Fall Hen 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 probably the most wholesome recipes (i.e. beef stew, I like you ceaselessly, however you’re not wholesome haha!). This seasonal dish is wholesome, stuffed with greens, protein and nutritious grains and it’ll heat you up from the within out.

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

What Do I Have to Make Fall Hen Stew?

You’ve heard of kitchen sink cookies, and I severely considered naming this kitchen sink stew since you severely add nearly the whole lot however the kitchen sink! Ha! However kitchen sink stew doesn’t sound appetizing in any respect. Listed here are the elements you will want:

• Hen Broth
• Rotisserie Hen: I like to make use of rotisserie rooster simply to maintain issues fast and easy, however you possibly can positively cook dinner your individual rooster if you need. Grilled rooster breasts or left over roasted rooster would work nice. I desire to incorporate for rooster breast and rooster thigh meat if I can for probably 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 (Dealer Joe’s Harvest Grains Mix)
• Olive Oil

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

Substitutions and Variations

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

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

How one can Make This Hen Stew Recipe

To get the depth of taste you crave in a great stew, it takes a few steps beginning with roasting the butternut squash. You additionally need to caramelize the onions somewhat bit after which let the whole lot simmer so the flavors can come collectively. Listed here are the fundamental 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: Carry the whole lot 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 massive soup bowls.

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

How one can Make Hen Stew Thicker?

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

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

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

I’ve just lately change into obsessive about Cornaby’s merchandise, particularly their EZ Gel, for thickening. You’ll be able to comply with the directions on the bag, however mainly 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 (other than simply utilizing the mashed butternut), I’d go along with EZ Gel.

Can I Make This Soup in a Gradual Cooker? Instantaneous Pot?

For the sluggish cooker, you would need to cook dinner the whole lot first (roast the butternut squash, sauté the onions, and so forth.) so it sort of defeats the aim of utilizing a sluggish cooker.

For the Instantaneous Pot, you’d need to cook dinner the butternut within the oven first to get that wealthy roasted taste. In the event you needed to strictly use the stress 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 the whole lot in batches. Then add the whole lot again to the Instantaneous Pot and cook dinner for 5-7 minutes after which do a pure launch.

What to Eat with Fall Hen Stew

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

Storage Suggestions

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

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

To reheat the stew, you should 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 glad and comfortable.

Extra Hen Soups and Stew Recipes:

Really useful Merchandise