Signature Dish of the Day: Butternut Squash & Chickpea Stew
Signature Dish of the Day: Happy Thursday! Our signature dish of the day today is this bright, colorful, and deeply flavorful Butternut Squash & Chickpea Stew 😍. Butternut is one of my all-time favorite squashes and I also absolutely love chickpeas, so it was inevitable that I would somehow end up combining these two superfoods to create this truly magical stew! Butternut squash is amazingly versatile...while it is usually roasted or baked for most recipes, it is also incredibly delicious when stewed or transformed into a creamy soup. I addition, I absolutely enjoy the distinct sweet and savory flavors that butternut squash imbues to
To prepare this delicious stew, I first took on the arduous task of peeling and cutting 1 whole butternut squash into medium-sized cubes as pictured above. I then heated up 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot for about 2 minutes before adding in some diced red onions and tomatoes. As is customary, I seasoned the base mixture with a dash of smoked paprika, turmeric, and ground black pepper and let it cook down for another 3 minutes. I then poured in the butternut squash pieces into the mixture, seasoned with some salt and drizzled a bit of honey for enhanced flavor, and covered for about 5 minutes to allow the squash to blend well with the base ingredients. I then added about 1 cup of frozen peas and carrots into the mixture and poured in 2 cups of water before covering once again to let the squash cook slowly under medium heat for about 12 minutes. The trick with this dish is to cook the squash slowly until it is well cooked but still retains its firmness and doesn't become a mushy mess. Once the squash had begun to soften just a little, I stirred in 1 cup of already cooked chickpeas, added some more salt to taste as well as an additional cup of water, and covered for another 10 minutes until the squash was fully cooked through and the broth had developed a nice, slightly thick consistency. I also garnished the dish with some dry parsley and basil flakes a few minutes before removing the stew from the stove. I served this amazing stew hot and paired it with my turmeric quinoa & mushroom medley as shown below. Healthy, wholesome, irresistibly delicious, deeply flavorful, and truly satisfying...this wholly vegetarian and vegan dish has truly firmly secured its place in our revered food hall of fame and I'm sure you will definitely love it too. Enjoy! 😋💝
