Butternut Squash, Pepper, and Swiss Chard Stew

Butternut Squash, Pepper, and Swiss Chard Stew is a smoky, spicy vegetarian stew.  It’s a hearty, satisfying meatless meal! {GF, VEG, V option)

This has been one crazy, hectic week at school, and I wasn’t even sure I was going to get this post done.  Normally I like to post on Wednesdays, but last night I needed a break and took it. 🙂

I’m waiting for the day to come when I’ll be ahead of the game and have blog posts and photos lined up ahead of time, but with my school schedule, I’m one post at time.  I guess I’m lucky I have time to do it at all!

It’s often hard to decide what recipes to post because I receive inspiration from so many places and I always have a multitude of ideas.  Every now and then a dish will come along that’s so special that I’m compelled to post it right away.

This Butternut Squash, Pepper and Chard Stew was one of those dishes.

If you have seen my post on Cooking School Week 5, you know I was tasked to make a stew like this last week at school.  We ate it for lunch, and I had two bowls.  Two!

It’s not like I’m that hungry at school because we’re always eating or tasting, but I loved this so much, refilling my bowl was necessary.

I’m crazy about butternut squash, which may come as no surprise.  I have many recipes here that I love, including my butternut squash potato leek soup, roasted butternut squash fajitas and butternut squash mach and cheese.

This Butternut Squash, Pepper and Chard Stew is a unique way to enjoy one of my favorite winter squash varieties, and I can’t get enough.

This Butternut Squash, Pepper and Chard Stew the perfect fall and winter bowl of comfort.  There’s a bounty of butternut squash along with fire roasted tomatoes, red bell pepper, swiss chard, corn and kidney beans.

This stew is one hearty meatless meal!

My favorite part about this stew is its smoky, spicy flavors. They’re the perfect complement to the sweetness of the butternut squash!

I love garnishing my stew with a dollop of cool, creamy Greek yogurt, which also adds a nice protein boost.  You can also make this meal vegan by eliminating the Greek yogurt.

This Butternut Squash, Pepper and Chard Stew is completely customizable with whatever you have on hand.  It would be amazing with sweet potato or kabocha squash, black beans — you name it.  It’s also freezer friendly and perfect for meal prep.

This stew is a tried and true favorite of mine, and I hope you try it too!

Butternut Squash, Pepper, and Swiss Chard Stew

Yield: 6-8 servings

Total Time:1 hour

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook Time:45 mintues

Butternut Squash, Pepper, and Swiss Chard Stew is a smoky, spicy vegetarian stew.  It’s a hearty, satisfying meatless meal! {GF, VEG, V option)

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• (1) 28 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• (1) 15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen roasted corn, thawed
• 1 bunch swiss chard, tough stems removed and sliced into ribbons
• Juice from 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Garnish with Greek yogurt and chopped cilantro or scallions, optional

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 6 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and paprika and saute for 1 minute, then add the butternut squash and red bell pepper and saute for 1 minute more.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and vegetable stock and stir until combined.  Bring to a boil over medium heat then lower the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add the kidney beans and corn and cook for 15 minutes longer or until the squash is tender.  Once tender, stir in the swiss chard and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve the stew with the optional garnishes and enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

• This stew is thick, so add another cup of vegetable stock if you’d like it on the thinner side.
• Make this stew vegan by omitting the Greek yogurt.
• Stew is freezer friendly and is perfect for meal prep!

 

Recipe source:  Flavor the Moments (inspired by Tante Marie Cooking School, San Francisco, CA)

// All images and text ©Flavor the Moments.