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Warm Chicken and Pumpkin Lentil Stew
A healthy and hearty chicken stew full of pumpkin flavours and lentils to warm your heart.
As I look at these photos, I can taste this stew all over again. And what a beautiful memory it brings, sitting in the kitchen with my parents on a cold and miserable day (my favourite days), with the rain pouring down and cascading droplets on the windows, a heavy breeze blowing outside, and the warm rich smells of mamas home cooking wafting through the house.
And then I ask myself. Why do we have to grow up? I’ll take a time machine back to watching my mum in the kitchen perform her miracles any day.
So, of course, we had to recreate it…just for you guys. With the added benefits of eating afterwards.
And if confessions mean anything these days, I have a confession to make. I may have taste tested this while it was simmering away, maybe more than once, while my mamas back was turned, because the aromas floating out of the pot were too much to handle. Too much to turn down. Just too much to sit through without peaking at it.
At this point, I have to say, I know ‘stew’ is not an attractive word, but it’s so unbelievably deeeeelicious to eat, I had to post it.
This fulfilling dish has all the magical elements: lentils; pumpkin; chicken; potatoes; spinach; all cooked and gently simmered to love one another, through sickness and in health, til we do them part. I think in this world of recipes, and blogging, and creating unique recipes no one has ever heard of, you can’t beat traditional. Traditional.kicks.some.serious.eating.beee-hind.
And from my childhood to you, I present the best stew you will have have in your life (besides your mums).
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Warm Chicken Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced or 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 large red capsicum/bell pepper , seeded and chopped
- 1 large carrot peeled and chopped
- 6 chicken thigh fillets cubed
- 2 large ripe tomatoes diced
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup lentils pre-soaked overnight (or 1 can of lentils)
- 2 medium white potatoes chopped
- 2 cups chopped pumpkin
- 2 pinches salt and pepper to taste
- 1 handful chopped parsley
- 2 cups baby spinach leaves washed
Instructions
- In a large saucepan/pot, fry onion, garlic, capsicum, bell peppers and carrot until onion is transparent. Add the chicken and fry until browned. Add the tomatoes and cook until tomatoes soften. Reduce to low heat, cover pot with lid and allow let simmer for about ten minutes. Add water and the pre-soaked lentils and cover with lid again. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Add potatoes and pumpkin, and cook until soft.
- Take off heat, and add the spinach, stirring through until just wilted. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can canned pumpkin be used? If so, how much would equal the recipe pumpkin and what would the cooking time be? I would like to try this c
Hi Joan,
Yes, you can use canned pumpkin in your warm chicken lentil stew. Canned pumpkin is often thicker than fresh pumpkin, so a good rule of thumb is to use about 1 cup of canned pumpkin to replace the 2 cups of chopped fresh pumpkin in the recipe.
As for cooking time, you can add the canned pumpkin towards the end of the cooking process. Since it is already cooked, you only need to heat it through. After adding the potatoes, let the stew simmer for about 10-15 minutes before adding the canned pumpkin, then cook for an additional 5 minutes or until everything is heated through.
This adjustment will help maintain the texture and flavors of the stew while ensuring the pumpkin is well incorporated. Enjoy your cooking!
Thank you, Tom. I also found your information to be very helpful. Thank you for taking the time to answer the question and to give the depth of information you did. I’m sure others have found it to be most helpful too!
This was amazing and so tasty. I added some chilli with the onion Amdahl kept topping up water as I doubled the recipe. My family all loved it!
Chopped pumpkin? Can I use regular canned pumpkin? I’m fairly sure our stores don’t carry chopped pumpkin. I’m confused.
Love this stew
. Its one of my go to meals.
Really? That’s very cool. Thank you so much for letting me know. You’ve seriously made my week already! Enjoy the rest of your week 🙂 Lots of love Xx