Hearty Chicken Stew

October 25th, 2010 § 40 Comments

I don’t generally like soup. Or maybe soup doesn’t like me. Either way, we’ve never had a relationship, and unless I take into account that soup is one of the most beloved of foods, I am okay with being abnormal. This can also be evidenced by wardrobe from 1985 to…well…2010. Normalcy be damned.

You probably won’t find me sitting down to a bowlful of soup anytime soon. Unless of course some chef comes up with a chocolate version, in which case I’ll give up solid food for a year or more.

Stews on the other hand, well…stews are a world more lovable. Cozy and warming.  They’re thick enough to really feel like a meal to me, and maybe that’s because I use very little liquid in mine. The stews I create are chunky and rich, dense and hearty in a stick-to-your-ribs sort of way. Each vegetable is soft and giving, just glazed in a satiny coat of sauce.

 

And while I’m partial to beef stew, I had roasted a small chicken this weekend and had leftovers to spare. With my creative cap snuggled nicely around my ‘It’s the weekend, who will see me?’ afro, I set about slimming and saucing a chicken stew. I wanted to create a meal that tasted a bit like the innards of a chicken pot pie, that creamy, saucy middle that I’m so fond of. The only caveat? I didn’t have cream.

I wanted the flavors of fall and Thanksgiving- those lovely notes of thyme and rosemary and bay. I also wanted a meal that felt rustic and reminded me of home. And quite honestly, I wanted an excuse to make biscuits.

This is comfort food.

This is: cue the storm outside, wrap yourself in a blanket, find a channel replaying Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (that’s TBS, thankyouverymuch), and wear that sweatshirt you got on a trip to Calgary Canada circa 1996. Then dine on chicken stew.

 

Despite the creaminess of the photos, and the way it coats the back of a spoon, this chicken stew has not a drop of cream in it. It’s almost so healthy that I’m skeptical butter may have sneaked into the pot while I turned my back to eat a cookie. The universe has always been fond of playing tricks on me like that.

Hearty Chicken Stew

Warning: This is thicker than most stews. It resembles the insides of a chicken pot pie. Enter at your own risk.

To a large pot, add chopped carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, a few sprigs of time, a bay leaf, and a sprig of rosemary. Pour 3 cups of good quality chicken broth on top and bring the mixture to a boil.

When it has reached boiling, reduce the heat and let the pot simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add a hefty handful of frozen or fresh sweet corn and a cup of chopped frozen or fresh green beans. Now add 2 heaping teaspoons of poultry seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper. Stir. In a small cup or bowl, whisk to dissolve 2 tablespoons of corn starch in 1/4 cup cold water. Pour that into the pot and stir to combine. Let the mixture return to a simmer and you should notice the cornstarch thickening the soup within about 2  minutes. If your stew doesn’t thicken enough to your liking, add more cornstarch (dissolved in cold water- generally the ratio of cornstarch to water is 1:2).

Now that the mixture has thickened, stir in the leftover cooked, chopped chicken.

I made some quick biscuits on the side to dip into the stew, because I think biscuits are a magical, happiness-inducing food. If you don’t have biscuits, use a crusty bread for your dipping pleasure.

Serve.

Hearty Chicken Stew

(makes 3 large servings)

  • 4 carrots, chopped
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
  • 3 cups good quality chicken broth- please note that quality matters here
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 2 tsp poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 TBSP corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
  • 3 cups cooked, chopped chicken (about 12 ounces)
  1. To a large pot, add chopped carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, thyme, bay leaf, and rosemary. Pour chicken broth on top and bring the mixture to a boil.
  2. When it has reached boiling, reduce the heat and let the pot simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add sweet corn and green beans. Now add poultry seasoning, salt, and a few grinds of freshly cracked black pepper. Stir. In a small cup or bowl, whisk to dissolve the corn starch in 1/4 cup cold water. Pour that into the pot and stir to combine. Let the mixture return to a simmer and you should notice the corn starch thickening the liquid within about 2  minutes. If your stew doesn’t thicken enough to your liking, add more cornstarch (dissolved in cold water- generally the ratio of cornstarch to water is 1:2).
  3. Now that the mixture has thickened, stir in the leftover cooked, chopped chicken. Let the mixture cook for about 5 minutes for flavors to blend.
  4. Serve with crusty bread or homemade biscuits.

 

Nutrition Information for 1 serving:  Calories 310.5 Total Fat 2.4g Cholesterol 65.7 mg Sodium 201.9 mg Potassium 1,084.1 mg Total Carbohydrate 44.0 g Dietary Fiber 6.9 g Sugars 7.5 g Protein 30.7 g

 

Calories 310.5
Total Fat 2.4 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Cholesterol 65.7 mg
Sodium 201.9 mg
Potassium 1,084.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 44.0 g
Dietary Fiber 6.9 g
Sugars 7.5 g
Protein 30.7 g

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