Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

This winter weather has its hooks in all of us, so there have been a lot of Google searches for soup and stew recipes to keep us warm.  One that quickly became a favorite is this Moroccan Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup.  We like it because the flavor is something a little different (surprising what a bit of cinnamon can do to a savory dish!), the couscous makes it thick and hearty, and it is very simple to cook. 

Please note our alterations when we make it.

1.  We omit the:

• ground red pepper (not always in the mood for pepper heat); 
• fresh basil (our store only has it in large batches - we don't use basil enough to warrant getting that much of it); and,
• orange rind (too much of a nuisance).

2.  We add kale for some leafy green action, which subsequently leads to adding a dash more salt and a sprinkle more couscous to compensate for the water the kale releases while cooking down.

3.  We use whole wheat couscous.

4.  We use frozen butternut squash chunks, which saves chopping time and allows the soup to cook even faster (raw squash can take a while to soften).

5.  We use chicken breasts instead of thighs.  When the soup is done cooking we take the chunks of chicken out and cut them up into even smaller pieces.  This makes it easier to eat, and also allows the white meat to soak up even more of the flavors and juices for each bite.

Even with those changes, we still enjoy our version immensely.  So actually, that appears to be another benefit of this recipe: even after tweaking for personal taste, the overall flavor is consistently enjoyable.  This is pretty much a no-fail stew.  Gotta love it!