This is a recipe I’ve seen pinned fairly often, and to be honest, the main reason I want to share it with you is because it is DELICIOUS. It’s perfect for fall (and pretty much any other time) and the ingredients aren’t too crazy.

The original recipe can be found here. I made a few small adjustments (of course) to make it even easier on my limited pantry and my tastebuds.

Firstly, I did not have any quinoa on hand, so I substituted white rice for it. I cooked the chicken and white rice ahead of time to save me an extra half hour; the recipe has you cook both of those in the same pot (which is nice if you have the time).

The only other thing that takes a little bit of extra time is the cooking and mashing of the butternut squash. But trust me, it’s WORTH IT.

Also I left out the olives, because who likes those? (Sorry olive lovers.)

This is such a comforting meal. It is a “hearty stew” as the name implies, but it doesn’t feel heavy after you eat it (unless you consume the entire pot, as I came close to doing). The chunks of squash give the soup a creamier texture than it would have without, and you don’t even have to feel guilty because you didn’t use cream! Use this recipe on a crisp fall day and you will be more than satisfied.

By Sam Lund