Butternut Squash and Quinoa Stew

It is finally cold enough to eat soup here without sweating, which I am excited about :-). I even bought my first butternut squash to try this one out. The soup came together so quickly and was healthy and delicious. The picture is actually from my leftovers for lunch the next day when it tasted even better! (and you could easily leave the chicken out and it would still be tasty)

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts (I used 1 can chicken breast and added it when adding tomatoes, etc)
1 can (14-oz) petite or regular diced tomatoes
3 cups chopped butternut squash (about 1 medium squash, peeled and seeded)
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 cups chopped fresh spinach

DIRECTIONS:
In a large 4 quart pot heat the olive oil until hot. Add the chopped onions, oregano, and garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is softened. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and boil until the chicken is cooked, 7-9 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.

Add the tomatoes, butternut squash, and quinoa. Simmer for 15 minutes until the squash is tender and quinoa is cooked. If desired, scoop out some of the squash, mash it and return it to the pot. Shred the cooked chicken and return to the pot. Add the salt and pepper, adding more salt to taste, if needed. Stir in the spinach. Cook 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Serve warm.

*In the whole batch of soup there is only 1250 calories by my best calculations, and it makes a ton!