Spring is here which makes me happy. Sunshine, longer days, warmer weather, rainstorms, and well amongst all the good, also a cold.  The best thing about this cold though is it gave me a great reason to try this comforting, healthy stew from Cooking Canuck that I’ve had bookmarked for awhile. I’ve attempted to make soup before, a few butternut squash soups and I will admit they’ve been a bit of a disaster.  Why such failures? You would think soup would be quite easy to make, and after making this one, I know they are, all you need is a little time and patience to allow the ingredients to cook, a no-brainer.

I decided to roast the squash instead of steam it, and I had some extra tomatoes that needed to be used up, so I roasted those as well instead of using canned.  At the very end I also realized a had some kale that I needed to use, so I tossed it in, and I’m glad I did.  Since I didn’t have parsley, the green kale gave the stew a bit more color, and good texture too.

1 1/2 lb butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breasts
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed chili peppers
5 vine tomatoes, sliced in quarters (or a 14oz can of diced tomatoes)
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
1-2 handfuls chopped kale
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds,  place on baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and lightly brush with olive oil. Cut tomatoes into quarters, place on baking sheet with squash and brush lightly with olive oil. You can make a divider between the two so the squash doesn’t get soaked by tomato juices. Place chicken breasts on another baking sheet. Bake all 3 at 350F for 30-40 minutes, check periodically.  I had some time to spare, so I baked the three separately in a toaster oven.

Once the chicken, tomatoes and squash are cooked, remove from oven.  In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil.  Add onion and cook for a few minutes until translucent.  Add minced garlic, crushed chili peppers & oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.

Add tomatoes & butternut squash to saucepan and stir to combine.

Add quinoa and let toast for a minute.  Add chicken broth, stir, cover and let simmer until quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.

Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.

Stir in chicken and chopped kale.  Cover and let simmer about 5 minutes.