Taste of Fall: Chicken Pumpkin Stew + Bonus Links!

For the next few weeks I'm going to be bringing you lots of Fall flavors!  Some will be savory and some will be sweet. Some will be pumpkin, some will be apple, some will be maple, hopefully all will be good! After the tried and true recipe of the week,  I'll also be including some links of recipes I've found, but haven't had the chance to try. With a brand-new little punkin' in the house, I've not got much extra cooking time, but maybe some of you ladies would try them out and let us know what you think!

First up is a savory chicken pumpkin stew. Don't let the ingredients throw you off ~ this stew is a family favorite from the biggest down to the littlest! Plus, it pulls together really quickly. A big plus for any busy cook!

 Chicken Pumpkin Stew

1 Tbsp. oil {your choice}
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken {raw or cooked}
1 med. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 red or green pepper, chopped
14 oz. diced tomatoes
28 oz. chicken broth or water
2 tsp. paprika {or cayenne, chipotle,etc. if you prefer more spice}
salt, to taste
2 c. raw cooking pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 c. fresh green beans, snapped in half
1/3 c. creamy peanut butter {any kind including all-natural and homemade, sugar-free will work}

If using raw chicken, heat oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.
Add chicken; saute 4 minutes or until browned.
Remove to plate.
Reduce heat to medium and saute onion, garlic, and pepper until softened.
Add broth/water, tomatoes, paprika, and salt and bring to a boil.
Add chicken, green beans and pumpkin.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and pumpkin is soft.
Add peanut butter to pot and stir until mixed well.
If you prefer the pumpkin smooth instead of chunky, simply give the soup a whirl with an immersion blender OR give everybody at the table a fork to mash it with {I've done both!}
Add more paprika and salt if necessary.

Enjoy! 


Bonus Links!!!
Soft Pumpkin Granola Bars via My Name is Yeh
Brown Sugar Maple Cookies via Averie Cooks