This easy butternut squash stew packs a serious flavor punch! With warming spices, juicy tomatoes, and hearty chickpeas, it's as delicious as it is healthy. Bonus: this stew is super easy to whip up and perfect for a weeknight.
There are certainly some foods that are all during autumn. I'm not sure what your fall favorites are, but mine are basically all of the main ingredients in this butternut squash stew!
This stew is all about warming you up, and not just because it's served piping hot, but also because it's full of hearty ingredients and cozy flavors. The recipe is an adaptation of my pumpkin stew, which is inspired by Afghan cuisine. I find butternut squash is a bit easier to work with, and personally, I prefer the flavor and texture to that of pumpkin.
It's hearty enough to make a meal of, all by itself, but if you want to add a little extra carby goodness, it pairs well with rice or bread.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Olive oil. Any high heat oil can be substituted, such as coconut oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Spices. We're using ground cumin and cinnamon.
- Butternut squash.
- Canned tomatoes. Tomatoes packed in juice or sauce will work fine in this recipe.
- Tomato paste.
- Chickpeas. We're using canned, precooked chickpeas. If you prefer to cook your own chickpeas from dried, go right ahead! You'll need about 2 cups.
- Vegetable broth.
- Fresh baby spinach.
- Salt and pepper.
- Vegan yogurt or sour cream. This is optional, and it's just for topping our butternut squash stew. Homemade cashew cream is another option you can use.
- Fresh cilantro. You can skip this if you're not a fan of cilantro.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Once it's had a chance to heat up, add diced onion and cook it for about 5 minutes, until it starts to soften.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, and spices. Cook everything briefly with the onion, making sure to keep stirring the whole time to prevent anything from burning.
- Stir in the butternut squash, tomatoes, tomato paste, chickpeas, and broth. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a low boil.
- Lower the heat and let your stew simmer until the sauce has thickened and the butternut squash is soft. You can test it by piercing a piece with a fork — it should be easy!
- Stir in the spinach and let the stew simmer for a few minutes more, just until the spinach wilts.
- Take the pot off of heat and stir in some salt and pepper.
- Divide your stew into bowls and top each one with a dollop of vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover butternut squash stew will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is!
While it has a generous amount of spices, the stew is very mild. If you'd like to add some heat, include a bit of cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce.
More Stew Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Spiced Butternut Squash Stew with Chickpeas & Spinach
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (Note 1)
- 1 (15 ounce or 400 gram) can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (15 ounce or 400 gram) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
- Salt & pepper, to taste
For Serving
- Vegan sour cream or plain vegan yogurt
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until it becomes soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin and cinnamon. Cook everything for about 1 minute, until very fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the squash, tomatoes, tomato paste, chickpeas, and broth. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a low boil.
- Lower the heat and let the stew simmer until the squash is fork tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. You can add water to the pot at any point if it becomes too thick. (Note 2)
- Stir in the spinach and let the stew continue cooking until the spinach has fully wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from heat and season the stew with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Notes
- About 1 medium squash is needed. Weigh your squash before peeling and cutting it. You should have about 3 to 4 cups of diced squash once it's prepared.
- I like to keep a cup of hot water near the stove so I can add it to the stew as needed without bringing the temperature down.
- Recipe makes about 6 cups of stew.
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