Who doesn't love fall comfort food?  This time of year is the best for trying out all kinds of hearty soups and stews.  I love sharing family favorites with our Burn Fat and Feast clients and this Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa is one that is on repeat.  It's a great recipe to prepare in advance and eat on a busy weeknight when schedules are crazy.  You can even double the recipe and freeze for later use! Just be sure to keep a little extra chicken broth on hand since the quinoa will absorb a lot of the liquid.

The best part about this stew - it's a perfect macro friendly recipe that incorporates protein, fiber, healthy fats, and all the good carbohydrates.  Butternut Squash is full of good vitamins like A and C plus it's high in fiber and quinoa is one of my favorite grains that is also high in fiber.

How to Make the Hearty Chicken Stew Recipe

What you'll Need:

• 1 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, & chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped (I love this chopper gadget from Amazon to make life easy)
• 1/2 TSP kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 TSP dried oregano
• 1 can (14oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
• Ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions:

1. Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes.  Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.
2. Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes.  Mash this squash with the back of a fork.  Set aside
3. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
4. Add chicken thighs, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and allow to cool.  Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.
6. Return the saucepan to stovetop and lower heat to medium.  Add olive oil.
7. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8-10 minutes.
8. Add mined garlic and oregano.  Cook, stirring for 1 additional minute.
9. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, and mashed butternut squash.  Stir to combine.
10. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa.  Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa is done, about 15 minutes.
11. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.
12. Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat about 5 minutes.
13. Stir in parsley and serve.

Yields about 6 servings.

Nutrition:

Serving: 1.66Cups | Calories: 329.9kcal | Carbohydrates: 32.9g | Protein: 19.4g | Fat: 14.1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 57.3mg | Sodium: 1011.4mg | Fiber: 5.4g | Sugar: 5.8g

Be sure to tag us on Instagram or Facebook if you test out this hearty chicken stew and let us know what you think. Want to learn more about Burn Fat And Feast?  If you are feeling stuck and frustrated with excess body fat and daily fatigue, join us for a FREE 5 day Training.  You will learn how to implement intermittent fasting into your daily lives, eat more food to fuel your bodies properly, how to increase your energy, and how to heal your gut.   Join Now!