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The ingredient that makes this chicken stew unbelievably creamy isn’t cream at all.
When the weather starts cooling off, nothing beats a bowl of homemade chicken stew. This healthy chicken stew recipe is packed with tender chicken, roasted butternut squash, kale, tomatoes and quinoa for a hearty dinner that’s comforting without feeling heavy.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for Healthy Chicken Stew
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Chicken Stew
- How to Make Chicken Stew Thicker?
- Can I Make This Soup in a Slow Cooker? Instant Pot?
- What to Serve with Chicken Stew
- How to Store and Freeze Chicken Stew
- Chicken Stew FAQs
- More Chicken Soups and Stew Recipes:
- Healthy Chicken Stew Recipe
The secret? Roasting the butternut squash. Half gets mashed into the broth, making it rich, velvety and naturally creamy—no flour or heavy cream required.
It’s the perfect one-pot dinner for chilly fall evenings, but honestly, we make it all winter long. Just don’t forget a loaf of homemade focaccia or warm biscuits for dunking!
Why You Will Love This Chicken Stew
- Naturally creamy without heavy cream
- Packed with vegetables, protein and whole grains
- One-pot comfort food that’s still wholesome
- Great for meal prep and freezes beautifully
- Ready in about an hour
- Even better the next day
Ingredients for Healthy Chicken Stew
You’ve heard of kitchen sink cookies, and I seriously thought about naming this kitchen sink stew because you seriously add almost everything but the kitchen sink! Ha! But kitchen sink stew doesn’t sound appetizing at all. Here are the ingredients you will need:
- Chicken Broth: The flavorful base that brings everything together.
- Rotisserie Chicken: A shortcut that makes this stew quick and easy while adding tons of flavor.
- Butternut Squash: Roasting and mashing part of the squash naturally thickens the broth.
- Yellow Onion: Adds sweetness and depth as it cooks down.
- Diced Tomatoes: Brighten the broth and balance the richness.
- Kale: Adds color, texture and extra nutrition.
- Flat-Leaf Parsley: Adds freshness right before serving.
- Garlic: A must for building flavor.
- Kosher Salt: Enhances every ingredient.
- Dried Oregano: Adds warm earthy flavor.
- Ground Cumin: Gives subtle warmth and depth.
- Nutmeg: Just a pinch makes the stew taste amazing.
- Orange Zest: Brightens the entire pot.
- Black Pepper: Adds a little bite.
- Quinoa: Makes the stew hearty while adding protein and fiber. (We like Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend.)
- Olive Oil: For roasting the squash and sautéing the vegetables.
Substitutions and Variations
One of the things I love about stew recipes is how customizable they are! This recipe is perfect for adding to or swapping out. Here are a few ideas:
- Swap butternut squash for Yukon Gold, red potatoes or sweet potatoes.
- Replace quinoa with orzo, couscous, farro or wild rice.
- Use spinach instead of kale.
- Add carrots, celery or peas.
- Make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth and skipping the chicken.
How to Make Chicken Stew
- Roast: Roast the squash until tender. Reserve half, then continue roasting the remaining squash until very soft before mashing it into a puree.
- Sauté: Cook the onion until softened, then add the garlic and spices and cook until fragrant.
- Simmer: Stir in the broth, tomatoes, squash, quinoa and kale. Simmer until the quinoa is tender.
- Finish: Add the chicken, orange zest and parsley and simmer for 5 more minutes before serving.
How to Make Chicken Stew Thicker?
The mashed roasted butternut squash naturally thickens this stew, so you probably won’t need anything else.
If you’d like it even thicker, stir in:
- A cornstarch slurry
- A butter-and-flour roux
- EZ Gel (my personal favorite)
Can I Make This Soup in a Slow Cooker? Instant Pot?
Slow Cooker: Short answer: I don’t recommend it.
Because roasting the squash and sautéing the onions are essential for flavor, using the slow cooker doesn’t actually save much time.
Instant Pot: You can make it, but roasting the squash and sauteing the onions first still produces the best flavor. Then add everything back to the Instant Pot and cook for 5-7 minutes and then do a natural release.
What to Serve with Chicken Stew
When I eat stew, there must be a delicious bread to dip in it! It’s an absolute must! Here are some ideas for breads:
How to Store and Freeze Chicken Stew
Store: This chicken stew will store well in an airtight container in the fridge to up to 5 days.
Freeze: This stew freezes extremely well. Place it in a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag and place it in the freezer. It will keep for up to 3 months. Let it thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator and reheat.
Reheat: To reheat the stew, you can use the microwave of the stove top. If I’m just heating up a quick bowl for myself, I’ll zap it in the microwave. If I’m reheating multiple servings, I’ll warm it up in a large saucepan until heated through.
Make Ahead: Chicken stew actually tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to meld together. Store in the fridge and reheat as mentioned above.
Chicken Stew FAQs
Roasting caramelizes the natural sugars, deepens flavor and helps create a naturally creamy broth. I wouldn’t skip it!
Chicken stew is thicker than chicken soup because it contains less broth and more hearty ingredients like vegetables, chicken and grains. This recipe also uses mashed roasted butternut squash to naturally thicken the broth.
Absolutely. Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs both work well. Simply cook the chicken before adding it back to the stew, or simmer it directly in the broth until fully cooked.
Yes! Rice, farro, barley or wild rice all work well but cooking time will vary depending on the grain.
This recipe is naturally dairy-free and can be gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free grains and broth.
Need a warm, comforting meal to get you through the cold winter months? This hearty autumn chicken stew recipe is packed with flavor and nutritious ingredients that will leave you feeling warm and satisfied.
More Chicken Soups and Stew Recipes:
- Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Best Chicken Tortilla Soup
- White Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Chicken Stew
- Instant Pot Italian Chicken Soup
- Gnocchi Chicken Soup
Healthy Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into ½-inch pieces, about 1.5 pounds
- 3 ½ Cups Chicken Broth, low sodium
- 1 ½ Pounds Rotisserie Chicken, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, medium, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 4 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Can Diced Tomatoes, 14 oz, petite diced
- ⅔ Cup Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend, uncooked, or 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
- 1 Cup Kale, chopped, *optional
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- ¼ Cup Flat-Leaf Parsley, fresh, minced
Instructions
- Toss the butternut squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake at 400 until barely tender, about 15 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.3 Cups Butternut Squash, 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Bake the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 15 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
- In a large dutch oven over medium heat add olive oil.1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn transleucent, 8 to 10 minutes.1 Yellow Onion
- Add the salt, minced garlic, oregano, cumin and nutmeg. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.4 Cloves Garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons Dried Oregano, ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin, ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
- To the pot, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash and stir to combine.1 Can Diced Tomatoes
- Stir in chicken broth, quinoa and kale (if using). Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
- Stir the chicken, orange zest and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.1 ½ Pounds Rotisserie Chicken, 1 teaspoon Orange Zest
- Stir in parsley and serve.¼ Cup Flat-Leaf Parsley
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’m excited to make this soup, how do we feel about the nutmeg in it? Would it still be good without?
Hi Jamie! You can definitely leave it out, or try it without and then add a little pinch to your bowl and try it. It really adds an extra level of flavor that is so unexpected but delicious!
Excellent dinner on a cool fall night. The nutmeg at the end was key, added something I wasn’t expecting.
Isn’t the nutmeg just amazing?! Thank you so much for your feedback Susan!
it looks like israeli couscous was used, but i don’t see it in the recipe, how much do you use and do you use it dry or cooked?
Hi Charity! This recipe doesn’t have couscous in it, just the quinoa listed in the recipe card. It’s so yummy!!
in the picture at the top of the page it looks like there’s israeli couscous and/or orzo too, i see quinoa but there’s round white dots, just curious
Hi Charity! You area absolutely right! I totally forgot that when I photographed this recipe, I used a harvest grains blend from Trader Joe’s that included couscous and orzo. If you can’t find a grains blend, just use 2/3 cup quinoa.
Looks absolutely delicious! Do you rinse the quinoa before use?
Hello Olwyn! You don’t have to but you certainly can!