Fall Chicken Stew with Quinoa and Butternut Squash

This “New American Heartland” fall rooster stew recipe is bulked up with quinoa and butternut squash. The dish is hearty and filling, and an ideal fall or winter dinner recipe.

When the chilly climate units in, I all the time need to make cozy, heat consolation meals, however these are sometimes not essentially the most wholesome recipes (i.e. beef stew, I really like you eternally, however you’re not wholesome haha!). This seasonal dish is wholesome, filled with greens, protein and nutritious grains and it’ll heat you up from the within out.

I’m making a loaf of easy herbed focaccia bread to dip on this delicious fall rooster stew!

What Do I Have to Make Fall Rooster Stew?

You’ve heard of kitchen sink cookies, and I severely considered naming this kitchen sink stew since you severely add virtually all the pieces however the kitchen sink! Ha! However kitchen sink stew doesn’t sound appetizing in any respect. Listed below are the elements you will have:

• Rooster Broth
• Rotisserie Rooster: I like to make use of rotisserie rooster simply to maintain issues fast and easy, however you possibly can positively cook dinner your personal rooster if you’d like. Grilled chicken breasts or left over roasted chicken would work nice. I choose to incorporate for rooster breast and rooster thigh meat if I can for essentially the most taste.
• Greens and Herbs: Butternut Squash, Yellow Onion, Diced Tomatoes, Kale, and Flat-Leaf Parsley
• Taste, Seasonings & Spices: Garlic, Kosher Salt, Dried Oregano, Floor Cumin, Nutmeg, Orange Zest and Black Pepper
• Grains: Quinoa (Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend)
• Olive Oil

The measurements for all of the elements will be discovered within the recipe card down beneath. Hold scrolling for all the small print!

Substitutions and Variations

One of many issues I really like about stew recipes is how customizable they’re! This recipe is ideal for including to or swapping out. Listed below are just a few concepts:

• You’ll be able to add cubed potatoes (crimson potatoes or yukon gold) or candy potatoes or swap them for the butternut squash.
• Use couscous or orzo as an alternative of the quinoa.
• When you aren’t a kale fan, attempt spinach as an alternative!
• After all the veggies are completely as much as you – peas, carrots, celery, and so on.
• If you wish to make this stew vegetarian, omit the rooster and use vegetable broth as an alternative of rooster inventory.

The right way to Make This Rooster Stew Recipe

To get the depth of taste you crave in a very good stew, it takes a few steps beginning with roasting the butternut squash. You additionally need to caramelize the onions a bit bit after which let all the pieces simmer so the flavors can come collectively. Listed below are the essential steps:

1. Roast: Toss the butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400 levels F till it’s tender. Take away half of the squash and set it apart after which roast the remaining squash till tremendous tender. Mash this squash with a fork.
2. Sauté: Warmth a big dutch oven over medium warmth and add olive oil. Sauté the onion till translucent. Add the garlic and all of the seasonings and spices. Stir till bloomed.
3. Mix: Add the tomatoes, butternut squash items and mashed butternut till mixed. Stir within the rooster broth, quinoa and kale.
4. Simmer: Deliver all the pieces to a light-weight boil after which scale back the warmth to a simmer till the quinoa turns translucent.
5. Stir: Add within the rooster, orange zest and pepper and simmer for one more 5 minutes. Stir within the parsley and serve in giant soup bowls.

Hold scrolling right down to the recipe card for an entire take a look at the entire recipe.

The right way to Make Rooster Stew Thicker?

In case your stew finally ends up extra like soup and also you need that thick, gravy-like stew consistency, there are just a few choices to thicken it up. For this specific recipe, the mashed butternut squash shall be key to getting it thick. Have you ever tried our classic butternut squash soup? We use the identical method in that recipe too.

Another choice for thickening it’s to combine equal elements flour and fats (i.e. a roux), normally butter, and whisking it in.

You can even make a slurry by mixing equal elements cornstarch and chilly water and whisking it in to a sizzling stew till the specified thickness.

I’ve not too long ago develop into obsessive about Cornaby’s merchandise, particularly their EZ Gel, for thickening. You’ll be able to observe the directions on the bag, however principally you simply sprinkle within the gel and let it do its factor. If I used to be going to decide on between all these choices (except for simply utilizing the mashed butternut), I might go along with EZ Gel.

Can I Make This Soup in a Gradual Cooker? On the spot Pot?

For the sluggish cooker, you would need to cook dinner all the pieces first (roast the butternut squash, sauté the onions, and so on.) so it type of defeats the aim of utilizing a sluggish cooker.

For the On the spot Pot, you’d need to cook dinner the butternut within the oven first to get that wealthy roasted taste. When you needed to strictly use the strain cooker, add a cup of water after which put the cubed butternut squash in a basket and cook dinner for 4 min on excessive. Drain and take away. You’ll be lacking that scrumptious roasted taste although. Then sauté all the pieces in batches. Then add all the pieces again to the On the spot Pot and cook dinner for 5-7 minutes after which do a pure launch.

What to Eat with Fall Rooster Stew

Once I eat stew, there have to be a scrumptious bread to dip in it! It’s an absolute should! Listed below are some concepts for breads:

Storage Suggestions

This rooster stew will retailer effectively in an hermetic container within the fridge to as much as 5 days.

This stew freezes extraordinarily effectively. Place it in a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag and place it within the freezer. It’s going to preserve for as much as 3 months. Let it thaw on the counter or within the fridge and reheat.

To reheat the stew, you need to use the microwave of the range prime. If I’m simply heating up a fast bowl for myself, I’ll zap it within the microwave. If I’m reheating a number of servings, I’ll heat it up in a big saucepan till heated by means of.

Want a heat, comforting meal to get you thru the chilly winter months? This hearty autumn rooster stew recipe is full of taste and nutritious elements that can depart you feeling happy and comfy.

Extra Rooster Soups and Stew Recipes:

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