Butternut Squash Stew with Sausage

This Butternut Squash Stew with Sausage is a one-pot meal filled with hearty ingredients like farro and kale in a rich, flavorful broth. Taking help from the grocery store makes this recipe an easy weeknight dinner that the entire family will love. 

*This recipe is an update from one I published in September 2018. I’ve included new images, updated the article, and included metric measurements.*

What is Butternut Squash?

Butternut squash is an elongated pear-shaped winter squash with hard, thick, beige skin and seeds. Both the rind and seeds of the butternut squash are removed and discarded instead of eaten. The flesh of butternut squash is bright orange when raw and creamy, with a slightly sweet flavor when cooked. The most popular way to prepare butternut squash is roasted, added to soups and stews in chunks, or cooked down and blended into a puree. 

When shopping for butternut squash for this recipe, select a squash with an unblemished peel and one with some weight. You can also cheat and purchase pre-peeled and cut butternut squash to cut down on prep time.  

What Do I Need to Make This Butternut Squash Stew?

Butternut squash stew is made with chunks of butternut squash, Italian sausage, fresh kale, farro, onions, carrots, celery- also called mirepoix- garlic, rosemary, chicken stock, olive oil salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.

This is a one-pot recipe. I recommend using a 7 1/2-quart dutch oven or even a larger one. 

Can I Replace the Pork Sausage with Something Else?

I save tons of time by scoring the Italian sausage I use in this recipe while it’s still in the package. I unwrap the tray and use a spatula or knife to score the meat into 1-inch cubes. Afterward, I roll each cube into a ball. Meatballs in about 3 minutes; you can’t beat that for convenience. 

You can replace Italian pork sausage with Italian turkey sausage in this recipe, but there are also beef, lamb, and chicken versions of Italian sausage that you can use here. You can also use your favorite flavored sausage instead of Italian or buy frozen meatballs for even more convenience. 

Can I Make This Butternut Squash Stew Vegetarian?

Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a 7 1/2-quart dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on both sides for 3 1/2 minutes per side or until they are dark brown in color. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meatballs from the pot to a platter or dish. 

Omit the Italian sausage or replace it with your favorite plant-based sausage to turn this into a vegetarian butternut squash stew. Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock as well. 

What is Farro?

Add the carrots, celery, garlic, and onion to the pot and sauté these ingredients over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, frequently stirring. 

Add the farro to the pot with the vegetables, tossing the grains in with the other ingredients to coat them in the oil and toast the grains slightly. 

Farro is an Italian grain full of nutrients and has a nutty, chewy texture when cooked. 

Can I Replace the Farro with Another Grain?

You can replace farro in recipes with similar grains like bulgur, spelt berries, or wheat berries. 

You can also omit the farro in this recipe if you observe a gluten-free diet. Farro is wheat, so it isn’t safe for gluten-free diets. Try brown rice, sorghum, or steel-cut oats for a gluten-free alternative to farro. 

Can I Replace the Butternut Squash with Something Else?

Next, add the chunks of butternut squash and meatballs to the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Cutting the squash into 1-inch chunks ensures they cook at the same time. 

You can replace the butternut squash with acorn, Hubbard squash, or pumpkin. The recipe ceases to be butternut squash stew, but I’m sure you already know that.  

How Long Does the Butternut Squash Stew Need to Cook?

Pour the chicken stock into the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and add the rosemary, salt, and pepper. 

Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot with its lid and simmer the butternut squash stew for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Can I Omit the Kale in This Recipe?

After 20 minutes of cooking, add the kale and the balsamic vinegar to the pot. Carefully stir these two in because the pot will be quite full. 

Cover the pot and cook the stew for 10 more minutes on low heat. 

How Do I Serve Butternut Squash Stew?

Ladle the butternut squash stew into bowls and serve the stew plain or garnish them with shredded parmesan or pecorino cheese. 

What Other Recipes Go Well with This Stew?

Butternut squash stew goes well with freshly baked bread like this Pan Sobao, my Buttermilk Biscuits, or this Sweet, Buttery Cornbread. This stew is hearty enough on its own, so you really don’t need to serve anything with it per se. The cheese does give it a nice little oomph, though. 

How Do I Store Leftover Butternut Squash Stew?

Store leftover butternut squash stew in an air-tight food storage container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat butternut squash stew, you can portion out what you plan to eat and reheat it for 1 to 2 minutes on high. Stir the stew halfway through heating to ensure it heats evenly. Also, you can reheat butternut squash stew on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. 

Can I Freeze Leftovers?

Freeze butternut squash stew in a freezer-safe container for 3 months after cooling it completely. Allow the frozen stew to thaw in the fridge and reheat it as instructed above.  

What Other Recipes Can I Use Butternut Squash In?

I have plenty more butternut squash recipes, but here are some of my favorite recipes to use the squash in:

• Harvest Pork Stew
• If you can’t find calabaza for this Caldo Santo recipe, replace it with butternut squash.
• Butternut Bisque with Apple and Sage

Be sure to share this recipe with your friends and family. If you make it, don’t forget to tag me in it on social media and pin it to your soups board for easy finding later. 

Butternut Squash Stew with Sausage

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 20 votes

This Butternut Squash Stew with Sausage is a one-pot meal filled with hearty ingredients like farro and kale in a rich, flavorful broth. Taking help from the grocery store makes this recipe an easy weeknight dinner that the entire family will love. 

Servings: 8 servings

Print Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Equipment

• 7 to 8-quart dutch oven

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound (454 grams) Italian sausage mild or spicy
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large (2 cups or 230 grams) yellow onion peeled and diced
• 2 large (1 1/2 cups or 185 grams) carrots peeled and diced
• 2 large stalks (1 1/2 cups or 125 grams) celery trimmed and diced
• 3 cloves (1 1/2 tablespoons or 25 grams) garlic peeled and minced
• 1 cup (155 grams) farro
• 1 medium (6 cups or 1 kilogram) butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cut into 1" cubes
• 2 1/2 quarts (2 1/3 litres) chicken stock
• 2 stems fresh rosemary (or 1 tbsp dried rosemary)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (9 grams) kosher salt plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
• 8 cups (150 grams) kale chopped, woody stems removed
• 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) balsamic vinegar

To Garnish

• shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions 

Form the Meatballs

• Score the Italian sausage with a spatula or knife into 1-inch cubes.

  Remove a cube of sausage and roll it into a ball. Continue rolling the sausages until all your meatballs are formed.

Sear the Meatballs

• Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a 7 1/2-quart dutch oven over medium-high heat.

  Brown the meatballs on both sides for 3 1/2 minutes per side or until they are dark brown in color.

  Use a slotted spoon to remove the meatballs from the pot to a platter or dish. 

Sauté the Vegetables and Farro

• Add the carrots, celery, garlic, and onion to the pot and sauté these ingredients over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, frequently stirring. 
• Add the farro to the pot with the vegetables, tossing the grains in with the other ingredients to coat them in the oil and toast the grains slightly. 
• Next, add the chunks of butternut squash and meatballs to the pot with the rest of the ingredients.

Simmer the Butternut Squash Stew

• Pour the chicken stock into the pot with the rest of the ingredients, and add the rosemary, salt, and pepper. 

  Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low.
• Cover the pot with its lid and simmer the butternut squash stew for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

  After 20 minutes of cooking, add the kale and the balsamic vinegar to the pot. Carefully stir these two in because the pot will be quite full. 
• Cover the pot and cook the stew for 10 more minutes on low heat. 

Serve and Garnish with Cheese

• Ladle the butternut squash stew into bowls and serve the stew plain or garnish them with shredded parmesan or pecorino cheese. 

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

• You can replace the Italian pork sausage with Italian turkey beef, lamb, and or chicken sausage.
• You can also use your favorite flavored sausage instead of Italian or use frozen meatballs for even more convenience. 
• Omit the Italian sausage or replace it with your favorite plant-based sausage to turn this into a vegetarian butternut squash stew.
• Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock as well. 
• You can replace the farro with bulgur, spelt berries, or wheat berries. 
• For a gluten-free stew, omit the farro in this recipe and replace it with brown rice, sorghum, or steel-cut oats. 
• You can replace the butternut squash with acorn, Hubbard squash, or pumpkin.

Tips and Techniques:

• When shopping for butternut squash for this recipe, select a squash with an unblemished peel and one with some weight. You can also cheat and purchase pre-peeled and cut butternut squash to cut down on prep time.  
• Buying your Italian sausage in the tray helps making forming the meatballs easier. 
• Cutting the squash into 1-inch chunks ensures they cook at the same time. 

Storage Instructions:

• Store leftover butternut squash stew in an air-tight food storage container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• To reheat butternut squash stew:
  1. Portion out what you plan to eat and reheat it in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes on high.
  2. Stir the stew halfway through heating to ensure it heats evenly.
• Also, you can reheat butternut squash stew on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through. 

Freezing Instructions:

• Freeze butternut squash stew in a freezer-safe container for 3 months after cooling it completely.
• Allow the frozen stew to thaw in the fridge and reheat it as instructed above.  

Nutrition

Calories: 511kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 25gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 52mgSodium: 1325mgPotassium: 1371mgFiber: 14gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 23715IUVitamin C: 223mgCalcium: 632mgIron: 6mg

Course dinner, Entree

Cuisine European, Italian

Keyword butternut squash, farro, Italian sausage, kale, stew

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