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Butternut Squash Stew with Coconut Milk & Chickpeas (Vegan)

4.66 from 23 reader reviews
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 medium white onion, small dice
  • ½-1 teaspoon ground chilies (I like Diaspora's Guntur Sannam chilies)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 ½ lbs (690 grams) butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
  • 19 oz can (540 ml) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups vegetable stock, plus extra if needed
  • 13.5 oz can (400 ml) full fat coconut milk
  • 1 small bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped (about 4 cups chopped kale--not packed)
  • 2 teaspoons Tamari soy sauce
  • To serve: chopped cilantro and lime wedges to squeeze over top

Instructions

  • Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the coconut oil to the pot and let it melt. Add the onions to the pot and stir. Sauté onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent and quite soft, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Sauté spices until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and cook for another minute.
  • Add the butternut squash to the pot and stir to coat in the spices. Add the chickpeas to the pot and stir once more. Season everything liberally with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Place the lid on top of the pot and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the squash pieces are almost falling apart, about 15-20 minutes. The liquid should also be reduced by almost a third.
  • Add the coconut milk and kale to the pot and stir. Place the lid on top and continue to simmer the stew until the kale is wilted and bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the Tamari. Bring the stew back up to a boil and check for seasoning. If you'd like a more more liquid at this point, add more vegetable stock to your liking (being mindful that the ideal texture is quite thick). Adjust with more salt, pepper, ground chilies etc. if you wish.
  • Serve the butternut squash stew with extra chopped cilantro on top and lime wedges on the side for squeezing over top.

Recipe Notes

  • If your local grocery store sells pre-chopped butternut squash and kale, this recipe will go even faster!
  • There has been a lot of feedback on the "stew" texture and whether this recipe is thick enough to even qualify as a stew. I now have you start with 2 cups of vegetable stock (down from 3), and have added a note about texture and adding more if needed in step 
Cozy, simple to make, and perfect for fall. Butternut squash stew is filled with warming spices, ginger, garlic, creamy coconut milk, chickpeas, and kale.