Chicken Pumpkin Quinoa Chowder
So many of the pumpkin dishes we like to eat during this time of year are sweet — lattes, cookies, muffins, bread, cakes. Pumpkin is naturally awesome in sweet dishes. But we think pumpkin deserves a place on your dinner plate, too! Pumpkin is a great way to add a little bit of sweetness, heartiness, and autumn flavor to your favorite savory dishes.
Pumpkin isn’t just for sweet recipes! This savory Chicken Pumpkin Quinoa Chowder is hearty, creamy, and oh-so-comforting.
Chicken Pumpkin Quinoa Chowder
Prep time: 30 minutes / Cook time: 30 / Total time: 1 hour / Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken
- 12 cups water
- 1 medium pie pumpkin, peeled, seeds removed, and cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup quinoa
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 cups spinach
- 1½ cups half and half
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
Preparation
1. Place the chicken in a large Dutch oven or soup pot, cover with water, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
2. Remove chicken from the water, and let cool to touch. Once cool, remove meat from the bones and shred.
3. Meanwhile, add the pumpkin, onion, quinoa, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and sage to the stockpot and bring back to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pumpkin is tender, about 20 -25 minutes.
4. Add the spinach, half and half, and pumpkin puree to the soup, simmering until everything is heated through, about 5 -7 minutes.
