Spiced Butternut Squash Stew with Couscous

  4.6 – 33 reviews  • Poultry
Level: Intermediate
Total: 1 hr
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  1. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  2. 1 medium onion, chopped
  3. 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  4. 6 canned plum tomatoes, crushed
  5. 1 cinnamon stick
  6. 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  7. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  8. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  9. 1 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
  10. 1 (16-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  11. 3 cups chicken broth, low-sodium canned
  12. 1-inch strip lemon zest
  13. 1/2 cup golden raisins
  14. 4 cups chopped spinach (about 5 ounces)
  15. Juice of 1/2 lemon
  16. 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
  17. 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium canned
  18. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  19. Freshly ground black pepper
  20. 1 cup couscous

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, and spices and cook until the cinnamon stick unfurls and the tomatoes are cooked down, about 3 minutes. Add the squash, chickpeas, broth, lemon zest, and raisins and bring to a simmer. Cook, partially covered, until the squash is fork tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and season, to taste.
  2. Meanwhile, make the couscous. Bring the broth to a boil with the salt and pepper in a small saucepan. Stir in the couscous, pull the saucepan off the heat, cover, and set aside until the water has been absorbed and the couscous is plump, about 5 minutes.
  3. Fluff the couscous with a fork and mound it in 4 soup bowls. Spoon some butternut squash stew over each portion, top with almonds, and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 394 calorie
Total Fat 13 grams
Saturated Fat 1 grams
Carbohydrates 65 grams
Dietary Fiber 9 grams
Protein 14 grams

Reviews

Brooke Campbell
This was unexpectedly delicious! Even my two year old likes it and she’s sometimes picky. The spice gives it a little kick but not too much for her. A couple things I changed because of what I had on hand: I used 1/2c lentils instead of the chickpeas, regular raisins instead of golden, omitted the almonds and used frozen spinach vs fresh. Also not sure what kind of onion they were going for but I used red because it’s what I had. Came out great!
Tony Freeman
This is a wonderful recipe, loved by all to whom I’ve served it. I sub dried apricots for the raisins, which is delicious. I also serve it with quinoa rather than couscous because of having gluten sensitive friends. I added shredded organic chicken breast once to add more protein and it is delicious both with and without the added chicken. Highly recommend.
Corey Brown
I loved it- I usually don’t like squash but combined with all of the rest of the wonderfully nutritious and delicious ingredients, it was a delight to the taste buds! I wouldn’t skip a single ingredient; I almost didn’t buy the golden raisins but that would have been a mistake. The almonds and couscous give the dish great texture.
Sergio Anderson
Yuck. Will not be making this again. What a waste of food and money.
Rhonda Hughes
This recipe was so delicious!! I love that it was vegetarian and yet so comforting and filling. The colors are bright and beautiful and all of the flavors have great depth. It was healthy comfort food at its finest. I used a box of parmesan cous cous and added a little bit of nutmeg to that. Served with a crusty homemade wheatbread, made a great meal!! Will defintely be making this again as my husband and 13 month old both loved it!
Joshua Wilson
very good i will defiantly make this often. this would make a great lunch especially when it’s cold out.
Thomas Crawford
This is a fabulous everyday base recipe. I changed it up in a few ways; added a little sausage and corn but it was a big hit with the family. The combination of spices are really delicious. Check out my version at katatethat.
John Hoffman
This was easy to make and a big hit for my 3 kids home from college for Thanksgiving hoping for some tasty homecooking. It has just the right blend of friendly herbs and spices for the variety of palettes in the house! I also used Israeli couscous and left out the raisins and nuts.
Rachel Clark
This is one of my absolute favorite fall/winter recipes. I probably make it once a month until spring. I like to use Israeli couscous, the Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend (Israeli couscous, baby garbanzos, quinoa, and orzo), or spinach couscous. I think it would also work well with quinoa (tryin blending red and white for a more colorful dish) or a brown rice blend (I’m fond of Trader Joe’s “Brown Rice Blend” with black barley and daikon radish seeds).
Michael Howard
I made this for my book club and everyone loved it! It makes a huge difference if you let it cook for a bit after the squah is done. And it is even better the next day!

 

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