Hearty Chicken, Butternut Squash & Chickpea Stew

Name: Hearty Chicken, Butternut Squash & Chickpea Stew
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4-6 pieces skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks; 400 g butternut squash, cut into 3 cm chunks; 800 g canned chickpeas, drained; 1 piece onion; 600 ml water; 1 tbsp olive oil; 2 tbsp tomato puree; 2 cloves garlic cloves; 2 sprigs rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped; 2 pieces bay leaves; 4 tbsp yogurt; 2 tsp harissa; 2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds; 1 handful coriander leaves

A comforting and nutritious one-pot meal featuring tender chicken, sweet butternut squash, and protein-packed chickpeas. Finished with a spicy harissa yogurt and toasted almonds, it's a flavorful dinner that's also perfect for baby-led weaning.

Servings4 Portions

Prep Time20 Mins

Cook Time70 Mins

Difficulty

Intermediate

Ingredients

skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
4 pieces
butternut squash, cut into 3 cm chunks
400 g
canned chickpeas, drained
800 g
onion
1 piece
water
600 ml
olive oil
1 tbsp
tomato puree
2 tbsp
garlic cloves
2 cloves
rosemary sprigs, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 sprigs
bay leaves
2 pieces
yogurt
4 tbsp
harissa
2 tsp
toasted flaked almonds
2 tbsp
coriander leaves
1 handful

Step-by-Step Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large, shallow casserole dish with a lid over medium-high heat. Place the chicken pieces skin-side down and sear for 8-10 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden brown. Flip the chicken and fry for another 5 minutes, then remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Lower the heat to medium and add the chopped onion to the remaining fat in the pan. Sauté for 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the crushed garlic, chopped rosemary, tomato purée, and bay leaves. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour in 600ml of water, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the butternut squash chunks and drained chickpeas to the liquid, then nestle the chicken pieces back into the pan, skin-side up. Cover and simmer for 40-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the squash is tender. If the stew looks too dry, add a splash of water; if there is too much liquid, remove the lid for the final 10 minutes of cooking.

Remove the chicken from the pan. You can keep the thighs whole (removing the skin for babies) or shred the meat and discard the skin. Mash a few chickpeas and squash chunks into the sauce to thicken it, then return the chicken to the pan. In a small bowl, marble together the yogurt, harissa, and a pinch of salt. Serve the stew topped with the harissa yogurt, toasted almonds, and fresh coriander.