it a “pure protein”, whatever that means. I looked online once and I think it said it was a seed of some sort.
What does it taste like? In this soup it reminds me of barley. But sometimes it looks like tapioca. And sometimes it looks like a pasta. And sometimes it looks “bread-y” like a grain.
Help. :(
Iowa Girl Eats 02.29.2012
I wrote this post just for you! :) https://iowagirleats.com/2012/02/28/kiwi-mango-quinoa-salad-easy-kiwi-peeling-trick/
Ane 02.26.2012
Awesome recipe! Made it today for dinner with homemade French bread.
Melanie 02.25.2012
I made this today and my husband (who is usually not too fond of my cooking) came in and said… “It smells delicious!”
Then he took a bowl of the soup, took his first bite and said “This is amazing. No, really. I’m serious. It is AMAZING.”
Great recipe… thanks for sharing!
Lisa @ Life in Green 02.25.2012
Good grief how did I miss this recipe this past week – sounds interesting and I’m pretty sure I’d love it.
I love quinoa in any kind of cold or warm salad. This fall dish has been my fav so far:
Barbara 02.24.2012
This looks really yummy! I love quinoa but haven’t experimented too much with it yet. Looks like that’s about to change! Thanks! Warmly, Barbara
Kathi 02.23.2012
The best Quinoa recipe I have ever come across is from Mark Bittman…sweet potato (I end up roasting mine, where he boils his I think), balsamic vinegar and some onion. OMG to die for! My girls even eat it…hot or cold! :-)
Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Amanda 02.22.2012
Ooh I made this recipe a few months ago and LOVED it! Thanks for reminding me to make it again :)
Melissa 02.22.2012
Fake Nature Valley wrapper –
LOL, love it, I smoosh these up into my Chobani yogurt all the time. :-)
krystie 02.21.2012
eek – never mind – you are leaving some of it in cubes. ;)
krystie 02.21.2012
for the butternut squash, next time you can just slice it in half, de-seed, and throw in the oven for 30-45 minutes….then scoop out with a spoon. Then you’d get the yummy roasted flavor AND not have to peel the dang thing! The only reason to peel & cube is if you’re leaving the cubes whole.
Recipe sounds AWESOME! The butternut squash addict in me cannot wait to try it.
Caroline @ Between Your Ears 02.21.2012
I made Heidi’s Baked Quinoa Cakes the other weekend and loved them! Also, great to put in the freezer and cook up later!
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/baked-quinoa-patties-recipe.html
Lisa in Fort Worth 02.21.2012
Just spotted this recipe on Shelby’s blog you may like it.
http://www.grumpyshoneybunch.com/2012/02/apricot-cashew-quinoa-breakfast-cookies.html
Lori 02.21.2012
Thank you for ALL your Quinoa posts…I make every one of them and can’t come up with enough words of gratitude for all these tasty and wonderful recipes! This soup/stew looks to be the BEST yet!
Lauren 02.21.2012
This looks amazing! I just saw a soup on a menu recently that had olives in it and thought how creative that sounded.
emily 02.21.2012
Thank you for another delish looking recipe! Any suggestions for non-olive lovers? I just can’t think of something good.
Thank you!
Iowa Girl Eats 02.21.2012
I think diced ham would work really well instead of the olives – would give a similar salty flavor.
nat@thesweetslife 02.21.2012
i absolutely love the sound of this! i used quinoa in chili for the first time recently (http://www.thesweetslife.com/2012/01/turkey-quinoa-chili.html) and was a big fan! the butternut squash version sounds even more amazing, esp since I love kalamata olives!
as for other great uses for quinoa, did you know you can use them in cookies? i highly recommend eating them straight from the freezer! http://www.thesweetslife.com/2012/01/dark-chocolate-almond-cranberry-quinoa.html
and i’m sorry for yet another think (I just get really excited about quinoa!) but you have to try quinoa fried rice! my all time fave way to eat quinoa! http://www.thesweetslife.com/2012/01/quinoa-fried-rice.html
Emilie @ Emilie's Enjoyables 02.21.2012
I just bought that same 78lb bag at costco. I’m currently obsessed with quinoa, roasted veggies and goat cheese all mixed up together. AMAZING.
Bethany 02.21.2012
I can’t get my boyfriend to eat quinoa… it freaks him out. This one might work though! Any suggestions for what I could use instead of olives… they freak ME out ;-)
Iowa Girl Eats 02.21.2012
Diced ham would work really well instead of the olives – it would give a similar salty flavor.
Lynn 02.21.2012
I love your blog and recipes and know that using fresh ingredients is the way to go, but for us who are single and don’t like to spend time in the kitchen cooking for just one, maybe you could do substitutions (like frozen squash, already cooked chicken, etc.)?
Iowa Girl Eats 02.21.2012
You can definitely use frozen or pre-cut squash from the grocery store, or rotisserie chicken!